Fourteen 2-year-olds, all looking to take a giant step for their connections, are entered in the $200,000 Arlington-Washington Futurity (gr. III) at Arlington Park Sept. 13.
Capt. Candyman Can, a recent first-out maiden winner at Saratoga, has been installed the 5-2 morning line favorite for the one-mile Polytrack test. He'll break from post 12 in the large field.
A gelded son of the Argentine-bred stallion Candy Ride, Joseph Rauch and David Zell’s Capt. Candyman Can scored an impressive 7 1/4-length maiden victory at the upstate New York oval Aug. 13 at odds of 19-1.
Since that effort, the Ian Wilkes charge had a useful five-furlong drill over the synthetic surface (Pro-Ride) at Skylight Training Center in Kentucky Sept. 7, getting the distance in 1:01 flat. The homebred bay will be ridden by Julien Leparoux, who was aboard for Wilkes in the debut effort.
Two locally-based runners, My Dominick James and Advice, are among several good-looking freshmen expected to provide competition for the projected favorite.
Richard Ravin and Larry Rivelli’s My Dominick James is three-for-three with two stakes victories. The Illinois-bred son of Dance Master beat open rivals when breaking his maiden at Arlington June 8 and again when capturing the Prairie Gold Juvenile as the 3-5 favorite July 5. He returned to beat state-bred foes at 1-10 odds in the Aug. 26 Troy Our Boy Stakes at downstate Fairmount Park by 5 1/4 lengths. Trained by co-owner Rivelli, Tim Thornton gets the call.
“He did exactly what we expected, and we got exactly what we wanted from the race," Rivelli said. "Another horse pressed him early and he didn’t seem bothered by that at all. He doesn’t need the lead even though he has plenty of speed. We’ve found out he can be rated just as easily.”
Like Capt. Candyman Can, WinStar Farm's Advice has a lone debut maiden win to his credit and was ultra-sharp in accomplishing it. The Todd Pletcher-trained son of Chapel Royal scored by eight lengths over the Arlington surface July 3. Five-time Arlington champion Rene Douglas has the mount.
Two others in the field, Terrain and Ready Racer, have stakes race experience.
Terrain, an Al Stall Jr.-trained son of Sky Mesa owned and bred by Adele B. Dilschneider, is two-for-two after winning the $85,000 Mountaineer Park Juvenile at the West Virginia oval Aug. 2.
Stonerside Stable’s homebred Ready Racer, by More Than Ready and trained by Bernie Flint, finished second in the James C. Ellis Juvenile at Ellis Park Aug. 16. The bay colt broke his maiden by nearly four lengths at Ellis prior to that.
His Greatness, an Honour and Glory colt conditioned by Marco Salazar, and Giant Oak, saddled by Chris Block, are both first-out maiden victors at Arlington making their second starts. Southern California-based rider Alex Solis has the call on His Greatness. Giant Oak, a Virgina Tarra Trust Illinois homebred by Giant's Causeway , won his debut at one mile on the turf over open company.
Catalano Racing Stable's Jose Adan, trained by Wayne Catalano, has won both of his starts to date, besting an optional claiming allowance field in his last start Aug. 13. The Crypto Star gelding will stretch out beyond six furlongs for the first time.
Other last-out maiden winners in the field are Investor, who tallied at Arlington at the Arlington-Washington distance Aug. 3 but must overcome the far outside post for trainer Patrick Byrne, My Man Moran and Willie to To. Ronny Werner enters the front-running Malibu Maverick, who lost by a half-length to Jose Adan last time out after breaking his maiden by nearly three lengths at Arlington July 27.
Completing the field are the maidens Schleprock and Zion.
$200,000 Arlington-Washington Futurity (gr. III, Race 10, 5:25 p.m.), 2-Year-Olds, 1 Mile (All Weather)
PP. Horse, Weight, Jockey
1. Willie to To (IL), 117, Tanner Riggs
2. Ready Racer (KY), 117, Calvin H. Borel
3. My Man Moran (KY), 117, James Graham
4. His Greatness (KY), 117, Alex O. Solis
5. Malibu Maverick (KY), 117, Jose C. Ferrer
6. Jose Adan (IL), 119, Brandon Meier
7. Zion (KY), 117, E. T. Baird
8. My Dominick James (IL), 119, Timothy Thornton
9. Schleprock (KY), 117, Inez Karlsson
10. Terrain (KY), 122, Jamie Theriot
11. Advice (FL), 117, Rene R. Douglas
12. Capt. Candyman Can (KY), 119, Julien R. Leparoux
13. Giant Oak (IL), 117, Junior Alvarado
14. Investor (KY), 117, Christopher A. Emigh
Trainer Ian Wilkes sends out morning line favorite Capt. Candyman Can in the Arlington-Washington Futurity.
