On Site at Arlington

Maybe the third time will be the charm for Kenneth Taylor's Xtra Heat in Breeders' Cup competition--or maybe John E. Salzman Sr., a trainer for more than 30 years, will have beginner's luck at Arlington Park.

Either adage will be all right with the connections of Xtra Heat as the 4-year-old filly moves toward her projected start in the grade I NAPA Breeders' Cup Sprint. That six-furlong affair will be contested October 26 when the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships come to Arlington Park for the first time.

Xtra Heat, who beat the boys last Saturday at Keeneland in the Phoenix Breeders' Cup Sprint (gr. III), arrived on the Arlington Park grounds Sunday about an hour after her conditioner, who will be starting a horse at the local oval for the first time in his career.

"Everything is good at this time," said Salzman Wednesday morning outside Arlington's Barn 18. "At this point in time, because she just ran, I don't think I'm going to breeze her again. I'll probably just gallop her into the race. She ran against some tough horses the other day, but she has bounced back pretty quick."

This will be the third straight Breeders' Cup appearance for Xtra Heat. Two years ago Xtra Heat finished 10th in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) behind Carl F. Pollard's Caressing at Churchill Downs. Last year, however, the daughter of Dixieland Heat was second in the Sprint when it was run at Belmont Park, beaten only a half-length by Squirtle Squirt.

Salzman, 57, born in Prince George's County, Maryland, took out his trainer's license in 1969, but has started only one horse in Chicago previously. That was a horse named Noble Home who was sent to Sportman's Park in 1983. Earlier that year Noble Home, ran second in the Jim Beam.

Joseph Graffeo's Two Item Limit, four-length victress in the $42,000 Unique Type Handicap at Arlington Park September 14, breezed five-eighths of a mile in 1:04 Tuesday at Arlington Park in preparation projected start in the grade I Breeders' Cup Distaff.

Trainer Steve DiMauro was in Chicago to supervise Two Item Limit's Tuesday move, which had splits of :13 2/5; :26 3/5; :39 2/5; and :51 2/5 recorded by Illinois State clocker Bobby Belpedio prior to her five-furlong time. The Illinois-bred galloped out three-quarters in 1:19.

"I wasn't real happy with it," said DiMauro Wednesday over the phone from New York when asked about the Tuesday move. "The boy went too slow the first part of it with her, but she finished up real well, which was what really matters. I had a time in my mind that she would go :24 and change, :38 and change, and finish up in 1:02.
"She just went too slow the first part," said DiMauro, "but we'll work her again on Monday with Rene (leading jockey Douglas) up on her, so everything will be fine. She's doing good, and looks great."

The Unique Type, restricted to Illinois-breds, was designed to be a confidence builder for Two Item Limit, who had disappointed in the grade I Personal Ensign Handicap August 23 at Saratoga when a well-beaten fifth.

Earlier in the season, Two Item Limit was a good third, beaten 2 1/2 lengths in the Delaware Handicap (gr. III) July 21 at Delaware Park and was also third, beaten that same margin, in the Odgen Phipps Handicap (gr. I) June 22 at Belmont Park.

Cliveden Stud's Fraulein, a projected starter in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) galloped a mile and an eighth Wednesday morning at the local oval with a serious breeze tentatively scheduled for Friday.

Trainer Edward Dunlop, who was still at the Goffs Yearling Sales in Ireland Tuesday, is a possibility to be here in time for Fraulein's Friday move, which will depend on good weather.

After leaving England in late September, Fraulein and her handlers Peter Boothman and Tracy Johnson stopped at Woodbine in Canada long enough to capture the E.P. Taylor Stakes (Can-IT) September 29 at that Ontario oval.