Block Hopes for Big Day at Arlington Park
Team Block’s super broodmare Taxable Deduction - already the dam of multiple graded stakes winners - could have a huge day for the aforementioned ownership and trainer Chris Block. The daughter of Prized has 6-year-old marathon specialist Suntracer as one of the top choices in the Grade III $150,000 Stars and Stripes and the promising sophomore Afortable in the Grade III $200,000 American Derby.
Afortable enters the American Derby off only four starts, but has already shown he is of valuable talent. Winning on debut over the Arlington lawn last fall, he went on to win a competitive Keeneland allowance in April before finishing third in the Grade III Arlington Classic on May 24.
“I don’t know if I can compare Suntracer and Afortable yet,” Block explained. “Afortable is still moving forward and should love the 1 3/16-miles distance and he’s training really well. Suntracer has been a hard-luck horse for about a year and a half. He’s always been knocking on the door and I think he’s once again knocking on the door on Saturday. He’s training well, doing everything right and loves this surface here.”
Afortable has been exercising with older horses in the mornings and impressing clockers when working with the likes of stakes winner Sweet Luca and multiple graded stakes winner General Election. “He’s not one who works really well by himself and the racing department only lets you work certain horses on the turf, so we worked him with good older horses,” Block elaborated. “I think those works - where he had to perhaps work a little harder - will help him. I think Sweet Luca is very good right now and his work with General Election was definitely strong.”
Block - the only trainer to have charges in all four graded stakes on Saturday - sends out two talented and long-winded 4-year-old fillies in Team Block’s I O Ireland and Richard Otto’s Alette in the Grade III $200,000 Modesty Handicap and has Lothenbach Stable’s Mister Marti Gras cross-entered in both the Arlington Handicap and Stars and Stripes, with the former looking more likely for the multiple graded stakes-winning son of Belong to Me.
Alette is an improving type coming off a good second in the off-the-turf Lincoln Heritage Handicap on June 21. “I would have loved to have had another week between races, but I love the way she’s training,” Block said. “She has to step it up, but I think the distance will be to her liking.” The daughter of Belmont Stakes winner Lemon Drop Kid is out of the El Gran Senor mare Amourette, winner of the 1 3/8-miles Robert G. Dick Memorial at Delaware Park in 2001.
Speaking of pedigrees, I O Ireland is especially intriguing in the Modesty. Her dam - another Team Block star broodmare - Ioya Two won the event in 2001 for the same connections.
“She’s doing really good and is looking great,” Block said. “It’s time for her to put it all together and take a big step forward.” The daughter of Giant’s Causeway - like Alette - will be aimed toward three-turn races as her career progresses.