ILLINOIS OWNERS STAKES RECAP
By Susanne Reardon
Midwest Thoroughbred
www.mwtmag.com
A “double surprise”, the result in the two Illinois Owners Stakes, both with $60,000 purses, at Arlington Park on Aug. 12, the day before the International Festival of Racing.
Robert & Kelly Dobbs and Carson Springs Farm’s Tazz and the Estate of Gail Gee, Mark Hoffman and Earl Trostrud’s Hooh Why, each captured a division of the Illinois Owners Stakes.
In the $61,800 open division, the Christine Janks-trained Tazz found an opening near the eighth pole and drew off to win the mile and a sixteenth turf race by 1 ¼ lengths in 1:44.37 under Seth Martinez. It was the second stakes win for the son of Roar of the Tiger who captured the $90,100 Black Tie Affair Handicap in June. “Rob told me to sit and wait for an opening,” Martinez said. “I was fortunate enough to get out from there and he took off.”
Exchanging Kisses was second and it was another neck back to 5-2 favorite Cool C Note, who was third in the eight-horse field. Tazz paid $10.40, $4.60 and $3.60. Avantibdancing returned $4 and $3.20. Cool C Note paid $10.40.
Two races later, Hooh Why pulled off a 16-1 upset in the $61,700 fillies and mares division. Jozbin Santana rode the Mike Reavis-trained daughter of Cloud Hopping who got the mile and a sixteenth over “good” turf in 1:44.28.
“She’s taken off some weight since I had her,” Reavis said. “She’d only run on the turf once before so that was a concern.” Under the guidance of Arlington Park leading jockey Santana, she cruised home keeping Santana atop the jockey standings.
Askbut I Won’ttell, the 1-2 favorite, ran second, 2 ¾-lengths ahead of Peyote Patty. Hooh Why paid $35, $10.40 and $4. Askbut I Won’ttell returned $2.60 and $2.10. Peyote Patty paid $2.40.
In the second annual Legends race pitting Arlington’s Fab Five against four Legends of the Saddle (it was to be five but on horse to be ridden by a legend was scratched), Junior Alvarado’s victory aboard Dean Caras’ Top Pair ($8.20) gave the Fab Five a 25-14 win over the Legends based on a sliding point scale.
For the second year in a row, Hall of Fame rider Earlie Fires finished second in the race – this time with Avantibdancing.
|
|
|
|
Tazz wins the Illinois Owners Stakes open division Photo Credit: Four-Footed Foto |
|
|
|
|
|
HooWhy wins Illinois Owners stakes for fillies and mares Photo Credit: Four-Footed Foto |
|
|
|
|
|
Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron back in the saddle again in the Legends race at Arlington Park on Aug. 12. Photo Credit to Tom Ferry |
McCarron with Hall of Famer Ron McAnally, who trained the first Arlington Million winner, John Henry
Photo Credit to Tom Ferry |
