Middie wins Washington Park in record time

Middie was never threatened as he rolled through the stretch in a record-setting performance (Four Footed Photos) After splitting horses at the three-eighths pole, Middie drew away to a commanding advantage in upper stretch and cruised to the finish line in Saturday’s Grade 3, $150,000 Washington Park Handicap, winning by 3 3/4 lengths in 1:49.27 to establish a new 1 1/8-mile track record over Arlington Park’s Polytrack. Overlooked at 14-1 in the seven-horse field, the Phil Oliver-trained gelding was guided to his first stakes victory by Francisco Torres. “The thing about (Arlington’s Polytrack) is when it rains, it tightens up the racetrack and you’ll see faster times,” said Torres, Arlington’s leading rider. “Around the three-eighths pole, I had so much horse. Everybody looked like they were just waiting for someone to move. When I found a seam between the horse in front of me and the horse outside of me, I went ahead and stole it. I got out, opened up and held on.”

The previous standard for nine furlongs over Arlington’s Polytrack was
1:49.30 set by On Safari on Aug. 25, 2007, the first year the synthetic surface
was in place at Arlington. The fastest mile and an eighth ever run at Arlington
Park was set by Spectacular Bid, who won the 1980 Washington Park Handicap in
1:46 1/5.

Owned by G. Watts Humphrey Jr. and St. George Farm Racing, Middie recorded
his second win from seven starts this year. The four-year-old son of Officer,
whose only previous stakes placing came in the Sea o’ Erin two starts
previously, earned $88,200 to boost his bankroll to $208,643, and his overall
record now reads 16-4-0-4.

Defending champion Mister Marti Gras rallied from toward the back of the pack
to get up for second, well clear of third-place finisher Pool Play. Hattash,
Workin for Hops and 8-5 favorite Prayer for Relief completed the order of
finish. Ballyjamesdoyle was eased under the wire but walked off the track under
his own power.

“We got a good trip,” Mister Marti Gras jockey Eduardo Perez said. “We were
just second best.”

Bred in Kentucky by St. George Farm, Middie is out of the multiple
stakes-winning Green Dancer mare Sweettrickydancer.

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