Arlington: Nates Mineshaft heads field in one of six allowances on Saturday card

If six allowances are superior to one stakes, then Saturday should be a good day at Arlington Park. With no major stakes to be run at the suburban Chicago track until the Arlington Million card on Aug. 17, the richest races until then will be the likes of what fans will have presented to them Saturday.

The 10th of 11 races is the nominal feature, a $42,000 turf mile with liberal allowance conditions combined with an $80,000 claiming option. Nates Mineshaft, an earner of more than $645,000, is one of the main contenders in a lineup that also includes such capable older horses as Warbird, Trend, Slip and Drive, and Nikki’s Sandcastle.

Nates Mineshaft has raced twice since returning from injury and showed major improvement in the second of those on June 30. In the third start of his form cycle, he and jockey E.T. Baird figure as the ones to catch with a semblance of the form that for a fleeting moment made him one of the most dangerous handicap runners in the land.

The other allowances ago as races 4, 5, 6, 8, and 11.