Big Stakes triple at Arlington Park headlines Weekend of Racing
Arlington Park has been running for a few weeks, but the stakes calendar starts to get serious on Saturday, when a trio of grade 3 races will be run, the $150,000 Matron, the $150,000 Hanshin Cup and the $150,000 Arlington Classic. The Matron kicks off the stakes action with a field of nine set to go to post, including millionaire Hooh Why. The seven year old mare is coming off a win in the Distaff Turf stakes at Tampa Bay Downs in her last start and has two wins and two seconds from six starts at Arlington Park in her career. She’s also faired well on the all weather surface, with 7 wins over the polytrack. She’ll be facing the one-two finishers from the Doubledogdare Stakes at Keeneland, Ice Cream Silence and Sisterhood. Ice Cream Silence went wire to wire under Rose Napravnik in the Doubledogdare, which was just her second time trying the all weather surface. Joe Rocco Jr. takes over the mount in the Arlington Matron. Sisterhood loses the services of Joel Rosario who was on board last time during his terrific meet at Keeneland, so players might want to tread lightly as new rider Joao Moriera is listed to ride.
The Hanshin Cup is a mile on the main track and drew ten runners, including multiple Graded stakes winner Nate’s Mineshaft. Nate’s Mineshaft looks to have a big speed advantage in this spot and he’s proven to be very effective when he’s on the lead. He’s coming off nearly a year layoff, so he should be fresh, and his trainer Anne Smith hasn’t trained a horse in 2013 to a start. The Arlington Classic is a prep for the Secretariat Stakes which is a Grade 1 that comes up later on in the season. Admiral Kitten, General Election and Fordubai are just some of the big names contesting this mile and one sixteenth turf event. Admiral Kitten was just second in the Grade 2 American Turf at Churchill Downs and seems to really relish racing on the turf. General Election was a second place finisher in the Coolmore Lexington Stakes and will be making his first try over the grass. If his love of synthetic tracks is any hint though, he very well could take to the green. Fordubai comes off a second place finish in the Illinois Derby and will be trying the grass for the first time. He was pretty erratic late in the stretch last time so he should appreciate cutting back a sixteenth.
BetPTC.com Selections for the Arlington Matron
- Ice Cream Silence
- Diva’s Diamond
- Hooh Why
Longshot: Absolute Crackers
BetPTC.com Selections for the Hanshin Cup
- Mister Marti Gras
- Seruni
- Hammer’s Terror
Longshot: Scatman
BetPTC.com Selections for the Arlington Classic
- Admiral Kitten
- General Election
- Whiskey Bravo
Longshot: Brown Almighty
Louisville Handicap tops Churchill Saturday
Twelve furlongs on the grass is a daunting task, but that’s what the nine runners signed up for the Louisville Handicap will contest on Saturday afternoon at Churchill Downs. Dark Cove was assigned the high weight of 122 pounds and is coming off a smashing win in the Grade 2 Elkhorn, which was a mile and a half on the Keeneland Turf Course. Rosie Napravnik will take over the reins from Joel Rosario on Saturday for the Mike Maker trainee. Al Qasr is still trying to find his way in the States since shipping over from Argentina. Jesus Castanon will ride as he looks to improve on his fourth place effort in the Elkhorn last time out. An interesting runner who is shipping in from Woodbine and coming off six months rest is Heathcote. He’s never raced on the turf but he has proven extremely useful at long route events over the synthetic surfaces at Woodbine including a smashing win in the 14 furlong Grade 3 Valedictory Stakes. Atigun will be making his second consecutive turf start after a smashing win against allowance/optional claiming types over this Churchill course on Derby Day.
BetPTC.com Selections for the Louisville Handicap
- Heathcote
- Dark Cove
- Harrod’s Creek
Longshot: Prime Cut
Small but select field to go in the American Handicap at Hollywood
Six runners will go a mile on the Betfair Hollywood Park grass on Saturday afternoon, including multiple graded stakes winners. Front runner Obviously is a multiple Grade 2 winner and will be tough to catch up front. He’s only been off the board once in his thirteen race career, however he hasn’t yet won a race at Hollywood Park. Joe Talamo will be on board for trainer Mike Mitchell and will have to avoid a duel with Chosen Miracle. Chosen Miracle is a speed horse as well and was just a length behind Obviously last time out in the San Simeon. Chosen Miracle has however come from just off the pace, so it’s possible he could lay just behind Obviously early. Lucayan will make his first start in the States and has struggled in his last three starts, since his Group 1 win at Longchamp. The American Handicap is the third race on the card and is not part of the Pick 6.
BetPTC.com Selection for the American Handicap
- Obviously
- Chosen Miracle
- Drill
Longshot: Barocci
Dan Patch Invitational part of big Hoosier Park card on Saturday
The $200,000 Dan Patch Invitational is the feature on a huge card on Saturday night at Hoosier Park. Carded as the 11th race on Saturday program that gets underway at 5:30pm EST, The Dan Patch brings together many top pacers who will be competing for the big purse. Hurricane Kingcole and Brett Miller drew the inside rail and are the 3/1 morning line favorite. Hurricane Kingcole has the fastest mile time of anyone in the race, a mile of 1:47.3 last season at Meadowlands. There are four millionaires in the field including A Rocknroll Dance, Up the Credit, Bolt the Duer and Arache Hanover.
Hoosier Park is guaranteeing the Superfecta pool at $25,000 for the Dan Patch as well as a $10,000 guaranteed Pick 4 in races 8 through 11.
Memorial Day Holiday racing on Monday May 27th
Memorial Day always features lots of great racing around the United States as we honor the fallen veterans of this country. Top tracks like Hollywood Park, which will feature the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes, and many more will be running special Monday cards. Churchill Downs, Canterbury Park, Finger Lakes, Golden Gate Fields, Monmouth Park and so many more. Plus Lone Star Park will have one of their signature events, the Grade 3 $300,000 Lone Star Park Handicap on Monday. BetPTC.com will have all the great racing action on Memorial Day!
Saturday Stakes Action at BetPTC.com
Arlington
Race 7 Arlington Matron 5:08pm EST
Race 9 Hanshin Cup 6:08pm EST
Race 10 Arlington Classic 6:38pm EST
Betfair Hollywood Park
Race 3 American Handicap 5:01pm EST
Calder
Race 10 Memorial Handicap 4:53pm EST
Charles Town
Race 8 Fancy Buckles Stakes 10:25pm EST
Churchill Downs
Race 10 Louisville Handicap 5:30pm EST
Delta Downs
Race 9 Laddie Futurity 11:05pm EST
Monmouth Park
Race 11 Majestic Light Stakes 6:00pm EST
Parx Racing
Race 9 My Juliet Stakes 4:01pm EST
Prairie Meadows
Race 8 Wild Rose Stakes 10:37pm EST
SunRay Park
Race 8 Aztec Oaks 5:43pm EST
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