Rahystrada Wins Arlington Hcp G3 200K

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Jon
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Rahystrada Wins Arlington Hcp G3 200K Jul 10, 2013 22:50:18 GMT -5

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Post by Jon on Jul 10, 2013 22:50:18 GMT -5

Dullahan returns in Arlington Handicap

Up the track in a pair of Dubai starts earlier this year, Dullahan will look to jump-start the second half of his four-year-old season when he returns to action in Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Arlington Handicap. The Dale Romans-trained colt tops a field of eight in the 1 1/4-mile turf race, which serves as the final local prep for the 31st running of the Arlington Million on August 17.

A Grade 1 winner at two on Polytrack, Dullahan went on to add major victories to his byline in the Blue Grass and Pacific Classic last year. The chestnut son of Even the Score also finished third, beaten less than two lengths, in the Kentucky Derby. All of those efforts came on the main track (dirt and all-weather), but Dullahan also placed in a couple of graded turf stakes earlier in his career and switched back to the sod for his final two starts in 2012, recording a fifth in the Jamaica and a ninth in the Breeders' Cup Turf.

He did not fare well in two starts on the Tapeta at Meydan, finishing 11th in both a Group 3 event and the Dubai World Cup, and tries the turf again following a 105-day layoff Saturday. Despite turning in some respectable efforts, Dullahan will be seeking his first turf win in his sixth attempt Saturday. Kent Desormeaux regains the mount.

Rahystrada posted a front-running score in last year's Arlington Handicap and captured the 2010 edition as well. A three-time winner over the local course, the Bryon Hughes-trained gelding also finished third in last year's Arlington Million. The nine-year-old was no factor when fourth in the June 9 Monmouth, but he's eligible to show more in the third start off the layoff at Arlington. Rosie Napravnik will guide the front runner.

Coalport, a two-time winner over state-breds this meet for Wayne Catalano, and Louisville Handicap third-placer Najjaar are also entered.

The Arlington is one of five stakes on Saturday's program. Four of the top five finishers from the May 25 Arlington Classic will resume their rivalry Grade 3, $200,000 American Derby, which serves as precursor to the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes on the Million undercard. A total of 11 three-year-olds are set for the 1 3/16-mile test.

Brisnet

Arlington Park - Saturday, July 13, 2013
Race 10 - 5:25 PM $2 Win / Place / Show / $2 Daily Double (10-11) / $2 Exacta / $0.50 Trifecta $0.10 Superfecta / $1 Pick 3 (Races 10-12) STAKES Arlington H. (Grade III)

Purse $200,000. For Three-Year-Olds And Upward. One And One Fourth Miles. (Turf)
PP Horse Virtual
Stable A/S Med Jockey Wgt Trainer
1 Keep Up (KY) 6/H L J Graham 116 A Clarkson
2 Dullahan (KY) 4/C L K J Desormeaux 120 D L Romans
3 Najjaar (KY) 4/C L L R Goncalves 115 D C Peitz
4 Suntracer (IL) 5/H L E E Perez 117 C M Block
5 Beer Garden (KY) 4/C L J R Leparoux 113 M J Maker
6 Rahystrada (KY) 9/G L R Napravnik 121 B G Hughes
7 Coalport (IL) 4/C L C Hill 116 W M Catalano
8 Temeraine (KY) 4/G L E Castro 115 T F Proctor

Owners: 1 - Mill Ridge Farm (Alice Chandler) ; 2 - Donegal Racing (Jerry Crawford) ; 3 - Shadwell Stable (Rick Nichols) ; 4 - Team Block (David, Patricia and Ryan Block) ; 5 - Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey ; 6 - Robert E. Courtney, Jr. ; 7 - Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey ; 8 - Niall Racing (Patrick Turney)

Breeders: 1 - John A. Chandler, Jamm LTD., C. R.McGaughey III & Mill Ridge Farm,; 2 - Phil Needham, Judy Needham &Bena Halecky; 3 - Shadwell Farm, LLC; 4 - Team Block; 5 - Josh Levinson; 6 - Jaime S. Carrion, Trustee; 7 - Kenneth L. Ramsey & Sarah K. Ramsey; 8 - Donard H. Niall & Michael L. Niall

Brisnet

Last Edit: Jul 13, 2013 23:50:58 GMT -5 by Evelyn

Jon
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Rahystrada Wins Arlington Hcp G3 200K Jul 12, 2013 0:28:55 GMT -5

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Post by Jon on Jul 12, 2013 0:28:55 GMT -5

Rahystrada has shot at making history in Arlington Handicap
By Marcus Hersh

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – The Arlington Handicap dates to 1929. The legendary Round Table won it twice, in 1958 and 1959, and Cosmonaut came home first in 2006 and 2007. But Rahystrada on Saturday can become the first horse to win the Arlington Handicap three times, a feat that would be especially noteworthy coming from a 9-year-old former claimer.

Rahystrada won the 2010 Arlington Handicap, didn’t start in the 2011 edition, and won again last year, going on to finish third in the Arlington Million.

“He acts as good or better this year,” said Kentucky-based trainer Byron Hughes. “We’re looking for a big effort from him Saturday. We like it up there at Arlington. He likes it there, too.”

Rahystrada is one of eight horses entered in a solid edition of the Grade 3, $200,000 Arlington Handicap, one of four Grade 3 turf stakes on Million Preview Day. The graded-stakes sequence starts with race 7, the Stars and Stripes, and moves through the Modesty Handicap and the American Derby before ending with the Arlington Handicap. The races are linked by a $100,000 guaranteed pick four, and will be followed by a competitive renewal of the $65,000 Coach Jimi Lee.

Rahystrada finished second in his seasonal debut, a Churchill allowance race, but was beaten only by Big Blue Kitten, who last weekend won the Grade 1 United Nations at Monmouth. Rahystrada went to Monmouth for his second start this year, where he failed to produce his best form and finished a one-paced fourth in the Monmouth Stakes.

“He hit a soft spot turning for home that cost him all his momentum,” said Hughes. “That’s what did us in there. He came out of it fine. He was just mad he didn’t do better.”

Rahystrada does much of his daily training in a spacious field next to the Thoroughbred Training Center outside Lexington, Ky. He shows only one published work on the training track there since his Monmouth trip, but Hughes said a second work came on a day when no clocker was present.

Rahystrada has a touch of tactical pace that can serve him well in a 1 1/4-mile race lacking speed. Coalport might wind up on the early lead, but is a somewhat tricky read. He has won two straight on the Arlington turf, but both came against Illinois-breds, and Coalport is unproven at longer distances.

“I think he can go that far. He’s training super right now,” said trainer Wayne Catalano.

Dullahan is the race’s only Grade 1 winner, but his big victories – in the Blue Grass and the Pacific Classic – came on Polytrack, and Dullahan has failed to win in five grass tries. Last seen finishing 11th in the Dubai World Cup, Dullahan has a return engagement in the Pacific Classic as a major summer goal for Donegal Racing and trainer Dale Romans.

Keep Up won the Grade 3 River City with a furious late rally last fall, and after two excusable losses to start his season, he looked good capturing the Swoon’s Son at 1 1/16 miles over the local course last month.

“The way he finishes, the longer distance should really help him,” said trainer Alex Clarkson.

The Handicap’s 10-furlong distance, trainer Dan Peitz hopes, will suit Najjaar, who ran well in the 12-furlong Louisville Handicap but flattened out in deep stretch.

“I’m in the middle of his 4-year-old year and I’m still not sure of his best distance,” Peitz said. “I do know he’s better on grass than on dirt or Poly.”

Suntracer is cross-entered in the Stars and Stripes, and is more likely to start in that spot.

DRF

Evelyn
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Rahystrada Wins Arlington Hcp G3 200K Jul 13, 2013 23:50:16 GMT -5

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Post by Evelyn on Jul 13, 2013 23:50:16 GMT -5

Great ride by Rosie! Dullahan might have had the prep he needed for the Pac Classic.

Rahystrada Wins Grade III Arlington ‘Cap for the Third Time
by David Zenner | Churchill Downs Communications

Rahystrada wins the Grade III Arlington Handicap for the third time in 2013

At nine years of age, Robert Courtney Jr.’s Rahystrada became not only the oldest horse to win the Arlington Handicap but also the first horse to win the Grade III turf race three times after having previously taken the 2010 and 2012 renewals of the mile and a quarter race. Rosie Napravnik was aboard the son of Rahy who was clocked in 2:01.66 over firm going.

“We’re as amazed as anybody,” said trainer Byron “Scooter” Hughes. “He keeps telling us he wants to go, so we go. Great ride by Rosie. She had it all in hand. It was great.”

Never far off the pace, Rahystrada tracked leader Beer Garden who took the field of seven older runners through early splits of 24.56 seconds, 49.47 seconds and 1:13.86 before fading to last.

Rahystrada took the lead approaching the top of the stretch and though he drifted out a bit in the lane, he was able to hold off a late bid by Temeraine to win by a half-length. “He’s very talented. He’s got as much heart as any of them,” said Napravnik, who won her second graded stakes of the afternoon after previously capturing the Stars and Stripes Stakes aboard Dark Cove.

The veteran performer added $117,600 to his career earnings which now stands at $1,371,750 and more importantly will have his entry and start fees waived for the Grade I Arlington Million on Aug. 17 should his connections decide to return in five weeks. Rahystrada has made three previous starts in the Arlington Million, finishing fourth in 2010, fifth in 2011 and third last year.

Both the runner-up Temeraine, who rallied from far back to finish second by a neck, and third-place finisher and post time favorite Dullahan will also have their entry and start fees waived for the Million although the connections of Dullahan have indicated that they are pointing instead toward the Grade I Pacific Classic at Del Mar.

“I had a perfect trip,” said Eddie Castro, who rode the runner-up. “I think a little more speed and he could have won. He ran a great race and in the stretch he was flying.”

“I honestly think we could have won if the leader didn't bolt in the stretch,” said Dullahan’s rider Kent Desormeaux. “We were too far back for there to be any actual interference, but he saw that horse bolt and he just stopped himself. He got intimidated and that was it. I really think we could have won.”

“I thought he looked good finishing,” added trainer Dale Romans of the beaten favorite. “I think he was running hard and he got a little spooked by Rahystrada drifting in front of him. It stopped his momentum a little bit. I thought he ran a nice race. We are headed to the Pacific Classic after this.”

Third choice in the wagering, Rahystrada paid $8.80, $4.20 and $3.20. Temeraine paid $19.60 and $8. Dullahan paid $3.40.

Najjaar, Keep Up, Coalport and Beer Garden completed the order of finish.

Arlington Site