Arlington Sprint Handicap Preview

by Patricia Woo | Jul 6 2009

Sprinters get top billing at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Ill., this Saturday, July 11, when 3-year-olds and up line up for the 13th running of the Arlington Sprint Handicap. A $200,000 5 ½-furlong turf test, the Arlington Sprint Handicap is part of the "Win and You're In" program whereby the winner of this race will earn an automatic berth into the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. Among those nominated include Smart Enough, Fort Prado and Amazing Results.

Smart Enough, a 6-year-old gelding trained by John Fisher, will be vying for his third straight stakes victory, should he start in the Arlington Sprint Handicap. On June 21 in his last outing, Smart Enough
blew away the competition with his blistering early speed in the $184,834 (Can-G3) Highlander Stakes at Woodbine Park in Toronto, Canada, and cruised to a commanding two-length win. A month earlier at
Monmouth Park, he once again took the early lead in the $60,000 Wolf Hill Stakes and never relinquished it - impressive results for a horse that was sidelined by injury for most of 2008. Smart Enough has a lifetime record of 21-12-4-4 and will be looking to add to his lifetime earnings of $867,317.

Having a string of luck at Arlington Park since May makes Fort Prado an interesting potential challenger. This 8-year-old is a longtime trainee of Chris Block, and has put together three in-the-money finishes in his last three outings: third in the $100,000 Illinois Owners stakes on May 2, second in the $50,000 Zen Stakes on May 24 and finally first place in the $100,000 Black Tie Affair on June 20, a race he has now won four times over his career. Favoring a late-running style and appearing to race even better with age, Fort Prado has 17 career wins and has earned owners Team Block $1,666,831 so far.

Also a Chris Block trainee and racing at Arlington Park since May is Amazing Results, a 4-year-old Grand Slam colt. He hasn't enjoyed the success that stablemate Fort Prado has experienced, coming in fourth in the $100,000 Gr. 3 Hanshin Cup Handicap on May 23 and fifth in the $100,000 White Oak Handicap on June 20. The reigning Illinois Horse of the Year, Amazing Results is looking for his first win of 2009 and to add to his lifetime earnings of $270,195.

One final nominee of note is 6-year-old In Summation, a veteran performer whose last outing was a fifth-place finish in the $300,000 Sunshine Millions Sprint Stakes way back in January for trainer Christophe Clement and owner Waterford Stable. In 2007, In Summation was the favorite for the Arlington Sprint Handicap but looked to have lost the race to pacesetter Piratesonthelake coming out of the turn. But the son of Put It Back managed to launch enough of a rally to come even with Piratesonthelake for a thrilling dead heat finish.

Who will earn a berth to the Breeders' Cup with a win in the Arlington Sprint Handicap? Bet on horse racing at the Bodog Racebook!