Breeders' Cup at Arlington Park horse racing in Illinois

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Tuesday, October 22, 2002
Contact: Notes Team (847) 385-7472/7473

$2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff (Grade I)
World Thoroughbred Championships
Fillies and Mares, Three-Year-Olds and Up
1 1/8 Miles
Azeri -- The morning-line favorite for the Breeders' Cup Distaff was welcomed to Barn 12 Tuesday by trainer Laura de Seroux after a flight from California.
"I think she has more than a legitimate chance for Horse of the Year if she wins the Distaff," said de Seroux of the 4yo filly. Azeri has won seven of eight starts this year, four of the victories in Grade I stakes.
"Horse of the Year implies who has performed the best," said de Seroux. "There shouldn't be any flyer attached to it, such as a girl has to beat the boys. If she wins the Distaff, she will have the best record of any horse this year. And she won her races in a dominating way and carried weight."
Azeri was bred by Allen Paulson, the all-time Breeders' Cup leader in earnings as a breeder and owner. The filly is owned by the Allen Paulson Living Trust, managed by Paulson's son, Michael.
Farda Amiga -- "Friendly silks" is how Brazilian-born trainer Paulo Lobo translates Farda Amiga, explaining that the partners who own her - Old Friends Inc., Winner Silk Inc. and Jose de Camargo - gave her the name after purchasing her at the 2000 Keeneland September yearling sale. Julio Camargo (Old Friends) and Marcos Simon (Winner Silk) both live in Brazil, while Jose DeCamargo, who brought the partnership together, resides in Versailles, Ky.
"She is very famous in Brazil," said Lobo of Farda Amiga, who arrived at Arlington Park Tuesday morning after a 3 ½ hour flight from California that also brought numerous other Breeders' Cup contenders. "ESPN broadcast the Kentucky Oaks to Brazil. All the press in Brazil is aware of her.
"Running in this race is very important for me, the horse, and the owners. It is the most important race for fillies and mares," said the 33-year-old Lobo, who has only been in the United States for a year and 10 months. "Every trainer wants to win a Breeders' Cup race. If I win, it would be a dream come true."
Lobo is no stranger to success at the racetrack, however, having been one of the top trainers in Brazil by win percentage in 2000. But he is quick to admit that Farda Amiga is the best horse he has trained up to this point of his career, which he began on his own in 1994, after serving as an assistant to his father for seven years.
"She's a very, very special filly," said Lobo. "After the Santa Anita Oaks (where she finished fourth, beaten by only two lengths), we knew we had a great filly in our hands. Then she won the Kentucky Oaks. But after the Oaks, she got sick and had to have 105 days off.
"It sounds like a long time, but I actually did not have a long time to prepare her for her next race (the Alabama). We lost all of May with her as she had to stay in her stall. Then in June, July and August, she only had five works, but it was enough to see that she was 100 percent. I was very confident with her."
Farda Amiga then won the Alabama after the very extended layoff. She hasn't raced since then (Aug. 17), but did record a final workout on Monday at Hollywood Park prior to shipping to Chicago this morning.
Imperial Gesture -- Godolphin Racing's Imperial Gesture worked 5f in 1:03 with exercise rider Lee Roebuck up at Belmont Park over a fast track. Runner-up in last year's Juvenile Fillies, Imperial Gesture is scheduled to walk Wednesday and then ship to Arlington on Thursday.
Imperial Gesture, who will be ridden by Jerry Bailey, has won five of six this year and comes into the Distaff on a three-race win streak. Her only loss in 2002 came in the Kentucky Oaks.
"She got slammed pretty good at the start in the Oaks and ran so hard to get back in contention," assistant trainer Tom Albertrani said of that hot afternoon in May. "She lost weight after that race, and we just took our time with her."
Mandy's Gold -- The consistent filly who has never been worse than third in a 16-race career got reacquainted with the Arlington Park track on Tuesday with a 1 3/4-mile gallop. The 4yo Gilded Time filly, who won Arlington's Chicago Breeders' Cup Handicap in June, arrived in Chicago at 3:30 a.m. on Monday following a van ride from Delaware Park.
"Looking at the big picture, the Distaff was in our mind when we ran here this summer, but we were more concerned with getting her back in form," explained trainer Michael Gorham. "The first three months of the year at Gulfstream, she had some foot problems. Since then, she's been good and sound and has had a hard campaign.
"After she finished third in the Ballerina, we decided to stretch her out. In the Ruffian, she rated and ran a big race. That's really when we started thinking Distaff. Her last race was the Beldame (when second) and she was finishing the fastest at the end. She's a different horse from when she was sprinting. I don't think the mile and an eighth is going to be any problem."
Jockey Jose Santos has the mount on Mandy's Gold.
Starrer -- Owner George Krikorian's half-millionaire arrived on a flight from her Southern California base Tuesday around noon and settled into her stall under the eyes of assistant trainer Michelle Jensen.
The 4 yo daughter of Dynaformer comes to Saturday's Distaff from a runner-up finish in the Lady's Secret Breeders' Cup Handicap at Oak Tree at Santa Anita. She finished 3 ½ lengths behind Azeri, who has won six straight races and is expected to be the heavy favorite in the Distaff.
Starrer, trained by John Shirreffs, will be fitted with blinkers for the first time in a race, and will be ridden by Patrick Valenzuela.
Summer Colony -- Edward Evans' five-time graded stakes winner Summer Colony galloped Tuesday morning at Belmont Park with exercise rider Jose Sanchez up. The 4yo Summer Squall filly is scheduled to gallop again in the morning and then ship to Arlington Park on Thursday.
Summer Colony first turned heads in the summer of 2001 when she broke her maiden by 32 ¾ lengths at Saratoga.
"When she won that day, I thought she finally ran like I thought she could," trainer Mark Hennig said. "Plus, it was her first time around two turns on the dirt."
Summer Colony has won four times in four states this year, with victories coming at Saratoga, Delaware Park, Pimlico and Santa Anita, where she handed probable Distaff favorite Azeri her only loss in 10 career starts.
"I think her best race this year is between the Personal Ensign and the Delaware Handicap," Hennig said. "When she beat Azeri, I think that was her fourth-best race."
Take Charge Lady -- The Spinster winner galloped at Churchill Downs on Tuesday and was scheduled to van to Arlington Park on Thursday to finish her final preparations for Saturday's race where she will be among the favorites.
The Dehere filly is one of three sophomores in the race, who will be trying to extend the streak of 3-year-olds beating older horses in the Distaff to three.
Two Item Limit -- Two Item Limit walked the shedrow at Arlington Park Tuesday morning after putting in a 4f workout here on Monday in 48 1/5 under jockey Rene Douglas.
Trainer Stephen DiMauro said via cell phone from his south Florida headquarters at Calder Race Course today, "She's doing very good. Everything's on schedule. She walked today and will gallop up to the race. We weren't asking for very much on Monday. Rene did what I wanted. It surprised me that she galloped out so strong, though. Rene said she was eager to do more. In my mind, that shows she's doing better."
DiMauro's plans thus far have come to fruition. Running Two Item Limit in a state-bred restricted race here last out, he believes, was just the thing she needed to get her confidence back.
"The reason I ran her there was to have a race where it wasn't going to be too tough. We got a chance to win a race," he said of her victory. "Racing and training over this track also put us in a good position in deciding to run in the Breeders' Cup."
Considering his filly's chances in the Distaff, DiMauro said, "There's eight of them in there and I can't fault any of them. Starrer and my filly may be the outsiders in the race, but someone could stub their toe. We don't have the luxury of setting the pace. I figure Imperial Gesture and Azeri will go (early). It's a question of who moves.
"But Rene has won enough races at Arlington Park, and that's definitely a plus for us."
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Monday, October 21, 2002
Contact: Notes Team (847) 385-7472/7473

$2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff (Grade I)
World Thoroughbred Championships
Fillies and Mares, Three-Year-Olds and Up
1 1/8 Miles
Azeri -- "Visually, absolutely stunning," said trainer Laura de Seroux of the probable favorite's final work for the race at San Luis Rey Downs in Bonsall, Cal.
"She worked a half mile from the three-eighths pole," continued de Seroux. "She went three furlongs in 35 4/5 and a half in :48 and galloped out in 1:03."
The 4yo filly has won her last six starts and will retain regular rider Mike Smith.
"My exercise rider (Brian Eide) sits as still as a day with no breeze; he's the best in the business," said de Seroux.
"Everything is perfect. Azeri is dead fit. I was not compelled to do that much with her."
Azeri will be flown here Tuesday from California. De Seroux is scheduled to arrive here this evening.
Farda Amiga -- Kentucky Oaks and Alabama winner Farda Amiga worked 5f in 1:00 at Hollywood Park on Monday morning for trainer Paulo Lobo. She is set to fly to Chicago on an early morning Tuesday flight that is bringing other Breeders' Cup contenders as well. Lobo is due in Monday night. Pat Day has the riding assignment on Saturday.
Mandy's Gold -- The Ruffian Handicap winner arrived at Arlington Park early Monday morning following a van ride from her base at Delaware Park. Trainer Michael Gorham was en route to Chicago and was scheduled to arrive in the afternoon.
"She's doing excellent," said Gorham. "She shipped in great. She had a nice, easy work on Saturday. She went a half-mile in 51 1/5. This is what we've been doing with her all year and it's seemed to have worked pretty well."
Mandy's Gold, a four-year-old Gilded Time filly, has not been worse than third this year, including five victories. She is one of only two fillies in the Distaff to have started at Arlington, having won the Chicago Breeders' Cup in June. Two Item Limit has also won at the host track. Jockey Jose Santos, aboard in the Ruffian and the second-place finish last time out in the Beldame Stakes, has the return call on Saturday.
Imperial Gesture -- Godolphin Racing's Imperial Gesture galloped Monday morning at Belmont Park under regular exercise rider Lee Roebuck. Assistant trainer Tom Albertrani said Imperial Gesture, second in last year's Juvenile Fillies, would work a half-mile or five-eighths Tuesday at Belmont and then ship to Arlington on Thursday.
Jerry Bailey has the mount Saturday.
Starrer -- The 4yo daughter of Dynaformer, owned by George Krikorian and trained by John Shirreffs, will add blinkers for her run in Saturday's Breeders' Cup Distaff, Shirreffs said Monday.
The filly will ship Tuesday from her Southern California base and will be under the care of assistant trainer Michelle Jensen upon her arrival at Arlington Park. Shirreffs will arrive on Thursday.
The filly put in her final serious work for the race on Sunday when she sped 6f in 1:12 over the Hollywood Park main track under regular rider Patrick Valenzuela in the irons.
Summer Colony -- Edward Evans' Summer Colony galloped Monday morning at Belmont Park under exercise rider Jose Sanchez. Trainer Mark Hennig plans to ship Summer Colony to Arlington Park on Thursday with regular pilot John Velazquez scheduled to ride Saturday.
Summer Colony worked 5f in 1:01 2/5 at Belmont Park on Saturday, her first work since finishing third in the Beldame on Oct. 5. Summer Colony has four wins and two seconds in her other starts this year and Hennig noted the Beldame was a one-turn race, and that Summer Colony is 0-for-7 in one-turn races.
The Distaff at Arlington will be two turns.
Take Charge Lady -- One of the likely favorites following her victory in Keeneland's Spinster Stakes on October 6 galloped at Churchill Downs on Monday and will ship to Arlington on Thursday by van. The 3yo Dehere filly had her final serious workout on Saturday, breezing 4f in 48 4/5 under jockey P.J. Cooksey.
"She's doing good," said trainer Kenny McPeek. "She had a good work the other day and we'll gallop every day from here. She'll arrive Thursday, gallop at Arlington on Friday and run Saturday."
Jockey Edgar Prado has the mount.
Two Item Limit -- Two time Illinois-bred Horse of the Year Two Item Limit has been at Arlington Park since shipping in from New York to win a state-bred restricted handicap on Sept. 14. Trainer Stephen L. DiMauro selected the race as a confidence builder for the 4-year-old filly, who has not registered a victory since the 2001 Black Eyed Susan at Pimlico.
Third in the Breeders' Cup Distaff last year at Belmont Park, Two Item Limit breezed 4f here Monday in 48 1/5 with jockey Rene Douglas in the irons.
Douglas has the riding assignment on Saturday as well. Her last workout was Monday, Oct. 14 when she went 6f in 1:12 2/5. DiMauro is due to arrive at Arlington Park Wednesday afternoon. In the meantime, an assistant, Michael O'Neill is caring for Two Item Limit.
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