Pumpkin Rumble Aimed at Arlington Million

Al and Bill Ulwelling’s Pumpkin Rumble is being aimed toward Arlington Million XXXIII, according to trainer Gary Scherer. Exiting a victory in the $100,000 Mystic Lake Mile at Canterbury Park, the son of champion English Channel is in sharp form for his connections.

“We are definitely looking at the Million,” Scherer said. “I think he’ll do fine. The competition is a little stiff, but if he relaxes and runs like he did last time, he won’t disappoint me. He’s impressive with the heart he has and he can run all day.

“He ran against some stiff competition as a 3-year-old and the freshening did him wonders,” Scherer continued. “I think he’ll get the distance and handle everything well. You can’t win unless you’re in there and we’ll give him a chance. I wish the race was right now because he’s doing so well. We’ll get him in town on the eighth (of August) to get him acclimated.”

In 2014, as a 3-year-old, the smallish chestnut gelding was a game fourth in the Grade III $500,000 Hill Prince Stakes at Belmont Park behind Grade I winner Ring Weekend, as well as the $200,000 Mystic Lake Derby at Canterbury behind subsequent graded stakes winner Long on Value. Throughout his 13-race career, he has kept salty company, despite never racing above the Grade III level. He boasts a record of 3-3-2 with $181,806 in earnings and won his lone start at Arlington when breaking his maiden in May 2014 over subsequent stakes performer Galton.

HIGHLAND REEL EXPECTED FOR SECRETARIAT

Three-time Secretariat Stakes-winning trainer Aidan O’Brien is expected to enter Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier and Michael Tabor’s Highland Reel (above) in the 2015 edition of the Grade I $450,000 1¼-miles grass event for top sophomores. A son of Coolmore’s top stallon Galileo, the bay colt exits a win in the Grade III $156,000 Nepture Investment Management Stakes at the Glorious Goodwood meeting in England.

Bred in Ireland, the talented charge was fifth in the Group I $1,396,000 Irish Derby on June 27 at The Curragh. One race prior to that – and arguably the Ballydoyle pupil’s best performance – Highland Reel was a game second in the Group I $1,649,000 Prix du Jockey Club (French Derby) on May 31 at 1 5/16 miles – the closest he has come to running the Secretariat distance, losing by 1½ lengths to New Bay.

In seven lifetime starts, Highland Reel has three victories and a pair of runner-up finishes. As a juvenile, he won the Group II $136,000 Vintage Stakes to close out his 2-year-old season.

O’Brien won the Secretariat in 2000 with Ciro, 2011 with Treasure Beach and last year with Adelaide.

BALLYDOYLE HAS BEVERLY D. DUO

Trainer Aiden O’Brien and the Ballydoyle-based Coolmore team has two possibles for the Grade I $700,000 Beverly D. on Aug. 15, according to the International Racing Bureau. Outstanding and Together Forever, both 3-year-old fillies by Galileo, are being aimed toward the race and both exit game finishes in Grade/Group I company.

Outstanding, a full-sister to 2013 Grade I $3,000,000 Breeders’ Cup Turf winner and 2014 Grade I $1,000,000 Arlington Million runner-up Magician, won two minor races in Ireland at Naas before venturing to Belmont Park on July 4 to finish a respectable third in the Grade I $1,000,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational behind Lady Eli and Itsonlyactingdad. In five starts, she has a lone stakes victory in the $61,000 Naas Oaks Trial on June 24.

Slightly more seasoned, nine-time starter Together Forever was fourth last out – beaten just over four lengths – in the Group I $433,000 Irish Oaks on July 18. A Group I winner as a juvenile when taking the $378,000 Fillies Mile at Newmarket last October, she has started three times in 2015, with her best finish being a photo-finish loss in the Group III $157,000 Musidora Stakes at York on May 13. Sandwiched between that effort and the Irish Oaks was a seventh-place finish (of 11) in the Group I $691,000 English Oaks at Epsom.

MAIMARA TO PASS ON BEVERLY D. 

Trainer Mikel Delzangles has decided to pass on the Grade I $700,000 Beverly D. with his promising filly Maimara, according to the International Racing Bureau. Owned by Alain Louis-Dreyfus, the daughter of Makfi exits a good second to improving filly Wekeela in the Gropu III $89,000 Prix Chloe at Chantilly going nine furlongs.

Maimara, a 3-year-old, would have been looking to become only the second sophomore filly to take the Beverly D. after Euro Charline – another European – did so in 2014 for Team Valor International and trainer Marco Botti. Delzangles, according to the International Racing Bureau, still plans on running His Highness the Aga Khan’s Canndal in the Grade I $450,000 Secretariat Stakes and Papillon Stables’ Bookrunner in the Grade I $1,000,000 Arlington Million.

Source: Arlington Park