PICO CENTRAL BACK IN TRAINING HEADLINE p. 1 ATW NEWS For information about TDN, DELIVERED EACH NIGHT BY FAX AND FREE BY E-MAIL TO SUBSCRIBERS OF call 732-747-8060. www.thoroughbreddailynews.com SATURDAY, AUGUST 13, 2005 ALL EYES ON ARLINGTON PARK SPLENDID BLENDED RETIRED There’s been plenty of rain in the Chicago area this Peter Vegso’s homebred Splendid Blended (Unbri- week, but no matter the weather dled’s Song--Valid Blend, by Valid Appeal), a Grade I today, the sun will be shining at winner at two and three, has been retired after sustain- Arlington Park, with the GI ing a suspensory injury, according to Daily Racing Arlington Million, the GI Secretar- Form. The injury was detected after the three-year-old iat S. and the GI Beverly D. S. on filly breezed seven furlongs at Del Mar Aug. 7. “We tap. Kit- were having some trouble with her upper suspensory,” Arlington Park ten’s Joy trainer Neil Drysdale told DRF. “I didn't like the way she Benoit photo (El Prado worked.” Bred in Florida by Vegso, the half sister to {Ire}) multiple graded stakes winner Richly Blended was led makes his second start of the out unsold at $250,000 at Keeneland September as a season since being crowned yearling, but increased her value exponentially on the 2004 champion turf horse and track. The chestnut went three-for-four as a juvenile in will be facing a strong field in 2004, capping the year with a victory in the GI Holly- today’s Million. Last year’s GI wood Starlet S. with her only loss coming to champion Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Kitten’s Joy Sweet Catomine in the GII Oak Leaf S. She returned Horsephotos Better Talk Now (Talkin Man) this season with an excellent fourth in the GI Acorn S. leads the way in attempting to at Belmont June 4 before trumping her elders in the GI dethrone the champ. MGISW’s Vanity Invitational H. at Hollywood July 3 (Video, pre- Good Reward (Storm Cat) and sented by Taylor Made) in what would be her final career start. Splendid Blended’s career record stands at Sweet Return (GB) (Elmaamul) 6-4-1-0 with earnings of $519,900. Breeding plans also figure to be tough company. have not yet been announced. English Channel (Smart Strike), the likely favorite in the Secretar- iat, would earn a $3-million bonus STONEWALL STARTS STALLION OPERATION NeverTell stallions Medaglia d’ Oro (El Prado {Ire}), if able to win today and add a Doneraile Court (Seattle Slew) and Marquetry (Conquis- Wonder Again victory in the BC Turf. It won’t tador Cielo) are being relocated from Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm Adam Coglianese come easy though with the likes to Audrey Haisfield’s Stonewall Farm in Midway, Ky., of Purim where they will stand the 2006 breeding season. “I am (Dynaformer), Gun Salute (Mili- very excited to launch a stallion operation and I just feel tary) and European invader Grand it is the right time to realize the dream of standing Central (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells). A these stallions,” Haisfield said. “Although it is a tremen- very competitive field of 10 will dous undertaking to start and operation like this from line up for the Beverly D., which scratch, Stonewall Farm Stallions has the advantage of includes undefeated turfer Wend having a foundation of top class stallions. Not only are (Pulpit) and classy mares Mega- English Channel we able to offer breeders two proven and popular sires, hertz (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) and Horsephotos but also the most exciting stallion of 2005, Medaglia d’ Wonder Again (Silver Hawk). Oro.” Medaglia d’ Oro, a MGISW of $5.7 million, stood his first season at stud in 2005. Doneraile Court has The ‘Race of the Day’ is the brisnet.com sired six stakes winners from his first three crops, GI Arlington Million at Arlington Park. including GSW Ruler’s Court, while the 19-year-old For pps and a complete race analysis, click here. Marquetry has sired 22 stakes winners, including cham- pions Artax and Squirtle Squirt. www.coolmore.com TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 8/13/05 • PAGE 2 of 10 European Invaders Should Love Off Going... ARLINGTON MILLION P P Powerscourt (GB) (Sadler’s Wells), who was DQ’d from first and placed fourth in last year’s Million, re- PLENTY OF COMPETITION FOR ‘KITTEN’ Kit- turns for another attempt at glory here. He finished a ten’s Joy (El Prado {Ire}) may be favored at 6-5 on the solid third in his latest trip to the States in the Breeders’ morning line in today’s GI Arlington Million, but will Cup Turf and was last seen finishing second in the G2 have his hands full taking on a Scottish Derby at Ayr. Gary Tanaka’s Touch of Land star-studded international cast- (Fr) (Lando {Ger}) owns four wins at this distance, ing. Last year’s champion turf including a victory last time in the G3 Grand Prix de horse enjoyed a remarkable soph- Vichy at Vichy July 20. omore season, winning six graded stakes, including the GI Secretariat S. over this course. A Return to Glory... Horsephotos He took on his elders in the GI Eighth in last year’s running, Sweet Return (GB) Turf Classic Invitational at (Elmaamul) enters this year’s contest in career form. Belmont and came home with a 1 3/4-length tally and The Ron McAnally trainee took Hollywood’s GI Charles followed with a second-place finish behind Better Talk Whittingham H. by a head June 11, before adding Del Now (Talkin Man) in the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf. The Mar’s GI Eddie Read H. July 24. handsome chestnut underwent surgery to have a knee chip removed after the Breeders’ Cup, but Saturday, Arlington Park, post time: 5:35 p.m. didn’t look like he lost a step in his seasonal ARLINGTON MILLION-GI, $1,000,000, 3yo/up, 1 1/4mT debut at Churchill, rallying late to post a one- PP HORSE OWNER TRAINER ODDS length victory in the GII Firecracker Breeders’ 1 Kitten’s Joy K L & S K Ramsey Romans 6-5 Cup H. on July 4. “I think Kitten’s Joy is training (c, 4, El Prado {Ire}--Kitten’s First, by Lear Fan) even better this year than he did last year,” 2 Touch of Land (Fr) Gary Tanaka Pantall 12-1 trainer Dale Romans said. “I’m sure the ground (h, 5, Lando {Ger}--Touch of Class {Ger}, by Be My Guest) will be in good shape. It might be a little soft, but 3 Good Reward Phipps Stable McGaughey III 10-1 Kitten’s Joy ran good in the Joe Hirsh [Turf Clas- (c, 4, Storm Cat--Heavenly Prize, by Seeking the Gold) sic] last year over soft ground.” 4 Fourty Niners Son Tom Baxter Drysdale 12-1 There should be plenty of give in the turf (c, 4, Distorted Humor--Cindazanno, by Alleged) course, and that may spell trouble for the others 5 Whilly (Ire) Triple B. Farms O’Neill 15-1 if Better Talk Now brings his best. The six-year- (c, 4, Sri Pekan--Santa Rosa {Ire}, by Lahib) old won last season’s GI Sword Dancer Invita- 6 Better Talk Now Bushwood Racing Part. Motion 6-1 tional H. at the Spa over a yielding course and (g, 6, Talkin Man--Bendita, by Baldski) pulled off the upset in the Breeders’ Cup Turf 7 Sweet Return (GB) Red Oak Stable McAnally 5-1 over a yielding going at odds of 27-1. He closed out the season with a sixth-place finish over a (h, 5, Elmaamul--Sweet Revival {GB}, by Claude Monet) very firm course in the Hollywood Turf Cup, but 8 Alost (Fr) Dominique Bayet Spanu 50-1 fired fresh off the bench at the Big A, winning (g, 5, Highest Honor {Fr}--Grey Goddess {Ire}, by Godswalk) the GIII Fort Marcy H. Apr. 23. The Bushwood 9 Powerscourt (GB) Mrs. John Magnier O’Brien 6-1 Stables colorbearer finished a troubled fourth in (h, 5, Sadler’s Wells--Rainbow Lake {GB}, by Rainbow Quest) Pimlico’s GII Dixie S. May 21, then closed a ton 10 Cool Conductor David E. Garner Nicks 10-1 of ground to capture Monmouth Park’s GI United (c, 4, Stravinsky--Verinha {Brz}, by Baronius {Brz}) Nations S. over soft terrain last out July 2. TDN P HEADLINE NEWS • 8/13/05 • PAGE 3 of 10 Soft Going May ‘Hert’ Her Chances... BEVERLY D. P P Megahertz (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) always shows up ready to run and has amassed over $1.8-million in earnings. WEND LOOKS TO REMAIN PERFECT ON LAWN However, the chestnut may be Trainer Bill Mott has enjoyed one of his best years in up against it if the course re- quite some time and sends out Claiborne Farm’s Wend mains off. She finished 11th over (Pulpit) in today’s GI Beverly D. the yielding going in last year’s GI S. at Arlington Park. The bay Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare filly debuted with a seventh- Turf, but has been razor sharp place finish in the slop at the Big running over firm courses since. A last November, but hasn’t She closed out her 2004 cam- Megahertz tasted defeat since being paign with a second-place finish Benoit photo switched to grass. She enjoyed against the boys in the GI Holly- her time in the Sunshine State wood Turf Cup, and has won all this winter, graduating at Tampa three of her starts this season, including the GII Beverly Wend and taking two allowances at Hills H.