A wide open field of eight 2-year-olds will battle Saturday in the $75,000 Spectacular Bid Stakes at Arlington Park. The six-furlong dash is a prep for the $150,000 Arlington-Washington Futurity (gr. III) at Arlington Sept. 28. Sharp Impact, who races in the royal blue colors of Godolphin Racing Inc., looks to make it two for two in his brief career. The son of Brazilian-bred sire Siphon scored at first asking when capturing a five-furlong maiden contest at Arlington July 18. Trained by Eoin Harty, Sharp Impact will have the services of jockey Ray Sibille.Ben Barnow's Bold America returns to Arlington after finishing second as the 4-5 favorite in the $50,000 Canterbury Juvenile at that Minnesota racetrack. Previously, the son of American Chance broke his maiden when reporting home six lengths to the good in a 4 1/2-furlong race at Arlington June 28. Arlington's all-time leading conditioner, Richard Hazelton, who has engaged Carlos Silva to handle the reins, trains Bold America.Hazelton also has Asiel Stable's Shandy entered. The gelded son of Elusive Quality, a victor in his lone trip to the post at Arlington on July 25, will have Larry Sterling Jr. in the saddle.Glen Hill Farm's Unleash the Power, a son of 1990 Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup Classic (both gr. I) hero Unbridled, was a gate-to-wire winner in his most recent race at Arlington Aug. 2. Arlington's all-time leading jockey Earlie Fires, who can earn his 100th Arlington Park stakes tally with a victory in the Spectacular Bid, will ride the Tom Proctor trainee.
The Danny Bird-owned and trained Oneofthebirdboys is the only stakes winner in the lightly-raced field. The Pleasant Tap colt captured the $40,000 Winnipeg Futurity by three-quarters of a length in his last start on Aug. 5 at Assiniboia Downs in that Canadian city. Jesse Campbell has the mount.Completing the field for the Spectacular Bid are:
* Mary B. Zimmerman's Westcoastwildcat (E. T. Baird), a $32,000 claim Aug. 23;
* Edward Wiggins & Kenneth Spraggins' Wiggins (Frank Lovato Jr.), a wire-to-wire victor over state-bred rivals on Aug. 10;
* William S. Farish's Midway Road (Robby Albarado), a winner at first asking on Aug. 17.
