Amoss looks strong in pair of allowances
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Attempting, you'd assume, to lure back a measurable percentage of the huge number of racing fans focused on its annual showcase the previous afternoon, Arlington Park has carded a far-better-than-average card for Sunday.
Three turf allowances and three maiden special weight races make up the bulk of a solid nine-race card being offered the day after the International Festival of Racing.
The richest of the Sunday races, and the nominal feature, is the fifth, a $44,200 turf sprint with a second-level allowance condition. Da Mama, a drawing-off winner when making her grass debut in an entry-level allowance in her latest start here, figures as a primary contender among the 10 fillies and mares in the about 5 1/2-furlong race.
Tom Amoss, whose sizable stable has been active at a variety of venues since the Churchill Downs meet ended July 5, is the trainer of Da Mama, a 3-year-old filly by Johar. With assistant Frank Bernis now overseeing the day-to-day chores at Arlington, Da Mama has had one maintenance breeze since that July 22 score, going an easy half-mile over the Polytrack nine days later.
Goldinthepocket and Summer Flight look like the main opposition for Da Mama, who will have Eddie Razo aboard when breaking from post 3.
Filly-mare turfers also will clash in a subsequent allowance (race 7), a $41,480 route that drew a field of nine. Amoss also has a threat there in Yes Im Woman, a last-out winner, although several others with more post-maiden experience would seem to rate greater consideration. That group includes Ansong, a gray 3-year-old who was good enough to finish fourth in an overnight turf stakes here July 11 for trainer Donnie K. Von Hemel.
Earlier in the day, 3-year-olds and up will travel about 1 1/8 miles on the grass course in the third race, a $31,500 allowance restricted to Illinois-breds. Trainer Chris Block steps up with an uncoupled pair of 3-year-olds in Weggie, a gray who has raced 13 times while dabbling in stakes company, and Triple Check, a homebred Team Block colt who adds blinkers Sunday after earning an "erratic" comment in both prior starts.
First post is 1 p.m. Central. After Sunday, Arlington goes dark for the usual two days before live action resumes Wednesday.