Breeders’ Cup Challenge: Arlington Sprint Handicap at Arlington Park August 23

Posted on Thursday, August 21st, 2008

Undefeated Mr. Nightlinger shoots for his 5th straight win when he looms as the 8-5 morning line choice in Saturday’s $200,000 Arlington Sprint Handicap at 5 1/2 furlongs over Arlington Park‘s turf course.

Saturday’s Arlington Sprint has also been selected as one of the Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” Challenge Races. The winner of the Arlington Sprint will be part of the Breeders’ Cup field in the 2008 running of the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita Park.

The Arlington Sprint field of race horses with jockeys, weight and morning line odds in post position order:

  1. Starticus under jockey Junior Alvarado carries 122 lbs. with morning line odds of 9-2
  2. Fort Prado under jockey Rene Douglas, 118 lbs., 8-1
  3. Native Ruler under jockey Eusebio Razo Jr, 122 lbs., 20-1
  4. Prince Woodman under jockey Richard Migliore, 118 lbs., 6-1
  5. Mighty Rule under jockey Christopher Emigh, 120 lbs., 12-1
  6. Lovango under jockey Dean Butler, 118 lbs., 12-1
  7. Dhanyata under jockey Jose Ferrer, 113 lbs., 10-1
  8. Mr. Nightlinger under jockey Jamie Theriot, 124 lbs., 8-5
  9. Base Commander under jockey Jesse Campbell, 118 lbs., 10-1
  10. John’s Road under jockey James Graham, 118 lbs., 15-1

Although Saturday’s dash will be the 12th running of the Arlington Sprint, the race will be on turf for the first time, a fact that should prove to the advantage of Mr. Nightlinger.

The 4-year-old son of Indian Charlie, Mr. Nightlinger, began his current victory skein when he upset Keeneland‘s Shakertown Stakes (G3) by a length and three-quarters April 13 to return a $45.80 win mutuel over five furlongs on the grass. Off the strength of that tally, Mr. Nightlinger assumed the favorite’s mantle in Churchill Downs‘s Aegon Turf Sprint (G3) May 2 – another five-eighths grass dash – and proved no disappointment to the Kentucky Oaks Day crowd with a one-length score.

The Bret Calhoun trainee, bred by former Kentucky governor Brereton Jones, Mr. Nightlinger then won an allowance sprint at that same distance on the Louisville lawn June 18 before shipping to Chicago to capture the $54,800 Taylor’s Special Stakes July 26 by 3 1/4 lengths. That sprint served as a prep for this Saturday’s main event, the Arlington Sprint Handicap.

Capable of providing strong competition for Mr. Nightlinger is the Canadian invader Starticus, owned by Danny Lococo, trained by Ralph Biamonte and 9-2 on the morning line. The Atticus gelding finished third, beaten a length for all of it, in an allowance race on the Woodbine turf in his most recent start August 1, but that race was at six and a half-furlongs and Starticus led most of the way before weakening late. Previously, he had won three straight – the last two of those on Canadian grass.

Earle Macke’s Prince Woodman, trained by Richard Violette, missed by a nose in Belmont Park‘s $75,000 Inside The Beltway Stakes in his last start July 9 and merits some consideration here as the 6-1 third choice in the morning line.

Mr. Nightlinger will be ridden by jockey Jamie Theriot, Fair Grounds‘ leading rider last winter; Starticus will be handled by jockey Robby Albarado, Churchill’s champion jockey last spring; and Prince Woodman has jockey Richard Migliore flying in to Chicago for the mount.

The Arlington Sprint Handicap is race 9 in Arlington Park’s August 23 card. Arlington Sprint post time is 4:56 pm Central.

Horse racing news edited from www.arlingtonpark.com.

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"Breeders’ Cup Challenge: Arlington Sprint Handicap at Arlington Park August 23" was posted on Thursday, August 21st, 2008 at 9:50 pm and is filed under Arlington Park, Horse Racing Industry, Horses, Race Tracks News, Stakes Races, USA Horse Racing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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