Owners still celebrating Postulation's American St. Leger victory

Three years after capturing the 2014 Grade I Arlington Million trophy with Hardest Core, trainer Eddie Graham and the Bentley family were once again celebrating victory on Arlington’s biggest day of racing when Runnymede Racing’s Postulation took the lead three furlongs from home in the Grade III American St. Leger on Aug. 12 and drew off under Jorge Vargas, Jr. for a decisive 2¼-length win.

 

“[We’re] still feeling the thrill of our win,” said owner Caroline Bentley by text the following week. “Postulation came out of his race really well – just looking forward to the next one.”

 

A three-time winner in Ireland, Postulation was privately purchased from Juddmonte Farms following his first start in North America, a sixth-place finish in the 2015 Grade I Belmont Derby. He raced three times in 2016, finishing second in an allowance over the Tapeta at Presque Isle Downs before finishing off the board against stakes company.

 

The 5-year-old gelding by Harlan’s Holiday began his 2017 campaign in April racing twice before landing the Cape Henlopen Stakes at Delaware Park on July 8, his first win since coming to the United States.

 

“After his last race I was immediately thinking, ‘American St. Leger’,” said Graham. “To have a horse to run at Arlington is a gift.”

 

Following his graded-stakes victory, Postulation received time off at the Bentley’s farm in Pennsylvania before getting back to training.

 

“We’ll look at Kentucky Downs for a race next,” added Graham. That could possibly come in the Grade III Calumet Farm Turf Cup on Sept. 9 going 1½ miles, which was won by Da Big Hoss last year following his victory in the 2016 American St. Leger.

 

 

V-Leaf Stables, Richard Ravin and Larry Rivelli’s What’s Up Dude is likely to make his next start in the Arlington Heights Overnight Stakes to be run on Sept. 2 over the main track at Arlington International Racecourse. Trained by Rivelli, he could face stablemate Richiesinthehouse in the seven-furlong event for 3-year-old state-breds.

 

“I’m likely to have one in front, and one in back,” said Rivelli of his duo. Richiesinthehouse, a 3-year-old son of Sidney’s Candy, has won in wire-to-wire fashion in his only two starts, which have both come on the turf at Arlington.

 

Already a three-time winner at Arlington, What’s Up Dude recorded his debut victory on June 4 against state-breds at the Chicagoland oval. The 3-year-old gelding by First Dude returned just shy of three weeks later for a repeat victory before failing to find the winner’s circle in his next two starts. Sent out on Aug. 17 to try his hand against state-breds again, he notched his third win from five starts on the Polytrack.

 

Bred by Ravin and Rivelli in Illinois, What’s Up Dude is out of the Lit de Justice mare Rooney Doodle who has produced four other winners over the synthetic. Nevrmesswithrichie, Hollarforadollar, and Unscathed, her first three foals by Bring The Heat, as well as Jean Elizabeth, her 2015 foal by Adios Charlie, have all recorded wins over the Polytrack at Arlington. Jean Elizabeth recorded her debut win just last week on Aug. 19 when she led five other 2-year-old state-bred fillies from start to finish over 5½ furlongs on the main track.

 

 

Arlington International Racecourse has added overnight stakes to schedule for the final month of the 2017 racing season.

 

The Arlington Heights Overnight Stakes for Illinois-bred 3-year-olds at seven furlongs will be run on the main track on Sept. 2. The Rolling Meadows Overnight Stakes for 3-year-old Illinois-bred fillies going seven furlongs on the main track will be run on Sept. 4.

 

The Avers Wexler Memorial Overnight Stakes for fillies and mares 3-year-olds and upward will be added to the Sept. 9 card and run at 1 1/16-miles over the main track.

 

The Jeff Lynn Memorial Overnight Stakes, for 3-year-olds and upward going six furlongs on the main track, and the Richard Scherer Memorial Overnight Stakes, for fillies and mares 3-year-olds and upwards going six furlongs on the main track, will both be run on Sept. 16.