Juveniles of both sexes take the spotlight Sept. 10 at Arlington Park, with the $100,000 Arlington-Washington Futurity (gr. III) and the $100,000 Arlington-Washington Lassie (gr. III) each sharing top billing on the 11-race card. Both are contested at one mile on Polytrack.
An overflow field of 14 2-year-old males were entered for the Futurity, topped by stakes winners Hogy and Twelve Hundred.
Alex Mettler’s Hogy, a Joel Berndt-trained son of Offlee Wild, carries a perfect 3-for-3 record into the Futurity with his most recent score coming in the Aug. 14 Brian Barenscheer Stakes at Canterbury Park. His two previous victories came over the Arlington Polytrack, by a combined 11 3/4 lengths. Florent Geroux, who has been aboard for each of the gelding’s starts, has a return call in the Futurity.
B. Jock Racing’s Twelve Hundred has been equally as impressive. The Illinois-bred son of Cape Town captured the Prairie Meadows Juvenile Mile by eight lengths Aug. 13 going two turns. The gelding broke his maiden over Arlington’s main track in July by 5 3/4 front-running lengths. He is trained by Jim DiVito, the leading conditioner of 2-year-olds at the Arlington meet with an impressive 8-for-13 record. Francisco Giles has the mount.
Others of note entered in the Futurity include Shared Property, a four-length winner at first asking at Ellis Park in July; Take Charge Indy, a six-length victor over Polytrack in his debut; Squid, runner-up in the Barenscheer after posting an eight-length win in his debut at Prairie Meadows; and No Spin, a 5 1/2-length winner last out.
Glen Hill Farm’s Struck It Lucky and Livin the Dream Racing 2010’s Dream Pegasus should vie for favoritism in the Lassie, which drew a field of nine fillies.
Struck It Lucky, a Tom Proctor-trained daughter of Smart Strike, won her debut at Arlington Aug. 21 by 2 1/4 lengths despite being bottled up in traffic when racing 5 1/2 furlongs over Polytrack. Junior Alvarado has the mount.
The Ken McPeek-trained Dream Pegasus broke her maiden by seven lengths at Ellis Park July 8 in a one-mile race originally carded for the turf. E.T. Baird picks up the mount on the daughter of Fusaichi Pegasus.
Essence of Bubbles, a recent purchase by Richard Ravin, makes her first start for her new connections in the Lassie. The daughter of Essence of Dubai, who is now trained by Larry Rivelli, carries a three-race win streak into the race, including a two-length tally at Arlington Aug. 25.
William Cox’s Ann of the Dance brings a perfect 2-for-2 record into Lassie. The Jim DiVito-trained daughter of English Channel won a two-turn allowance race by 6 1/2 lengths Aug. 14.
$100,000 Arlington-Washington Lassie (gr. III, Race 8, 4:37 p.m.), 2YO Fillies, 1 Mile (Polytrack) PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer 1. Venetian Sonata (KY), J L Castanon, 117, W R Helmbrecht
2. Yorona (KY), I Diego, 117, M Perez
3. Essence of Bubbles (FL), J Z Santana, 119, L Rivelli
4. Struck It Lucky (ON), J Alvarado, 117, T F Proctor
5. Rocket Twentyone (ON), E Razo Jr., 117, W T Howard
6. Ann of the Dance (KY), D Sanchez, 119, J P DiVito
7. Always Here Too (KY), L R Goncalves, 117, T M Amoss
8. Dream Pegasus (KY), E T Baird, 117, K G McPeek
9. Coyote Breeze (IL), F Giles, 117, J Haran
$100,000 Arlington-Washington Futurity (gr. III, Race 9, 5:08 p.m.), 2YO, 1 Mile (Polytrack) PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer 1. Squid (KY), J L Castanon, 118, R E Tracy Jr.
2. Motor City (KY), C H Borel, 118, I R Wilkes
3. No Spin (KY), E E Perez, 118, T A Ice
4. Saturday Launch (KY), E T Baird, 118, K G McPeek
5. Heiko (KY), J V Bridgmohan, 118, D Miller
6. Shared Property (KY), L R Goncalves, 118, T M Amoss
7. Ville (FL), J E Felix, 118, M Perez
8. Priceless Shore (IL), B Meier, 118, J Haran
9. Take Charge Indy (KY), J Graham, 118, P B Byrne
10. Danger Storm (KY), W P Rini, 118, G Dorochenko
11. Hogy (KY), F Geroux, 120, J Berndt
12. Fairy Cat (KY), L Hannigan, 118, G Dorochenko
13. Ormond Quay (KY), I Ocampo, 118, J Quinn
14. Twelve Hundred (IL), F Giles, 120, J P DiVito
