Sweet Luca Possible for Nearctic
Ed Fortino’s Chris Block-trained Sweet Luca finally got his due on Monday. A closing second or third in six of his previous eight losses, he reached the winner’s circle for the first time since a Hawthorne Race Course allowance last fall in the Listed $300,000 Kentucky Downs Turf Dash at its namesake course.
“The distance helped him a lot,” Block said. “He’s always been very versatile from five-eighths of a mile to a mile and a sixteenth and this was a great spot for him. He had been doing very well and running well.”
Prior to the Turf Dash, the 6-year-old gelded son of Candy Ride had displayed his considerable versatility when second by a head in the grassy 1 1/16-miles $50,000 Black Tie Affair Handicap on Aug. 8 a mere week after finishing third by a length in the $50,000 Addison Cammack Handicap over six Polytrack furlongs on Aug. 1.
“We’re going to look at the (Grade II $300,000) Nearctic (Stakes) at Woodbine on the 18th of October,” Block contined. “That’s one we’re definitely thinking about with him.”
The Nearctic, like the Turf Dash, is a long sprint over an undulating turf course. A win at Woodbine would be the seven-time winner in 32 start’s first graded victory. The Illinois-bred has won three stakes, including defeats of subsequently crowned Breeders’ Cup Sprint and Eclipse Award champion sprinter Work All Week in consecutive years in the 2013 and 2014 runnings of the Cammack.
WAKE THE DAWN COMES ALIVE IN FRIDAY MAIDEN
Ike and Dawn Thrash’s homebred Wake the Dawn started to show signs of life on Friday afternoon. Long heralded by the barn, the daughter of top sire Candy Ride and the Thrash’s Grade I-placed Third Dawn made two starts in maiden special weight company for trainer Mike Stidham at Del Mar in August – one at 5 ½ furlongs on Aug. 16 and another at a mile on Aug. 27 – but failed to show interest in those races and finished ninth and sixth, respectively. Friday’s performance over a softened turf course – in her grass debut – was an especially nice turnaround considering the bay filly has been beaten a total of 48 lengths in her two prior runs.
“The surface change was definitely a major factor,” Stidham said. “Pedigree-wise the grass looked probably better for her, but she had worked very well on the dirt. We tried short and long on the dirt at Del Mar, but it didn’t work. The next logical move was to get her on the grass.
“She made a really nice move and quickened to win nicely,” Stidham continued. “I’m not sure if she beat much, but still I’m glad to see that the surface was what she needed. We’ll go to Keeneland and run her there. As far as this race, we will see what she ran numbers-wise and make some decisions. We definitely have always thought she was talented and liked her since the beginning. She has a bright future.”
NO FAULT OF MINE READY TO RUN
The long-awaited return to racing for Lothenbach Stables’ homebred filly No Fault of Mine is soon to happen, according to trainer Chris Block. The daughter of Blame was second in last year’s Grade II $200,000 Golden Rod Stakes, defeating Grade I winner I’m a Chatterbox in the process. She did so after a lone victorious maiden effort at Arlington International Racecourse.
No Fault of Mine has been working up a storm at Arlington, including a visually impressive bullet move on Friday. Working in company the bay filly easily outpaced stablemate Vapor Cloud, going five furlongs in :59.40, galloping out six furlongs in a sharp 1:11.60.
“We’re just waiting for a race for her,” Block said Saturday morning. “We’ve been entering her here and trying to get her in. She’s ready. I’d like to run her at Arlington, but if not, I’ll look at Keeneland. There’s an extra here next week going six and a half furlongs.”
Later in the day, No Fault of Mine was entered at Arlington in the third race on next Thursday’s program.
CREWMAN IN PEAK FORM FOR TELEPROMPTER
In 2015, few horses have been more consistent in allowance races in Illinois than Dundalk 5’s Crewman. Trained by veteran conditioner Dee Poulos, the gelded 4-year-old son of Candy Ride has finished first or second in six of nine starts this year and only finished out of the money once. Last out, the Kentucky-bred whose granddam is Grade I Go For Wand Handicap winner Serra Lake was a sharp second to streaking Scott Becker trainee Valiant City.
“He’s doing great,” Poulos said. “He worked (Saturday) morning and worked really well. I’m pointing him to the ($50,000) Teleprompter (Stakes) next Saturday on the grass. Prior to this, I had worked him on the turf and he worked really well in a (bullet) minute and change,” Poulos continued. “I was actually thinking about taking him to Kentucky Downs, but that didn’t work out.
“Originally when we claimed him we were nervous,” Poulos continued. “The previous owners had put the time into him, so we knew that he must be a nice horse. He’s an easy horse to work with and really takes things in stride with no bad habits. What I love about him is that he’s so gritty. He digs in and tries with everything and I don’t think he needs the lead. He has speed and class. I wish I had a barn full of him.”
BLOCK POINTING TOP JUVENILE FILLIES TO KEENELAND
Trainer Chris Block has had a solid year with his young stock, including a series of strong maiden efforts on the grass from his trainees. Two of those who have been exceptional in their performances have been the Lothenbach Stables-owned and -bred fillies Clare View andNobody’s Fault.
Both fillies debuted in the same one-mile maiden event at Arlington International Racecourse on Aug. 9, with a scant nose separating the two. Clare View, a daughter of Hard Spun, would return five weeks last on Sept. 16 at Kentucky Downs and win over Godolphin Racing’s highly regarded Overtly. Things did not go as planned for Nobody’s Fault, a full-sister to graded stakes-placed No Fault of Mine.
“Clare View will go to Keeneland and run in a non-two down there on the 23rd of October,” Block said. “We will give her a little more experience and test her quality there. Then we’ll decide what to do with the winter for her after that.
“Nobody’s Fault got a little sick on us,” Block continued. “Nothing too serious. I was going to take her to Churchill and run in a stakes. If she ran huge there we would think about the Breeders’ Cup, but she got sick, so that’s obviously not happening. She may run later at Keeneland with Clare View.”
UNO MAS MODELO TO KEENELAND NEXT
One of the more impressive 2-year-old maiden winners of the meet was Brian Williamson trainee Uno Mas Modelo on Aug. 28 when the son of Macho Uno won his six-furlong heat by 5¼ lengths in 1:10.07. Owned by Nancy Vanier, Lyda Williamson, Brady Tauber, Steve Gordon et al., the athletically built Kentucky-bred will likely take his show on the road for his first start against winners.
“He’s a talented horse,” Williamson said. “He was in at Churchill Downs recently, but the race wouldn’t go. There is a sprint allowance on the fourth at Keeneland I would like to have him in.
“I don’t know how far he’ll go,” Williamson continued. “He should be okay going a distance of ground, being by Macho Uno, but the brother I had to his dam was more of a sprinter. He may even like the turf, so there are lots of opportunities. I’m going to try to keep him, for now, on dirt and Polytrack.”
WORK TAB
Multiple Grade I-placed Her Emmynency, owned by Ike and Dawn Thrash and trained by Mike Stidham, who exits a second in the Grade I $300,000 Del Mar Oaks on Aug. 15, worked six furlongs in 1:13.60.
Dundalk 5’s reliable Crewman worked a half-mile in :48.40 for trainer Dee Poulos. The gritty son of Candy Ride is being prepare for next weekend’s closing day co-featured $50,000 Teleprompter Stakes.
Twin Creeks Racing Stables’ homebred Notte d’Oro worked a half-mile in :48 flat for trainer Mike Stidham. The bay 4-year-old is possible for next weekend’s $50,000 Melanie Frances Stakes.
Source: Arlington Park