Few horses at last year’s
The win was the second for the owner-trainer duo, who had won the inaugural
Since then, Dandino campaigned briefly in his ownership’s homeland of
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“Dandino is in very good form and will be very competitive at Arlington this
year,” reported Darren Dance, principal of owner Australian Thoroughbred
Bloodstock. “Last start (at Newmarket) he raced on a wet track, which does not
suit him, but we had to get that run under his belt for his preparation to bring
him on so he is fit for Arlington.
“Both trainer Marco Botti and Australian jockey Craig Williams, who has been
at Newmarket riding him, have said this week that he is in great form and feels
terrific and will be a good chance in this year’s St Leger,” Dance continued.
“We are hopeful that Frankie Dettori will be available to ride him this year.”
Though Moore rode the muscular charge to an exceptional and popular victory
in 2013, Dettori guided Dandino to one of his most impressive performances one
race prior, despite being a loss, in the 2013 edition of the Hardwicke. After
dodging a fallen favorite in Ektihaam, Dettori gave Dandino a sharp recovery and
almost defeated Thomas Chippendale. In the process, Dandino bested subsequent
Group 1 winner and 2014 Arlington Million possible Noble Mission, as well as the
highly regarded duo of Universal and Mount Athos. If reunited, the star-faced
globetrotting warrior could give his connections even more reason to feel
confident in their return to the Chicagoland oval.
“For us, Arlington (Million Day) is one of the world’s great racing days for
our team — we love the big, flat track and the hospitality that is afforded to
us over your carnival has been second to none. I personally will not be making
the trip this season, as l will be busy with mares foaling, but my wife
Elizabeth will be making the trip with owners Phil and Kim Brittain. We will be
delighted to try to win back-to-back St. Legers with Dandino,” Dance concluded.
San Juan Capistrano conqueror Big Kick is possible
to ship to Arlington for the American St. Leger, according to
trainer Mike Machowsky. The gelded son of Tiznow put on an imposing display of
pace and resilience as he led wire-to-wire in the 1 3/4-mile event at Santa
Anita Park on June 29.
“We’re looking at the St. Leger pretty hard,” Machowsky said. “With the turf situation at Del Mar, the owners brought it up to me
last week. Then, (Arlington stakes coordinator) Gary (Duch) called me after we
won the San Juan — so we are definitely looking at it. I know there’s a flight
a week from today.”
Owned by the partnership of Ernest Marchosky, Ken Shaw, Kate Walters and Lo
Hi Stable, Big Kick has come into himself with the addition
of distance and grass racing in his last two starts. One race prior to the San
Juan Capistrano, he wired a 1 1/4-mile allowance at Santa Anita in
eye-pleasing fashion.
“He’s a big, massive horse with a long stride and high cruising speed,” Machowsky
explained. “He just needs to get into that rhythm and just picks it up as he
goes. He has a unique style and that’s the way he wants to run.”
Despite his excellent speed, it is the distance that has made the difference
for the Canadian-bred.
“I was trying for a while to get more distance races,” Machowsky explained.
“In fact, that 1 1/4-miles race was originally (in the book at) 1 1/2 miles, but
wouldn’t go. It was brought back and he still won. The distance is the number
one difference with him, as well as his maturity. Being gelded also helped a
little bit and he can now switch off.”
The last time trainer David Simcock shipped a mare from his
English yard of Trillium Place to Arlington he proved
victorious with I’m A Dreamer in the 2012 edition of the Beverly D. This
year, he is set to bring another five-year-old mare to the
International Festival of Racing, but this time will combat the boys in the
American St. Leger, if all goes well.
Eliza Park International Sun Kingdom’s Moment In Time, a daughter of German
champion Tiger Hill, exits a good second last out in the
listed Chalice Stakes at Newbury over 1 1/2 miles, but has excellent back-class as
recent as last year. Second in the Lancashire Oaks at Haydock in July
2013, she was a useful third in the E. P. Taylor at Woodbine in
October to close out her sophomore year.
In 2014, she has stayed almost strictly
at longer distances and seems to be rounding back into form after an unbecoming
winter in Dubai. The bay mare has competed seven times against males in her
23-race career, including a third to Group 1 winner Noble Mission in last year’s
Tapster Stakes at Goodwood.
In other International Festival news:
La Tia has little to prove for local racing fans. She won the marquee
Still, the Illinois-bred daughter of City Place sits in that
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“She’s in great shape and feeling really good; very happy,” De La Cerda
explained. “She’s here (at Arlington) and she’s a better filly now. If she
trains good, she will probably run. She almost broke the track record the other
day and did it easy. I’ll work her this weekend on the turf and we’ll see.”
The charismatic dark bay filly with an oft-bowed neck and attractive blaze is
easy to spot in the paddock and even more so on the racetrack, as she loves to
run on the front end. With a rapid cruising rate and an ability to slow if need
be, she ran a deceptively good fifth in last year’s Beverly D. under Kent
Desormeaux — losing third in a tight three-horse photo with Marketing Mix and
Ausus.
According to the International Racing Bureau and Ballydoyle
representatives, Venus de Milo — a two-time Group 3 winner and four-time Group
1-placed four-year-old — is now possible for the Beverly D.
The daughter of Duke of Marmalade was third last out in the August 2 Nassau Stakes at Goodwood, one race after an impressive runner-up
finish to the highly rated and recently retired Thistle Bird in the Pretty Polly Stakes on June 29 at The Curragh.
Both of the aforementioned races were at 1 1/4 miles — a
sixteenth of a mile farther than that of the Beverly D. — and opened up a new
option for the filly who had previously raced at 1 1/2 miles or farther in six
consecutive races, including a second to The Fugue in last year’s Yorkshire Oaks.
According to officials, Venus de Milo will only make the trip in
if her connections decide to pass on the race with stablemate Palace.
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