The North American road to the Breeders’ Cup World
Championships officially got underway Saturday at Arlington
Park when Carl Moore Management’s Chamberlain Bridge posted a 4 ½-length win in the
$118,000 Arlington Sprint. Jamie Theriot was aboard the Bret
Calhoun-trained son of War Chant who covered the 5 ½ furlongs over “yielding”
turf in 1:03.66.
Sitting just off an opening quarter of 22.24 set by Bullet
From Abroad, Chamberlain
Bridge
tipped three wide entering the stretch and took the lead mid-stretch before
drawing off for the decisive victory.
“He broke sharply and put me in good stalking position,”
Theriot said. “It was just a matter of time. The last couple of
times he’s run, he’s stayed right off the pace and hasn’t shown all the speed
he has in the past. It doesn’t matter as long as he’s somewhere in the
race, he’s pretty much okay with it.”
The Arlington Sprint represented his 13th win in
27 trips to the post. He added $75,000 to his bankroll which now stands
at $781,445, but more importantly he earned an automatic starting berth in the
Grade II Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint which will be run at five furlongs over the
Matt Winn Turf Course at Churchill Downs this November.
“We got him into these five- (and 5½)-furlong turf races
and he really enjoys it,” said Calhoun’s assistant “Peaches” Geier. “I
hope he can keep it going. We’ve got two more races and then the
Breeders’ Cup.”
Pacesetter Bullet from Abroad held the place spot and it
was another 1 ¼-lengths back to third-place finisher Moralist. Sacred
Journey and Mambo Galliano completed the order of finish in the five-horse
field.
“I’ve ridden this horse numerous times,” said Bullet from
Abroad’s jockey Inez Karlsson. “He’s just a really hard-trying horse with
a huge heart. Mike (trainer Dini) opened up the blinkers a little
bit and I think that helped, because when he sees the horses he’s running
against he’s so game he wants to be in front of them. He wouldn’t let
himself get beat (for second) by (Moralist). He ran really well today and
he can only get better from here.”
A slight second choice in the wagering at odds of 11-10, Chamberlain
Bridge
paid $4.20, $3 and $2.10. Bullet From Abroad returned $7.40 and
$3.60. Moralist paid $3.60.