|Arlington Park Barn Notes
Contact: Graham Ross
(847) 385-7500 ext. 7319
In today's notes:
Juddmonte Farm's Beat Hollow, hero of the Grade I Manhattan Handicap in June and the Grade I Woodford Reserve in May, is being pointed toward the Grade I Arlington Million August 17, a Juddmonte spokesman confirmed Sunday morning.
Speaking over the phone from his Mill Ridge Farm in Kentucky, Dr. John A. Chandler, president of Juddmonte, underlined the probability of Beat Hollow's future engagement at Chicago's premier Thoroughbred oval.
"Absolutely," said Dr. Chandler, when talking about Beat Hollow in the 20th renewal of the Million. "He's the best Bobby's (Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel) got out there (at his Southern California headquarters), and we're looking forward to coming back to Arlington for the Million with this horse."
Chandler was at Arlington Saturday, watching his homebred Cetewayo take down winning honors in the Grade III Stars and Stripes Breeders' Cup Turf.
The Arlington Million, contested at a mile and a quarter over Arlington's world famous turf course, is the traditional centerpiece of the Chicago Thoroughbred racing season. The nine-furlong grass test is also part of Arlington's one-day International Festival of Racing, along with the Grade I Beverly D. for the best turf fillies and mares worldwide and the Grade I Secretariat Stakes, restricted to grass-inclined 3-year-olds of international caliber.
Beat Hollow, a British-bred 5-year-old, came to the United States this year after being inactive in 2001. During his sophomore campaign, conducted in Europe, the chestnut son of Theatrical won the Group I Grand Prix de Paris at Longchamp in June of 2000 after finishing third despite a troubled trip in the Group I Epsom Derby earlier that month.
John A. Chandler's Cetewayo, who made a bold late run to capture Saturday's Grade III Stars and Stripes Breeders' Cup Turf by a neck, left Arlington Park by van early Sunday morning on a trip to Chandler's Mill Ridge Farm.
The 8-year-old son of His Majesty went to the post as the choice of the fans in the Stars and Stripes based on his victory the Grade I Gulfstream Park Breeders' Cup Handicap in South Florida last February.
"Everything is great with Cetewayo," said Chandler over the phone from Kentucky. "It's a beautiful morning here and we expect that the horse will be back here early this afternoon. He'll probably stay here one night before heading back to Tapeta (trainer Michael Dickinson's farm on the shores of the Chesepeake Bay.)
"Cetewayo came out of the race just fine," said Chandler. "I was very pleased with his race Saturday. Looking at the videotape, I saw he changed leads just fine, and when you can get him to do that, he usually has a one-track mind. He really looked like he was enjoying himself. He's a very happy horse and he's repaid us amply for his happiness. They tell me back at Tapeta yesterday, he had his whole fan club gathered around the TV rooting him home.
"As for his future, I don't want to go to California with him, so there's really only three races left that are written for a long distance grass horse," said Chandler. "They are the Sword Dancer (GI, Saratoga, Aug. 10), the Man o' War (GI, Belmont, Sep. 7), and the Breeders' Cup Turf (GI, Arlington, Oct. 26)."
Chandler then specifically addressed Cetewayo's chances in the John Deere Breeders' Cup Turf, as part of the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships run for the first time at Arlington Park this fall.
"I won't be confident that he'll win, but I will be confident that he'll run his best for us," he said. "I don't run my horses to see my colors on the racetrack. I don't run unless I think I have a chance of winning."
Starlex Farm's Private Son, runner-up in Saturday's Grade III Stars and Stripes Breeders' Cup Turf at Arlington Park, was doing well Sunday morning at Arlington following his excellent second-place finish at better than 10-1.
"It was a lovely race," said trainer Sally Schu. "I'm very proud of him and we're all pretty happy here at the barn. He's pretty happy with himself as well. He's been squealing all morning."
Concerning future plans for Private Son, Schu said, "We'll take a look at the Arlington Handicap (Grade III, July 27). It's kind of a short time period, but assuming he comes out of this race okay, it would seem to be a good spot for him."
Diamond C Stable's Pisces, a good third beaten a length in Saturday's Grade III Stars and Stripes Breeders' Cup Turf, came out of the race in good order, according to trainer Ken McPeek when reached over the phone in Louisville, Kentucky Sunday morning.
"I thought Pisces ran a good race," said McPeek, who won the Iowa Distaff Saturday night at Prairie Meadows with Lucky Seven Stable's Minister's Baby. "I was pleased with Pisces' effort. I'll nominate him now for your Arlington Handicap."
The Grade III Arlington Handicap will be contested at a mile and a quarter on the grass July 27, as part of Arlington's Million Preview Day. The Arlington Handicap is the final local prep for the Grade I Arlington Million August 17.
Arlington Park sends its deepest condolences to vice president of community affairs Kris Stabler and her entire family following the death of her husband Douglas. Mr. Stabler had been battling cancer and died Saturday morning.
Visitation will be held Monday, July 8 from 3-8 p.m. at the Glueckert Funeral Home, 1520 N. Arlington Heights Road in Arlington Heights. (847) 253-0168.
Arlington Park's defending jockey champion Rene Douglas went over the $1 million mark in purse earnings locally this season on Saturday, the 24th day of the season. Through Saturday, Douglas' earnings of $1,144,141 put him on a pace to eclipse the $3.8 million his mounts earned here last year. Last year, Douglas went over the $1 million mark on July 25, the 31st day of the 2001 Arlington season. (Mark Guidry had gone over the $1 million mark in earnings last year on July 19, 27th day of that session.)
Seventy years ago Tuesday, on July 9, 1932, C. V. Whitney's Equipoise won his third race at Arlington Park in a span of 10 days when he captured the weight-for-age Arlington Gold Cup. On June 30, he had won a one-mile handicap while carrying 128 pounds and five days later he had annexed the Stars and Stripes Handicap while shouldering 129 pounds.
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