Sullimar
Stable’s Get Stormy, who took advantage of an unchallenged early lead in last
Saturday’s Grade I Woodford Reserve Stakes on Kentucky Derby Day at Churchill
Downs and then held on late for a three-quarter-length score, has been
nominated to the Grade I Arlington Million at Arlington Park
on Aug. 13.
The
Woodford Reserve, run at nine furlongs over the Louisville
lawn, annually serves as the first step on the road to the 10-furlong Arlington
Million – always the showcase race of the Chicago Thoroughbred racing season
over Arlington’s
world famous turf course.
Three
Woodford Reserve winners – Masayuki Nishiyama’s Paradise Creek in 1994, James
Lewis Jr.’s Mecke in 1996 and Juddmonte Farm’s Beat Hollow in 2002 – went on to
win the Arlington Million later in those seasons.
Columbine
Stable’s Manndar in 2000 and Juddmonte Farms’ Cacique in 2006 won the Woodford
Reserve in the spring and both were runner-ups in the Arlington Million later
in those summers.
“That
was a big, big win for us Saturday,” said Get Stormy’s trainer Tom Bush when
accepting congratulations Wednesday morning while speaking over the phone from Louisville. “You
never know how things are going to go for you after each one of these races,
but the Arlington Million is certainly going to remain on our radar.
“As
for what’s next for us,” Bush said, “I would think we will look at the (Grade I
Woodford Reserve) Manhattan Handicap on Belmont Stakes Day June 11 or the
($500,000) Colonial Cup at Colonial Downs June 18.
“I’ve
been to Arlington
before to race on the dirt before the Polytrack came in,” said Bush, “but I’ve
never had a horse to run on the grass there. The way I understand it,
when there are some rainy days up there the grass course has a little give to
it and we certainly would not be opposed to that.”
KENTUCKY DERBY
DAY CARRYOVERS TOP CHURCHILL CARD THURSDAY
Two
huge carryover pools left over from Kentucky Derby Day at Churchill Downs will
be available at all Illinois Trackside locations on Thursday, although there is
no racing Thursday at Arlington
Park.
A Pick
6 carryover of $514,563 will be up for grabs as well as a Super High Five
carryover of $220,430.
ARLINGTON’S LEADING TRAINER LARRY RIVELLI SADDLES SUNDAY TRIPLE
Arlington’s
leading trainer Larry Rivelli increased his advantage at the young 2011 Arlington session by
saddling three winners Sunday to record the first training triple of the season.
Rivelli
saddled Richard Ravin’s Neverrguewithrichie to win the third with E. T. Baird
aboard, Pedi Racing’s Lakeaway to capture the sixth with Eddie Perez up, and
Christine Wagner and Craig Bargowski’s Call to Glory to take the finale with
Baird in the irons once again.
Jockey
Baird had a riding triple Sunday afternoon, also posing in the winner’s circle
after the eighth astride Richard Glander’s Exchanging Kisses for trainer Danny
Miller.
JOCKEY JAMES GRAHAM RIDES INTO ARLINGTON WITH SUNDAY
DOUBLE
Irish-born
but Chicago-based jockey James Graham, who missed the first two days of the Arlington
meeting when finishing seventh in the Kentucky Oaks Friday but coming back to
win Saturday’s opener at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day, made up for his
late local arrival by riding two winners at Arlington Sunday.
Graham,
also a staple at Fair Grounds in New
Orleans in the winter months, won the second half of
Sunday’s Daily Double aboard Bryton Racing’s Tucky for trainer Jerry Quinn and
came back to the winner’s circle after the fifth astride the Lisa
Merritt-trained Raillery for owner Gregory Carlevale.
Graham
has been runner-up in the final standings at Arlington and Fair Grounds on several
occasions but has never won a riding title at either oval.