Contact: Graham Ross
(847) 385-7500 ext. 7319
GRoss@arlingtonpark.com
In today's notes:
- Tic N Tin Tops Sunday's $50,000 Zen Handicap at Arlington Park
- Summer Mis Among 19 Singapore Plate Nominations
- Bits & Bridles
TIC N TIN TOPS SUNDAY'S $50,000 ZEN HANDICAP AT ARLINGTON PARK
Ron L. Brandenburg's Tic N Tin, hero of the $84,450 White Oak Handicap here on Prairie State Festival Day, heads a field of eight named to Sunday's featured $50,000 Zen Handicap restricted to Illinois-breds 3-year-olds and upward at six and one-half furlongs.
In his most recent trip to the post on July 19, Tic N Tin dueled for the early lead in Fairmount Park's $25,000 Shecky Greene Handicap and drew off late to tally by five and three-quarter lengths.
In the White Oak, contested June 22, Tic N Tin prompted the early pace, took command turning for home and then withstood a constant challenge throughout the lane to be best by a nose at the wire.
However, between the White Oak and the Shecky Greene, Tic N Tin disappointed in the $42,000 Dr. Fager Handicap June 30 here when he finished fifth, beaten eight lengths for all the money.
Tic N Tin will shoulder Arlington Park racing secretary David Bailey's top impost of 123 pounds in the Zen, most of which will be made up by jockey Shane Laviolette.
One of two next in the weights at 119 pounds, and likely to provide strong competition for Tic N Tin is Asiel Stable's Classic Appeal. The 5-year-old altered son of Classic Account, winless this year but on the board in his last 10 trips to the post, finished fourth at last asking in allowance company here July 21 in a five and a half furlong dash. However, before that when going three-quarters, Classic Appeal was a good third, beaten only a length by Tic N Tin in the White Oak.
Classic Appeal has Carlos Silva slated for the tack on Sunday. The Chilean-born but Chicago-based Silva became Thoroughbred racing's latest member of the 3,000-win club on Wednesday here at Arlington Park.
Opposing the top two Sunday: Terry Renfrow & Eugene Young's Too Many Bucks, 117, Rene Douglas; Freeway Ticket Partnership's Freeway Ticket, 117, Robby Albarado; William Cortesi's Magic Doe, 119, Randy Meier; Samuel Henry, Dominic Marsella & Emerald Ridge Farm's Manitowish, 114, Carlos H. Marquez Jr.; Irene Hock, Vance Gricus & Jack Bogan's Meadow Champ, 114; and R. Otto Racing Stable & Pat Livney's Sir Rascal, 113, Jesse Campbell aboard.
Of these, Magic Doe merits consideration. The Fast Gold gelding captured the $100,000 Chicagoland Handicap at Sportsman's Park last March 30 with a wire-to-wire performance.
SUMMER MIS AMONG 19 SINGAPORE PLATE NOMINATIONS
R. Otto Stables Inc.'s Summer Mis, an Illinois-bred who captured the $86,750 Purple Violet Stakes here during the Prairie State Festival, is among 19 sophomore distaffers nominated to the 23rd running of the Grade III Singapore Plate here August 10.
The Singapore Plate, known as the Arlington Oaks for most of its renewals, is Arlington's main event for 3-year-old fillies and serves as the highlight next weekend at Chicago's premier Thoroughbred oval.
Others among the Singapore nominations include Gary A. Tanaka's Ms Brookski, winner of the Grade II Davona Dale at Gulfstream February 24, as well as John Franks & Peter Abruzzo's Lost At Sea, who captured the $150,000 Iowa Oaks at Prairie Meadows July 3.
Thirteen years ago tomorrow, on Aug. 3, 1989, at Arlington, Hall of Fame
Jockey Jorge Velasquez notched the 6,000th victory of his career.
One year ago Tuesday, on Aug. 6, 2001, Earlie Fires, Arlington Park's
leading jockey of all time, was inducted into the National Museum of Racing
and Hall of Fame at Saratoga.
Richard L. Duchossois, chairman of Arlington Park, has been nominated for
this year's National Turf Writers Association's Joe Palmer Award, for
meritorious service to racing.
Neil Milbert, longtime turf writer for the Chicago Tribune, has been
nominated for this year's National Turf Writers Association's Walter Haight
Award, for excellence in turf writing.
The largest win payoff of the 2002 Arlington Park season was recorded
Thursday when Russell L. Reineman Stable Inc.'s Our Last Novel paid $131.20
in the sixth race of the day.
The largest trifecta of the season -- a payoff of $6,843.80 based on a $2
wager -- was also recorded in that same race.
Jockey Corey Lanerie, who began riding at Arlington Park Wednesday after
being jockey champion at Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie, Texas, earlier
this summer, had a riding triple Thursday at the local oval.
Jockey Carlos Silva, who became the 101st rider in Thoroughbred history to
win 3,000 races on Wednesday with a win at Arlington Park, added two more to
that total Thursday with a riding double here.
The entire staff and management at Arlington Park wishes to express
condolences to Paul and Brian Tharp and their family. Their father, Albert
Tharp, died of a massive heart attack Sunday night. Paul is the pool
monitor in the Arlington Park mutuel department and Brian works at Trackside
Arlington Park in the television department.
Veteran New England trainer Eddie Anspach died at 92 on Monday in Ocala,
Florida. Mr. Anspach saddled Woolford Farm's Historian to win the 1946
Arlington Handicap, setting a track record time of 2:01 for the mile and a
quarter distance. Historian upset Calumet Farm's Armed in that race, who
finished second but went on to be handicap champion that season as well as
the 1947 Arlington Handicap winner and 1947 Horse of the Year.
On a happier note, congratulations are in order for Steve Bowler, security
manager at Arlington Park, and his wife Tanya, who are now the proud parents
of Lili Monet Bowler, born Tuesday weighing 8 pounds, 11 ounces.
Congratulations are also in order for Arlington Park's leading rider Rene
Douglas, who rode 44 winners during the month of July in defense of his
jockey championship last season. Douglas won both the Grade III Arlington
Handicap and the Grade III Beverly D. on Million Preview Day last Saturday,
and has captured six of seven graded stakes during the current session.
Kudos as well to the barn of trainer Steve Hobby, named as Barn of the
Month for July.
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