Vertiformer, Cherokee Lord work over Arlington turf

Joseph Allen's French stakes veteran Vertiformer, pre-entered last week for

both the 30th anniversary edition of the Grade 1 Arlington Million and the

inaugural running of the $400,000 American St. Leger this Saturday, breezed five

furlongs in 1:06 4/5 Monday morning over Arlington's world famous turf course.

Jockey Jeffrey Sanchez, who is riding at Arlington for the first time this

summer but is a solid fifth in the standings, was aboard Vertiformer for the

move over the grass course which was rated "good" with the "dogs" well out from

the rail.

In his last start, Vertiformer, who is conditioned by Arlington's perennial

leading trainer Wayne Catalano, finished fourth after breaking slowly in the

Grade 3 Arlington Handicap on July 14 as the designed local prep race for

Saturday's Million.

Also with a breeze over Arlington's grass course on Monday morning was

Millard Seldin Revocable Trust and the Estate of Hoss Inman's Arlington Million

pre-entrant Cherokee Lord, who went three-quarters in 1:16 4/5 with the veteran

jockey Francisco Torres in the irons. 

Trained by Charlie Livesay, Cherokee Lord finished a nose behind Vertiformer

when fifth in the Arlington 'Cap and was fourth in the Secretariat two years

ago.

At Saratoga on Monday, Arlington 'Cap runner-up Boisterous breezed a

half-mile in :47 3/5 over the firm Oklahoma training turf. The Phipps Stable

homebred, who scored his biggest win in the Grade 2 Red Smith Handicap last

November, finished third in the Grade 1 Manhattan Handicap two starts ago.

Robert Courtney Jr.'s Rahystrada, who bested Boisterous by a neck when

winning the local Million prep, went four furlongs in :51 2/5 at The Thoroughbred

Center in Kentucky last Saturday.

Saturday's one-day International Festival of Racing at Arlington also

features the Grade 1, $750,000 Beverly D. Stakes for some of the worlds' best

grass-favoring fillies and mares and the Grade 1, $500,000 Secretariat Stakes

for three-year-olds of international turf caliber. The Million, Beverly D. and

the Secretariat stakes are also the only three Grade 1 races offered in Illinois

on an annual basis.

In other International Festival of Racing news:

Although none of the European invaders that are already on the grounds at

Arlington had cleared quarantine at the end of training hours Monday morning,

the following were on site safely.

That group included three candidates for the inaugural running of the

$400,000 American St. Leger: Eastwind Racing's Kentucky-bred Bridge of Gold,

Australian TB Bloodstock et al.'s Irish-bred Jakkalberry and Darley Stud

Management's German-bred Zuider Zee.

On the grounds in advance of the Arlington Million were Darley Stud

Management's duo of British-bred Afsare and Irish-bred Colombian as well two

others bred on the Emerald Isle -- EFFEVI and ABT's Crackerjack King and Mark

Hawtin's Wigmore Hall.

Marco Botti trains the Group 1-winning half-brothers Crackerjack King and

Jakkalberry, and the pair had their final gallops in Newmarket on Saturday.

"Crackerjack King and Jakkalberry are both in good order and I am confident

that they will cope well with the journey to America," Botti said. "Although I

currently have no confirmed jockey, Ryan Moore is a possibility."

The trip will be the start of an international campaign for the veterans, who

are both likely to head into quarantine on their return to the United Kingdom in

order for a visit to the Southern Hemisphere for the Melbourne Spring Carnival.

"We shall assess the well being of both horses on their return to the U.K.,

and if everything is in order we will take them to Australia," Botti added.

Fillies and mares that were being bedded down in advance of the Beverly D.

Stakes as the Million's sister race were Andrew Stone's Irish-bred I'm A

Dreamer,  Darley Stud Management's British-bred Joviality and Gestut

Karlshof's German-bred Kapitale.

European-based invading sophomores who had arrived in advance of the

Secretariat Stakes were His Highness the Aga Khan's Studs' French-bred Bayrir

and Darley Stud Management's Kentucky-bred Dark Stranger.

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