A deep field of 10 older runners will contest the one-mile Hanshin Cup Stakes (gr. III) May 19 at Arlington Park over the Polytrack vying for $150,000 in purse money.
All runners will carry 116 pounds with the exception of highweighted Taptowne, who has been assigned 118 after his victory in the April 7 Cryptoclearance Stakes at Hawthorne. The Tapit gelding has won half of his four races this year, and in 2011 placed in the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes and WEBN Stakes at Turfway Park.
Trying the Hanshin again after finishing third last year is Havelock. The 5-year-old gelding was most recently fourth in the Shakertown Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Keeneland last month, and last year took the Woodford Stakes (gr. IIIT) at 5 1/2 furlongs at Keeneland. He won the Arlington Sprint Handicap at that same distance last year as well as the Play The King Stakes (gr. IIT) at Woodbine over seven panels in 2011. He has banked $374,729 in 17 lifetime starts.
Lonesome Street, owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, is coming off a score in the Commonwealth Stakes (gr. II) at Keeneland last month. The 5-year-old son of Broken Vow has won five of 24 lifetime starts and $358,585. Another coming in off a victory at Keeneland is Scotus, who took an allowance/optional claimer there in April and won the Matt Winn (gr. III) last year at Churchill Downs for owner Peter Callahan.
Gleam of Hope is coming off an allowance/optional claiming win at Arlington May 6 over the Hanshin distance after running third behind Taptowne in the Cryptoclearance. The City Zip gelding took the 2010 Jefferson Cup (gr. IIIT) at Churchill Downs.
Fast Alex comes north after three efforts at Fair Grounds this season. The son of Afleet Alex finished second in both the Mineshaft Handicap (gr. III) and Louisiana Handicap, and then ran unplaced in the New Orleans Handicap (gr. II). He also won the Tenacious Handicap in December at Fairgrounds.
The senior runner in the field is 7-year-old Free Fighter, who won the Stars and Stripes Stakes (gr. III) at 12 furlongs at Arlington last year. Following a layoff, he ran unplaced in the Cryptoclearance but has a ton of back class, having won the 2009 Stars and Stripes when it was a grade III on turf and also the 2010 Louisville Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Churchill. He has banked $441,768.
The Hanshin Cup goes as Race 9 at 5:08 Central Time. The post position order with jockeys:
1) Scotus (M R Cruz)
2) Lonesome Street (James Graham)
3) Ioya Bigtime (J Sanchez)
4) Taptowne (A Contreras)
5) Achaemenes (E T Baird)
6) Gleam of Hope (Channing Hill)
7) Fast Alex (F C Torres)
8) San Antone (Rosemary Homeister Jr.)
9) Free Fighter (T Thornton)
10) Havelock (F Geroux)