Trading Leather enters Arlington Million calculations;
Magician confirmed
Godolphin’s Trading Leather is considering the transatlantic trip for the
Grade 1 Arlington
Million on August 16, according to the International
Racing Bureau. The winner of last year’s classic Irish Derby is exiting a
lackluster performance in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes on July 26
at Ascot, but has five Group 1 placings prior to that effort to back up his
formidable class.
Trained by breeder Jim Bolger — whose wife, Jackie, campaigned the charge before
he was sold to Godolphin at the end of the
2013 season — the son of European champion juvenile Teofilo has excelled at or
around the 1 1/4-mile distance of the Million, including a valiant second in the
Eclipse behind Mukhadram on July 5 and a solid runner-up
performance to Declaration of War — who would go on to finish third in the
Breeders’ Cup Classic
— in last year’s Juddmonte International Stakes
at York as a sophomore.
A lover of fast ground, the bay
four-year-old has rarely performed well with too much give in the turf and,
similar to fellow Million probable Magician, did not relish the surface at
Ascot last time. It would not be the first time that a European defied the
form of a King George and flourished on American soil after a battle.
Coolmore’s Magician, after being
labeled possible in Thursday’s notes, is now probable according to the
International Racing Bureau. Representatives at Ballydoyle — trainer Aidan
O’Brien’s home base — have confirmed such. Coming off a poor performance
in the King George, the son of
Galileo will be looking to regain the form that saw him annex the
Breeders’ Cup Turf in fine style in 2013 at Santa Anita.
In other Ballydoyle news, Michael
Tabor, Derrick Smith and Mrs. John Magnier’s Festive Cheer is now under
consideration for the $400,000 American St. Leger. The son of
stamina-infusing champion sire Montjeu is exiting a prep in the Meld
Stakes at the Curragh over 1 1/4 miles — well short of his best distance — and has
shown class in the past. Last year, the bay colt was third,
beaten less than four lengths, to Trading Leather in the Irish Derby at
that same course. Earlier this year, the four-year-old was thought of highly
enough to contest the Dubai Sheema Classic, finishing off the board.
Superfecta bettors everywhere can
enjoy a sigh of relief as it was confirmed Friday morning by trainer Andrew
Balding — by way of the International Racing Bureau — that Pearl Bloodstock’s
Side Glance will be returning to the United States for a fourth time for the Arlington Million.
The seven-year-old gelding finished fourth in the Woodbine Mile in 2011,
third in last year’s Million and third in the United Nations last out at
Monmouth Park on July 6. The nearly black son of Passing Glance went off
at odds of 7-1, 24-1 and 5-1, respectively.
Carrying his form well over the last few seasons on multiple continents, the
talented and consistent English-bred and -trained charge has earned more than
$2.4 million, while winning eight of 36 starts. His best performances have
come on good-to-firm ground over 1 1/4-mile trips, including a victory in the
Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington Racecourse in Australia last November.
The 38th running of the Grade 1, $500,000 Secretariat Stakes is shaping up as a fine affair, with players from
multiple regions of the United States, as well as Europe. One who may be
overlooked is Ninety North Racing Stable’s Sheldon, a talented son of late
stallion Purim, who himself won the Arlington Classic in 2005.
“We are planning on coming if we get
into the race,” trainer Jimmy Toner said. “He’s a nice colt. The question has
always been waiting for the distance with him. He needs more ground and I knew
he would be a nice colt once he stretched out.”
Last out, the game chestnut was an
unlucky fifth — beaten a dissipating 4 1/2 lengths — in the Belmont Derby
Invitational behind Mr Speaker at Belmont Park.
“He could have won that
day. He ran a good race after he got checked twice in the stretch. I think
he could have been right there, otherwise.
“I had told Junior (Alvarado, jockey)
to stay out of trouble, but if he would have followed Mr Speaker up the inside,
he would have been OK,” Toner continued. “I’m not going to say he would have
won, but he would have been right there.”
Though Sheldon has only a maiden win
to his credit — and it took him seven tries to do so – he has always been highly
regarded. In his second start, after closing stoutly to finish a length
third in his maiden debut, he raced in the Pilgrim Stakes.
Unfortunately, he ran into Bobby’s Kitten that day and finished sixth.
“I think you can do that with a two-year-old,” Toner said. “I knew he was
good and wanted to go farther. We were taking a shot. Just like in the Belmont
Derby — we took a shot and now we’re regrouping. He will love the distance of
the Secretariat and is a ‘next year’ kind of horse. When he gets to those 1
3/8-miles and 1 1/2-miles events, he’ll be tough.”
It will not be the first time Toner
and Ninety North came to Chicagoland with a talented turf sophomore. In
2007, they took down the Hawthorne Derby with Bold Hawk.
“Bold
Hawk was one of those ones who was exceptional. Actually, he was a mean
horse,” Toner laughed. “I went to visit him the other day and he was still
tough. You never thought he was going to make it, but he did.
“Sheldon is ‘Sheldon’ — he’s a horse who has a lot of personality; he’s in a
world of his own and is kind of funny. You know him when you come into the barn
— it’s like, ‘that’s Sheldon’. He takes care of himself and is a neat horse.”
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