After rallying to an upset victory in a tough allowance race at Keeneland one month ago, Thomas Fedro Sr. and Team Block's Afortable will return to Arlington Park for his stakes debut May 24 in the Arlington Classic Stakes (gr. IIIT).
Trained by Chris Block, the son of second-crop sire Fort Prado won his debut in a one-mile maiden race on the turf at Arlington last year. Afortable, who was bred in Illinois by Team Block, then finished off the board in his final start of 2013, a 1 1/16-mile allowance race on the Polytrack at Keeneland.
Afortable then returned to Keeneland for his 3-year-old debut, this time back on the turf, and he rallied from seventh to secure a neck victory April 24. With the win, Afortable improved to two wins in as many starts on the grass.
While Afortable will break from the outside in the field of eight 3-year-olds Saturday, grade III winner Solitary Ranger will start from the inside post for trainer Wayne Catalano. Susan Moulton's Solitary Ranger won the 2013 Arlington-Washington Futurity (gr. III) at Arlington and this year's John Battaglia Stakes at Turfway Park, both on Polytrack.
The son of U S Ranger will be looking for his first stakes win on turf, a surface on which he has won his lone start, an allowance/optional claiming race Jan. 5 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.
The Arlington Classic is the first leg of Arlington's Mid-America Triple that continues with the $200,000 American Derby (gr. IIIT) July 12 and concludes with the $500,000 Secretariat Stakes (gr. IT) on Arlington Million Day, Aug. 16. The Classic is also part of Saturday's stakes tripleheader that also includes the $150,000 Hanshin Cup (gr. III) and the $150,000 Arlington Matron (gr. III).
$150,000 Arlington Classic Stakes (gr. IIIT, race 10, approximate post time 5:30 p.m. CDT) 3YO, 1 1/16 Miles, Turf
PP, Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Solitary Ranger (KY), C. Hill, 119, W. Catalano
2. Chief Barker (IRE), S. Russell, 119, L. Rivelli
3. Tiger Bourbon (KY), L. Goncalves, 119, E. Kenneally
4. Long On Value (VA), B. Hernandez Jr., 119, W. Mott
5. Ry's the Man (KY), F. Geroux, 119, N. Pessin
6. Rankhasprivileges (KY), C. Marquez Jr., 119, K. McPeek
7. Istanford (FL), J. Graham, 114, M. Stidham
8. Afortable (IL), J. Leparoux, 119, C.Block
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