Silver Max , who is riding a five-race win streak, returns to Arlington Park for the American Derby (gr. IIIT) Saturday, July 14. The son of Badge of Silver shares high weight of 126 pounds with Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) finisher Daddy Nose Best .
The American Derby, the eighth race on the card and scheduled to go off at 4:43 p.m. CDT, is the final local prep for the $500,000 Secretariat Stakes (gr. IT), which will be held Aug. 18 as part of the one-day International Festival of Racing. Highlight of the day will be the Arlington Million XXX (gr. IT).
The American Derby for 3-year-olds is one of four graded stakes on the track’s Million Preview Day program. As an added bonus, the 1-2-3 finishers in the American Derby will have their entry and starting fees waived for the Secretariat should they elect to run in that event..
Since winning the Arlington Classic in May, Silver Max, owned by Mark Bacon and Dana Wells, was sent to Indiana Downs, where he was a decisive victor in the $200,000 Oliver Stakes. Silver Max is one of three entrants from the Dale Romans’ stable, the other two being Albaugh Family Stable’s Oliver Stakes runner-up Cozzetti (by Cozzene) and Michael Bruder’s recent allowance winner Quick Wit (by Sharp Humor), who ran third in the Hutcheson Stakes (gr. II) at Gulfstream Park in February.
Robby Albarado has been named to ride Silver Max while Shaun Bridgmohan will be aboard Cozzetti and Alan Garcia is slated to ride Quick Wit.
Cathy and Bob Zollars’ Daddy Nose Best returns to the turf after finishing 10th in the Kentucky Derby and ninth in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I). Winner of this year’s Sunland Park Derby (gr. III) and the El Camino Real Derby (gr. III) prior to the Run for the Roses, Daddy Nose Best will be trying turf for the first time in 2012 after winning two of six starts on the surface last year. Julien Leparoux will ride the son of Scat Daddy for trainer Steve Asmussen.
Manganaro LLC and Woodford Racing LLC’s Sachem Spirit is looking to rebound after getting bumped and squeezed at the start of the Arlington Classic. Despite the poor start, the son of Mr. Greeley finished just two lengths behind Silver Max in second. Corey Lanerie will ride the Neil Howard trainee.
Others in the field (with riders listed) include Jim Tafel’s All Stormy (Rosemary Homeister Jr.), third in an allowance race after finishing fifth in the Arlington Classic; Olympia Star’s Macho Bull (Francisco Torres), third in the Iowa Derby (gr. III) two weeks ago; Bluegrass Hall’s Skyring (Joel Rosario), winner of the $100,000 James W. Murphy Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in May; Ashbrook Farm’s Southern Parkway (James Graham), a winner in a first-level turf allowance at Churchill Downs last out; and Midwest Thoroughbred’s The Pizza Man (Seth Martinez), winner of three straight in restricted company.
$200,000 American Derby (gr. IIIT, Race 8, 4:43 p.m. CDT) 3-Year-Olds, 1 3/16 Miles, Turf
PP., Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. All Stormy, R B Homeister Jr., 119, G Geier
2. Cozetti, S Bridgmohan, 119, D L Romans
3. Macho Bull, F C Torres, 119, G Dorochenko
4. Skyring, J Rosario, 121, D W Lukas
5. Daddy Nose Best, J R Leparoux, 126, S M Asmussen
6. Silver Max, R Albardo, 126, D L Romans
7. Quick Wit, A Garcia, 119, D L Romans
8. Southern Parkway, J Graham, 119, G R Arnold II
9. The Pizza Man, S B Martinez, 121, R A Brueggemann
10. Sachem Spirit, C J Lanerie, 119, N J Howard