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#1
07-31-2006, 05:36 PM
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#2
08-02-2006, 02:07 PM
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From Arlington barn notes.....
Racing NewsPhoenix ‘Reaches’ Chicago Thursday on Flight from Amsterdam; The Tin Man Returning to Arlington Million After 3-year Hiatus by: Graham Ross August 2, 2006 -- Winterbeck Manor Stud’s globetrotting Phoenix Reach is due to arrive at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport late Thursday following a transatlantic flight from Amsterdam to become the first European candidate for Arlington Million XXIV to set up local headquarters at Arlington Park. The Grade I Arlington Million, along with the Grade I Beverly D. and the Grade I Secretariat Stakes, will be run Aug. 12 to headline Arlington’s one-day International Festival of Racing – showcase event of Chicago’s Thoroughbred racing season – and all three classics have attracted some of the world’s best grass runners in their respective divisions. Scheduled to arrive on subsequent transatlantic flights for this summer’s Arlington Million on the second Saturday in August are Mrs. John Magnier’s Irish-bred Ace  , Gestut Park Wiedingen’s British-bred Soldier Hollow and Gary Tanaka’s French-bred Touch of Land.European-based members of the distaff set expected for the $750,000 Beverly D., sister race to the Arlington Million, are a pair of sophomore fillies – Mrs. Magnier’s Irish-bred Queen Cleopatra and Tanaka’s British-bred Rising Cross – who will be asked to challenge older mares in that mile and three-sixteenths turf test. Due in from Europe for the $400,000 Secretariat, final leg of Arlington’s Mid-America Triple restricted to 3-year-olds of international grass caliber, are Dr. Ronan Lambe’s Irish-bred Royal Intrigue, Ecurie des Monceaux’ French-bred El Capitano, Mrs. Magnier, Michael Tabor and Iriving and Marjorie Cowan’s Irish-bred Ivan Denisovich, and Highclere Thoroughbred Racing Ltd.’s Primary, bred in Kentucky but raced thus far in Great Britain and Italy. Phoenix Reach, Arlington’s first arriving European guest this summer, has not been to North America in almost three years but made his last journey a successful one by capturing Woodbine’s Grade I Canadian International in October of 2003 as a 3-year-old facing older horses. Since that trip, the Andrew Balding trainee won the Group I Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Vase in December of 2005 at Sha Tin and was clearly best in the Grade I Dubai Sheema Classic at Nad Al Sheba in March of 2005. Although he has been away from competition since being injured in Great Britain’s Group I King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Newbury a year ago, the 6-year-old has trained brilliantly in progressively advanced gallops on the hills around Kingclere in Berkshire in recent weeks. “He’s a real star. We’re very happy with the way he’s come along,” said Lindy Reese, trainer Balding’s secretary when confirming travel plans for Phoenix Reach. “He’ll leave here (Berkshire) Wednesday, and leaves on his flight from Amsterdam Thursday.” Returning to Arlington Park and the Arlington Million following a three-year absence is Aury and Ralph Todd’s The Tin Man, a West Coast-based 8-year-old gelding who was beaten less then three lengths for all of it when sixth in the 2003 Arlington Million. The Tin Man had also visited Arlington Park in the fall of 2002, when he gained the lead midway through the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Turf in Chicago that year before weakening in the late stages to finish fourth. In those previous trips to Chicago, The Tin Man was stabled at the barn of the late revered Chicago conditioner Gene Cilio, who fulfilled the request of The Tin Man’s Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella and had Arlington’s carpenter build a stall with a window in it so The Tin Man could look out. “He likes his company,” explained Mandella assistant Crystal Brown when the horse and exercise rider were visited at Barn 10 three years ago. “He likes somebody to look at. It relaxes him.” So what will The Tin Man do for a window this time? “He doesn’t really need that (the customized window) any more,” said Mandella on Monday, speaking over the phone from his Southern California headquarters. “He’s getting pretty relaxed in his old age. In fact he’s doing real well lately since coming off that win.” Mandella was referring to The Tin Man’s wire-to-wire winning performance in Hollywood’s Grade II American Invitational Handicap July 2 – a stakes that the Affirmed gelding had first won four years earlier. “Man, it is easy when they run like that,” said winning jockey Victor Espinoza following The Tin Man’s most recent American Invitational ‘Cap victory. “Just on cruise control. The old man…he just likes to run…loves to run. He has such a big heart. Richard (Mandella) really knows how to train this old man.” In his previous start, The Tin Man had finished second in the Grade I Dubai Duty Free at Nad Al Sheba last March 25, losing to Roldvale Ltd.’s David Junior, winner of Great Britain’s Group I Coral-Eclipse at Sandown July 8. “He (The Tin Man) came back from Dubai good,” said Espinoza, who also rode the 8-year-old in the United Arab Emirates. “A lot of horses don’t, but he loves to travel. It didn’t take anything out of him.”
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#3
08-02-2006, 02:32 PM
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Royal Intrigue is no longer coming to take on Showing Up. Ivan Denisovich and Primary are the two euros that have decided to come over and take on Americans top 3yr old grass horse.
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#5
08-02-2006, 06:50 PM
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He ran in the Million twice ('03, when i wasn't yet a fan, and '05, when Powerscourt was the only horse I watched).  Johannesburg will know the answer.
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#6
08-02-2006, 07:01 PM
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I still have nightmares.
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#7
08-02-2006, 07:18 PM
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#8
08-02-2006, 09:14 PM
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Let me make sure and get it out now that Rising Cross will win the Beverly D as a 3 year old.
That little b it ch is a running fool, and quickens with the best of them. She ran into a monster in Alexandrova twice, and Tanaka now owns her and supplemented her late. Watch out for her, she should be really nice odds and I am unloading on her. Also in the million, I love Phoenix Reach. He has been off for quite a while, but the works over the gallops over there can have him fit enough for the 1 1/4. At his best, he can work these horses. Rising Cross will be my play of the day though. Watch her Oaks run where she stumbles and almost falls in the stretch. http://ukracing.net/index.php?option...d=18&Itemid=36
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#10
08-07-2006, 10:09 AM
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From Racing Post....
(Oh, and I like Rising Cross a lot too).  Phoenix set for Arlington workout by Neil Morrice PHOENIX REACH will work on the Arlington Parkturf course on Thursday, when Andrew Balding gives the much-travelled six-year-old his final gallop before Saturday's Grade 1 Arlington Million. Balding is currently at the Saratoga Sales but will travel to Chicago in time to supervise preparations for Martin Dwyer's mount. The trainer said: "He's come out of quarantine and is looking really well in himself. I'm happy with the way he's travelled and we'll give him a blow out on Thursday morning." Phoenix Reach numbers the 2003 Canadian International, 2004 Hong Kong Vase and 2005 Sheema Classic amongst his triumphs, to make him a rival to Ouija Board in terms of worldwide top-level success. Phoenix Reach lost 50 per cent vision in his off-side eye after going down by three-quarters of a lengthto Mummify in the Singapore Airlines International Cup at Kranji 15 months ago and has nursed a leg injury since finishing tenth to Azamour in last year's King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes at Newbury. Balding added: "It's difficult to win any race after a year's layoff, but we will give it out best shot. He seems to have coped with his blindness well, and it doesn't make any difference whether we are working him left or right-handed. He's a real professional who you should never underestimate." Among Phoenix Reach's opponents in Saturday's 24th running of the Million will be the Aidan O'Brien-trained Ace and French-trained Touch Of Land. The former will be without the services of Kieren Fallon  , who is barred from riding in Illinois, and O'Brien said on Sunday that jockey plans have still to be decided. Primary, winner of the Group 3 Sandown Classic Trial and a Listed race at San Siro for William Haggas this year, is to partnered by Robbie Albarado in the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes on the same card. The colt impressed in a workout in Newmarket on Saturday and his trainer said: "He's in good shape and this race has been the plan for a while. It's the final leg of a triple crown series and, while we toyed with goingfor the Colonial Downs leg as well, it was a hell of a lot easier to fly direct to Chicago. The other race would have involved a five-hour truck drive from New York. "The colt is in good shape and we decided to use a top American jockey. Robbie Albarado has abundant experience of Arlington." John Best has arrived in the US to supervise the Beverly D preparation of his Vodafone Oaks runner-up and Irish Oaks third Rising Cross. The trainer said of the Gary Tanaka-owned filly. "She's come out of the Irish Oaks better than most of her races and will hopefully put up a big show on Saturday. I have a slight concern that the extended one-mile-one-furlong might not be far enough, and I hope the ground is not too firm, as Martin Dwyer said it was plenty quick enough at the Curragh." Rising Cross will return to Britain afterwards and Best added: "She is coming back to me. Mr Tanaka has no intention of moving her to the US full-time."
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