Graded Runners Seek Class Relief in Black Tie Affair
Four formidable Illinois-bred turf warriors exiting graded stakes company seek relief and their first stakes success in Saturday’s $50,000-added Black Tie Affair Handicap at Arlington International Racecourse. Over 1 1/16 miles on the grass for Illinois-breds, it has attracted a field of nine, including the aforementioned quartet of graded also-rans.
Greco Racing Stable and trainer Mike Reavis have long pointed Yankee Dealer to the Black Tie Affair – even before his sixth-place finish last out in the Grade III $100,000 Arlington Handicap on July 11. The son of Yankee Gentleman will look to return to the form that saw him defeat multiple graded stakes winner Mister Marti Gras two races back in gritty style. Tim Thornton picks up the mount and breaks from post five.
Finishing nearly two lengths ahead of Yankee Dealer in the Arlington Handicap and two lengths astern in the aforementioned allowance was fellow Black Tie Affair entrant Coco Mon, from the barn of Frank Kirby and ownership of Gary and Beth Leverton. Rank throughout the Arlington Handicap, the son of Monarchos will get a rider switch to Edgar Perez, who guided him to two allowance victories to close out his 2014 campaign. Coco Mon breaks from post seven.
Also coming off an effort on July 11, Tom Fedro and Team Block’s Afortable will look to prove his last-place finish in the Grade III $100,000 Stars and Stripes was simply too bad to be true. Graded stakes-placed as a sophomore in 2014, the three-quarter brother 2012 Black Tie Affair runner-up Suntracer seeks his first victory of the season for trainer Chris Block. He breaks from post two under Manny Esquivel.
Super Soldier has long been well-regarded by owner-trainer Michele Boyce, who races the full-brother to speedy multiple stakes winner Katie the Lady under her Cherrywood Racing Stables banner. Unraced since finishing 10th of 12 in the Grade III $150,000 Tampa Bay Stakes on Jan. 24 at its namesake course, the 5-year-old son of Lost Soldier has numerous allowance victories to his name and has won four of seven at Arlington. Regular rider Julio Felix has the mount from the rail.
Peter McFarland’s multiple allowance winner Ultimo Trago (Francisco Torres, post three), Fortino, Inc.’s multiple sprint stakes winner Sweet Luca (Eduardo Perez, post four) Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm’s versatile multiple stakes-placed Sir Applesolutely (Jose Valdivia, Jr., post six), Arapaho LLC’s classy allowance winner Alpha Kitalpha (E. T. Baird, post eight) and David Reid’s speedy multiple stakes-placed Dad Are We Here (Nick Meza, post nine) round out the Black Tie Affair field.
One race earlier on the Saturday card, the sister event – the $50,000-added Mike Spellman Memorial Handicap – will be contested over the same distance, but for Prairie State-bred fillies and mares. Previously known as the Lincoln Heritage Handicap, it was renamed in 2015 for Daily Herald sports writer Mike Spellman, who passed unexpectedly on Jan. 20. A regular in the press box, he covered Arlington and the Blackhawks and was immensely respected by colleagues and horsemen.
Illinois powerhouse ownership Team Block entered two in the Spellman who will likely be well-respected at the windows – multiple allowance winner and stakes-placed 6-year-old mare Compelling Case and the vastly improved 4-year-old filly Be Playful – and also bred one of the other main contenders, Tapnfire, whom the ownership sold privately to owner-trainer Louis Roussel a month ago.
Be Playful enters as the proverbial now-horse after winning two Arlington races in impressive fashion. With regular rider Florent Geroux out of town, Edgar Perez picks up the mount for trainer Chris Block from post five.
Compelling Case looks to return to the form that saw her compete with some of the best turf fillies at the Fair Grounds meet this winter, including a sound defeat of graded stakes winner Strike Charmer on Mar. 26. Manny Esquivel picks up the ride for Block from post three.
Tapnfire continues to show her class in allowance races, but has not been as lucky in stakes events. Under her aforementioned new colors, the 5-year-old daughter of Pleasant Tap will attempt to win her first stakes when she breaks from post seven under Jose Valdivia, Jr.
The biggest challenge to the Block-bred trio looks to be in the form of Wayne Sanders and Larry Hirsch’s Cabana, from the barn of Donnie K. Von Hemel. A two-time winner at Arlington last summer, she enters off a victory in the Listed $100,000 Mari Hulman George Stakes at Indiana Grand on July 18 and sports the highest last-out Equibase Speed Figure (100) when doing so. Cabana will be ridden by Luis Quinonez from post two.
The remainder of the Spellman field is comprised of Laur Net (Francisco Torres, rail), Smiling Gambler (Tim Thornton, post four),Kana (Mitchell Murrill, post six) and Sing One Song (E. T. Baird, post eight).
Source: Arlington Park