12/08/2017. Weekend Stakes Rundown: The Million. The Arlington Million highlights a quartet of Grade 1 turf races // Weekend lungo in America, Francia, Germania, Irlanda ed ancora Francia con il rientro il 15 di Brametot e Almanzor
Arlington International Race Course during the 2016 Arlington Million
Four Footed Fotos
Weekend Stakes Rundown: The Million
The Arlington Million highlights a quartet of grade 1 turf races.
Each week BloodHorse.com looks forward to the weekend’s biggest races. Consider this your weekly guide to the best stakes races in North America. This week we have four grade 1 turf races, headlined by the Arlington Million, and rare graded stops at Ellis Park and Emerald Downs. Races are listed in chronological order (all times Eastern) and full previews can be found through the link for each race.
Trainer Todd Pletcher has two talented fillies, stakes winner Pure Silver and graded stakes-placed Stainless, entered in the 6 1/2-furlong test. Twin Creeks Racing Stables’ Pure Silver won on debut June 22 against statebred company at Belmont Park. The Mission Impazible filly followed the victory with a 1 1/2-length score in the Lynbrook Stakes against statebreds July 16 at Belmont.
4:40 p.m.—$75,000 Polynesian Stakes at Laurel Park
Lael Stables’ grade 3 winner Divining Rod has found a soft spot for his 2017 debut, and ran the best race of his career last time out Nov. 26, when the son of Tapit finished just a head behind Connect in the Cigar Mile (G1). A victory would be welcome, however, as Divining Rod’s last stakes win came back in the 2015 Coolmore Lexington Stakes (G3).
Since he broke his maiden in August of 2016, Amerman Racing Stables’ Oscar Performance has shown that when he gets firm ground to run on, he will fire. The Kitten’s Joy ridgling has won his last four races on firm turf, including back-to-back victories in the June 3 Pennine Ridge Stakes (G3T) and the July 8 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T), his second grade 1 score.
5:20 p.m.—$100,000 Monmouth Oaks (G3) at Monmouth Park
WinStar Farm’s Overture broke through for her first stakes win last time out in the Indiana Oaks (G3) and is the only graded winner entered in the 1 1/16-mile test. The Congrats filly has never finished worse than third in all five of her starts.
Keystoneforvictory got the better of The Pizza Man (who will in the Arlington Million later on the card) last time out in the Stars and Stripes Stakes (G3T) at 1 1/2 miles last time out July 8. The son of Shakespeare rallied from 11 lengths off the pace in his Arlington debut, and that effort, along with a score at Gulfstream Park in May at 12 furlongs, shows the bay colt has an affinity for three-bend races.
Sheep Pond Partners and Michael Ryan’s Sassy Little Lila will take on the boys as the lone filly in a field of seven. Racing exclusively against females, the 4-year-old daughter of Artie Schiller has finished no worse than second in seven starts since her debut in June of 2016, including a pair of grade 1 placings—in the American Oaks at Santa Anita Park in December and the June 10 Just a Game Stakes last time out at Belmont.
She may have two wins in two starts since she arrived in North America, but Ignacio Correas IV says he has yet to see the best of Dona Bruja. In her first U.S. start, Dona Bruja notch a win in the Old Forester Mint Julep Handicap (G3T) at Churchill Downs June 10. Not quite a month later, she ventured to the Chicago area and got well acquainted with the Arlington turf in the Modesty Handicap (G3T) July 8, when she used an effortless late move to best a field that included grade 1 winner Time and Motion.
On his top day Divisidero is as capable as any in the turf male division, with a list of vanquished rivals that includes a former divisional champion (Big Blue Kitten ) and a Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1T) winner (Tourist ). If one of those good days comes in the Million, the late-running millionaire could make good on his connections’ long-held belief that he is capable of not just ascending up the ranks, but staying there for the longer haul.
8:02 p.m.—$100,000 Pucker Up Stakes (G3T) at Arlington International Racecourse
Lipstick City is the second choice in a wide-open Pucker Up off an impressive 2 1/2-length victory last time out July 15 in the Boiling Springs Stakes at Monmouth Park. It was the first victory for the daughter of City Zip since her debut win in September of 2016 at Belmont.
A unique field of juveniles is headed by Kaleem Shah’s undefeated Run Away. The Run Away and Hide colt won his debut at 4 1/2 furlongs in May at Santa Anita, then came back to win the Santa Anita Juvenile Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs by 1 1/2 lengths July 3.
Stephen Chesney and Cory Hoffman’s marathon specialist Melmich exits a victory in the 1 1/4-mile Dominion Day (G3) July 1, but the Wilco gelding also has a stellar 8-5-3 record from 18 starts at the Seagram Cup’s 1 1/16-mile distance, including a win in the 2016 OLG Elgin Stakes Presented by Bear Stables and a third-place finish in last year’ s Seagram Cup.
The connections of Copper Bullet are hoping what he gleaned from his first try against graded stakes company—a “frustrating” second-place finish in the Bashford Manor Stakes (G3)—is something they have managed to undo in the last several weeks. The son of More Than Ready rushed up on inside to engage the pacesetter, dropped back approaching the turn, checked up briefly, and then re-rallied to finish 1 1/2 lengths behind Ten City.
If Brooklynsway runs to her best form, the Groupie Doll will go through the daughter of Giant Gizmo . Her earnings of $722,597 dwarfs her 11 other competitors and her six wins have all come in stakes, including Keeneland‘s Hilliard Lyons Doubledogdare Stakes (G3) in 2016, in which she defeated multiple grade 1 winner I’m a Chatterbox.
With an eye on the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1), Skye Diamonds will look for her second straight graded score following a standout score in the Great Lady M. Stakes (G2) at Los Alamitos Race Course, where she defeated grade 1 winners Constellation and Finest City.
Last year’s Longacres Mile winner, Point Piper, is back for more in Auburn, Wash., for the Pacific Northwest’s premier Thoroughbred event. The 7-year-old son of Giant’s Causeway hasn’t won in seven starts since last year’s 4 3/4-length score at Emerald Downs but has placed twice—both runner-up finishes in the 2016 Native Diver (G3) and Winter Challenge Stakes.
Weekend lungo in America, Francia, Germania, Irlanda ed ancora Francia con il rientro il 15 di Brametot e Almanzor
Il weekend del galoppo inizia ufficialmente quest’oggi, anzi questa notte, e durerà fino al martedì di Ferragosto. Ad Arlington Park vanno in scena tre G1 di spessore con molta Europa dentro.
AMERICA: si apre con le Secretariat Stakes G1 per 3 anni in erba in programma alle 22,50 con 6 cavalli al via e metà del campo composto da cavalli del vecchio continente, con in pista lo stakanovista Permian(Teofilo) che affronta l’ottava corsa di questo 2017 dopo aver fatto Dante, Derby, King Edward ad Ascot e Grand Prix de Paris. Manca solo la Vuelta e tutte le tappe sono completate. Il cavallo di Mark Johnston è il favorito di una corsa che vedrà al via anche Afandem (Zoffany) per Jean Claude Rouget e Taj Mahal (Galileo) per Aidan O’Brien. Gli americani sono Oscar Performance (Kitten’s Joy) per Brian Lynch, vincitore del Derby Invitational Stakes G1 a Belmont, poi Gorgeous Kitten (Kitten’s Joy) per Michael Maker che ha una linea con Sonic Boom (More Than Ready) per Ian Wilkes. Le altre 2 corse filo europee sono le Beverly D Stakes G1 per femmine con Sarandia (Dansili), che ha corso il Lydia Tesio G1 per Peter Schiergen, e Rain Goddess (Galileo) per O’Brien, recente 2° di Enable nelle Oaks irlandesi. L’Arlington Million XXXV Stakes G1 sui 2000 metri, in programma alle 01,20, vede al via 12 partecipanti tra cui Mekhtaal (Sea The Stars) con Frankie Dettori in sella, vincitore dell’Ispahan G1 ma sesto nelle Prince Of Wales’s Stakes. Anche Marco Botti presente con Fanciful Angel (Dark Angel) ed Aidan O’Brien con Deauville (Galileo). I migliori americani sono Ascend (Candy Ride), Divisero (Kitten’s Joy) e The Pizza Man (English Channel). CAMPO PARTENTI QUI.
FRANCIA: Domenica dopo pranzo e dopo un riposino ci trasferiamo in Deauville dove c’è una edizione stringata del Prix du Haras de Fresnay-le-Buffard – Jacques Le Marois G1 che ha perso molto del suo potenziale e forse ne perderà ancora di più dopo che Aidan O’Brien ha dichiarato in dubbio Roly Poly (War Front), inizialmente partente. Le prossime ore sono decisive. Anche Ribchester (Iffraaj) alla fine ha rinunciato per riposare e preparare al meglio l’autunno dopo lo sfrotunato epilogo delle Sussex Stakes G1. Al via sono in 7 ed il favorito è il tre anni Al Wukair (Dream Ahead) che dopo il terzo posto nelle 2000 Ghinee G1 di Churchill ha osservato un periodo di sosta forzato rientrando contro gli anziani nel Messidor G3, perdendo da Taareef (Kitten’s Joy) che quel giorno ha fornito una prestazione impressionante. Al Wukair quel giorno non era al top ed ha perso anche la partenza, motivo per cui attualmente è il favorito della corsa a 6/1. Ma occhio perchè Taareef sta volando. A 5/1 c’è Thunder Snow (Helmet), sceso molto di quota, poi c’è Gold Luck (Redoute’s Choice), la sorellastra di Goldikova, mentre Godolphin propone anche Inns Of Court (Invincible Spirit), con Fabre che ha dentro anche Trais Flours (Dansili). CAMPO PARTENTI QUI.
GERMANIA: Ad Hoppergarten domenica si corre il Longines Grosser Preis Von Berlin G1 con 7 cavalli al via tra cui Hawkbill (Kitten’s Joy) che affronta 6 avversari. Dello stesso team, ma allenato da Saeed Bin Suroor, c’è Racing History (Pivotal), il fratello di Farhh. CAMPO PARTENTI QUI.
IRLANDA: Domenica al Curragh è in programma una bella edizione delle Keeneland Phoenix Stakes G1 con favorito in Beckford (Bated Breath) per Gordon Elliot, imbattuto in 2 uscite e vincitore delle Railway Stakes G2, che dovrà affrontare il plotone di Coolmore capitanato da Sioux Nation (Scat Daddy) che ha impressionato ad Ascot. CAMPO PARTENTI QUI.
ANCORA FRANCIA: Martedì 15 Agosto in Francia c’è grande classe sebbene non sono previsti G1. Si corre il Guillame D’Ornano G2 sui 2000 metri i cui partenti sono in fase di costruzione. Ma al via dovrebbe esserci il campione Brametot (Rajsaman), duplice vincitore Classico in Francia con Cristian Demuro in sella, che affronterà tra gli altri Eminent (Frankel) per Martyn Meade. I partenti ufficiali sabato..Ma quello che è interessante sapere è che in giornata si correrà anche il Prix Gontaut-Biron G3 sui 2000 metri, dove tornerà in pista a distanza di molti mesi (esattamente dal 15 Ottobre dopo le Champion Stakes G1) il campionissimo Almanzor (Wootton Basset) che dovrebbe aver superato i problemi che hanno attanagliato le strutture di Pau. I 2 di Jean Claude Rouget, uno con Soumillon e l’altro con Demuro, hanno rifinito la condizione qualche giorno fa insieme ed il video dell’esercizio è disponibile cliccando QUI.
