Arapahoe Park: Chips All In trying dirt in Gold Rush

Chips All In will be putting a perfect career record on the line Sunday when he makes his first start on dirt in the $100,000 Gold Rush Futurity at Arapahoe Park in Aurora, Colo. He has invaded from Southern California for the six-furlong race for 2-year-olds that serves as both the closing-day feature at the track and its richest race for Thoroughbreds.

A full field of 12 will start, including Arlington Park maiden winner Born Force and local stakes winners Mr Barman and Tulsa Te. The Gold Rush is one of five stakes on the card. The other major race is the Grade 2, $150,000 Mile High Futurity for Quarter Horses led by the undefeated Block N Tackle.

Chips All In has raced twice, both times on synthetic surfaces in California. He won his debut at Golden Gate on June 10, tracking the pace and going on to a two and a half length win in the $32,000 maiden claiming race. Chips All In then shipped to Del Mar and was again prominent throughout when he won a $40,000 starter allowance by a half-length July 27.

“We’ve been looking at this race for a while,” said his trainer, Adam Kitchingman. “We figured if he ran well in that starter allowance this race would be a good spot to run him in. He’s doing good, and the timing is perfect.” Kitchingman is also looking forward to the dirt start with Chips All In.

“I honestly think the dirt is better for him,” he said. “He was training at Santa Anita earlier this year, and some of his best works were there. I think dirt is more favorable for him.”

Aaron Gryder, aboard Chips All In at Golden Gate, will be aboard from post 11. The pair could get a nice tracking trip behind such quick horses as Tulsa Te, who wired the field in the $42,000 Colorado Thoroughbred Breeders Association Futurity, and wire to wire debut winners Hooked on Gold and Expeditiously.

Chips All In is by Epsom Derby winner North Light and out of the two-time stakes winning mare Maria’s Mirage.

◗ Rockin, Bf Sonic Boom and I Cant See Jack, who finished a respective first, second and third in last year’s Mile High Futurity for Quarter Horses, meet again in the Grade 2, $75,000 Mile High Derby.

◗ T M Fred Texas, winner of the UAE Cup for Arabians at Churchill Downs in June, returns to the mile and a quarter distance of that race for the $25,000 Classic.