Barry & Sondra Buchholz' Cashel Castle makes his fist start aft a 16-month absence in Saturday's $100,000 Arlington Sprint. The Arlington Sprint is a six-furlong dash for 3-year-olds & upward and attracted a field of seven.
A 4-year-old son of Silver Ghost, Cashel Castle makes his first start since finishing second as the odds-on favorite in the Derby Trial Stakes (gr. III) at Churchill Downs in April 2002. Diagnosed with tendon problems following that race, the grey/roan colt has been sidelined ever since. Prior to the Derby Trial, the Chris Block trainee had rattled off five victories in as many trips to post, topped by a 4 1/4-length score in the Lafayette Stakes (gr. III) at Keeneland.
Eusebio Razo, who partnered with Cashel Castle in his first four races, has a return call Saturday.
Cashel Castle will share top impost of 118 pounds with Classic Appeal and Out of My Way.
Out of My Way brings a better 2003 record to the table with three wins and a second in five starts on the season. Last time out, the Gene Cilio-trained son of Jolie's Halo finished second, beaten a nose by San Pedro after making the pace through most of the one-mile $45,000 Play Fellow Handicap against Illinois-bred rivals. Curt Bourque has the mount.
Classic Appeal faced open company foes in his last start, a second-place run in the $50,000 Prairie Meadows Sprint at that Altoona, Iowa, oval. Carlos Silva rides the Richard Hazelton-trained son of Classic Account.
Bright Valour and Deer Lake each carry 117 pounds.
Bright Valor, a 7-year-old Wild Again horse, won the Hanshin (gr. III) in 2001 and was adjudged the winner of that same race in 2000. In this year's Hanshin, the Louie Roussel III trainee finished sixth. Earlier this year, Bright Valour won back-to-back allowance races in Chicago. Chris Emigh has the riding assignment.
Deer Lake, fourth in the Deputy Minister Handicap (gr. III) at Gulfstream in February, returned to action for the first time since that South Florida outing with a gate-to-wire score in a fourth-level allowance on July 25. Rene Douglas will guide the Paul McGee-trained son of Meadowlake.
$100,000 Arlington Sprint Handicap, 3 & up, 6 furlongsPP. Horse, Weight , Jockey
1. Cashel Castle (KY), 118, Eusebio Razo, Jr.
2. Bet On Joe (KY), 116, Frank Lovato, Jr.
3. Bright Valour (KY), 117, Christopher A. Emigh
4. Deer Lake (KY), 117, Rene R. Douglas
5. Classic Appeal (IL), 118, Carlos H. Silva
6. Distinction (FL), 112, Earlie Fires
7. Out of My Way (IL), 118, Curt C. Bourque
