All was pretty much quiet on
the western front Friday morning for the European invaders who have come to America
for Saturday’s International Festival of Racing at Arlington
Park.
Irish-bred Cape
Blanco, owned by Mrs.
Fitriani Hay, Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier and Michael Tabor and morning
line favorite for Saturday’s Grade I Arlington Million, as well as British-bred
Treasure Beach, owned by Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier and Michael Tabor and
early choice in the Grade I Secretariat Stakes, both cleared quarantine at 6:30
a.m. Friday and were on the track by 7 o’clock.
Pat Lillis was on board Cape
Blanco and Ed Kinane was up on Treasure
Beach, and both of the Aidan O’Brien
trainees had no more than a regulation canter at about one mile over Arlington’s
Polytrack.
“The lads were happy with them
and said they are both 100 percent,” said Pat Keating, O’Brien’s traveling head
lad. “They moved well on the track and I couldn’t be happier with them.”
Jockey Jamie Spencer, who will
ride Cape Blanco
in the Million, had not yet arrived in Chicago
Friday morning, but Colm O’Donoghue, slated for the saddle on Treasure
Beach in the Secretariat,
was an interested spectator present for Friday’s early exercise.
Another to make his first
appearance on the Arlington oval Friday morning was the Irish-bred sophomore
Ziyarid, a Secretariat runner owned His Highness the Aga Khan’s Studs. He
also did no more than a quiet canter on the Polytrack. His trainer Alain
de Royer-Dupre and race day jockey Christophe Lemaire will not arrive at Arlington
until Saturday morning.
Barbara and Cedrick Amm and
Marsh Shirtliff’s South
African-bred mare
River Jetez, slated for
Saturday’s Grade I Beverly D. Stakes as the sister race to the Arlington
Million, enjoyed a quiet morning, cantering a leisurely six furlongs following
her turf work Thursday.
“Everything is good with her,”
said her South African trainer Mike de Kock. “She’s improved day by day
since she’s been here.
The French-bred Arlington
Million runner Zack Hall, owned by Mathieu Offenstadt, Sylvain Fargeon, Patrick
Offenstadt and Mikel Delzangles cantered a mile on the Polytrack Friday
morning. Trained by Delzangles, he will be ridden by top French jockey
Christophe Soumillon on Saturday, who will also be in the irons on River Jetez.
Mark Hawtin’s Irish-bred
Arlington Million runner Wigmore Hall, trained by Michael Bell, also had a
quiet morning, accompanying River Jetez to the Polytrack for a gentle canter as
he has done all week.
Bell and top
British female jockey Hayley Turner are scheduled to arrive at Arlington
Friday afternoon.