The Pizza Man tackles Stars & Stripes once again on Saturday

Midwest Thoroughbred’s 2015 Grade I Arlington Million winner The Pizza Man will face eight rivals as he tackles the Grade III $100,000 Stars and Stripes once again on Saturday, July 8 at Arlington International Raceourse as part of Ride to the Million presented by Miller Lite. The 86th edition will be the fifth running for the Roger Brueggemann trainee, who found victory in the 1½-miles turf stake 2014 and 2015. Breaking from post five in his second start of the season, the 8-year-old gelding by English Channel will be ridden by Florent Geroux for the first time since last June.

 

Looking to upset the Illinois champion will be Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey’s multiple stakes winner Keystoneforvictory from the barn of Mike Maker. The 4-year-old colt by Shakespeare finished third two starts back in the Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup, and has two wins routing over the turf at Gulfstream Park this year, most recently a 2½-length win when going 1½ miles. Julien Leparoux will pilot the colt from the rail.

 

Maker will also saddle Michael Hui’s Flashy Chelsey in the Stars and Stripes. The 5-year-old son of Flashy Bull was second by a neck last year in the Claiming Crown Emerald Stakes at Gulfstream Park. He was claimed by his new connections from his most recent start at Churchill Downs on June 4 in which he finished third going 1 1/16-miles on the grass. Robby Albarado will ride from gate three.

 

Bodhisattva (Blake Shinn, post two), One Go All Go (Declan Cannon, post four), Applicator (Jose Valdivia, Jr., post six), Feodor (Santo Sanjur, post seven), Mongol G (Sebastian Saez, post eight) and Belomor (Carlos Marquez, Jr., post nine) complete the field.