Arlington Classic top two going their separate ways

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – The winner of the Arlington Classic probably is headed to Belmont Park for his next start, but the horse he narrowly beat here at Arlington is likely to come back for the American Derby on July 9.

Surgical Strike, who won his first graded stakes in the Arlington Classic while racing in blinkers for the first time, is in good shape and training steadily and encouragingly at trainer Ben Colebrook’s Keeneland base. So encouragingly, in fact, that Colebrook and Surgical Strike’s owner-breeders, Edward Seltzer and Beverly Anderson, are inclined to send the horse to New York for the Belmont Derby Invitational rather than ship back to Arlington for the American Derby. Both races are July 9, but the American Derby is worth $125,000, the Belmont Derby $1,250,000.

“We’re leaning more toward the New York race, but we’re keeping an eye on the American Derby,” Colebrook said Wednesday. “I’ll work tomorrow here on dirt and then take him up to Churchill and work him on the grass one time. He’s dead fit. He doesn’t need much.”

Colebrook said Surgical Strike would fly on a charter and that he might also send Limousine Liberal for the Belmont Sprint Championship.

Surgical Strike beat a game One Mean Man by a head in the Arlington Classic, and trainer Bernie Flint on Wednesday said that if all goes well, One Mean Man will be back at Arlington for the American Derby.

“I’m watching the horse to make sure everything’s on schedule, but we’re planning on running at Arlington,” Flint said. “He likes it, ran well over there.”