The Sidney Port Trust's Toasted, winner of the Arlington Classic (gr. IIT) in his last start, drew the inside post in a field of eight for the $250,000 American Derby (gr. IIT), one of three graded stakes on "Million Preview Day" July 24 at Arlington Park.
The American Derby, for 3-year-olds at 1 3/16 miles on the grass, serves as a prep for the Secretariat Stakes (gr. IT) Aug. 14 at Arlington. The Arlington Million (gr. IT) and Beverly D. Stakes (gr. IT) also will be run that afternoon.
Toasted, trained by Laura de Seroux, shipped from California to win the July 3 Arlington Classic at 1 1/16 miles on the turf. Toasted, by Hennessy, has won four of eight lifetime starts, including two in France in 2003.
Rene Douglas is named to ride Toasted, the 123-pound co-highweight along with Ann Marie Farm's Kilgowan, who also ships in from California. Kilgowan, now in the barn of Mike Stidham, won the El Camino Real Derby (gr. III) in March at Golden Gate Fields.
In his only start on the grass, the June 26 Cinema Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Hollywood Park, Kilgowan finished fourth. The
Smoke Glacken colt, with three wins in seven starts, will be ridden by Carlos Marquez Jr.
Moyglare Stud Farms' Simple Exchange ships in from Great Britain for the American Derby. Trained by Dermot Weld and to be ridden by P.J. Smullen at 119 pounds, Simple Exchange finished fourth in the Hampton Court Stakes at Ascot June 16 in his only start of 2004.
Simple Exchange, by Danehill, won the El Gran Senor Stakes as a 2-year-old in Ireland.
The American Derby is the fifth race on a 10-race program. Here's the field, in post-position order, with jockeys and weights:
1 Toasted Rene Douglas 123 pounds
2 Simple Exchange P.J. Smullen 119
3 Samwise John Kerwin 119
4 Caiman Eusebio Razo Jr. 119
5 Gwaihir Jesse Campbell 119
6 Kilgowan Carlos Marquez Jr. 123
7 Up Anchor Rafael Bejarano 119
8 Cool Conductor Cornelio Velazquez 119
The Arlington Handicap (gr. IIIT) at 1 1/4 miles will go as race seven, and the Modesty Handicap (gr. IIIT) at 1 3/16 miles will go as race nine.
