Arlington: Rylstone wins maiden in turf stakes

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - The handful of runners trainer Lynn Whiting has started at Arlington Park this year have, for the most part, performed poorly, many of them at short prices. That all changed when the longshot Rylstone won the $75,000 Manila Handicap by three lengths.

Rylstone, winless in his career, went off at 12-1 because he had failed to impress in a pair of Saratoga maiden races. But those races were dirt sprints and the Manila was a one-mile turf race, obviously much more to Rylstone's liking.

In a roughly run race, Rylstone stayed away from the worst trouble under jockey Eddie Razo, bursting into the clear turning for home and running down the Ohio-bred U S S Tinosa at about the furlong marker. Rylstone paid $26.60 to win and was timed in 1:39.60 over a course rated soft.

Runaway Choice bore out about four paths going into the first turn while on the lead, forcing the horses to his outside even wider and causing several horses just behind the lead group to check. U S S Tinosa, who broke from post 12, ended up fairly close to a quick pace and held on well to be second, 1 1/2 lengths in front of Jaha.

The favorite off a maiden turf win here, Jaha acted up in the starting gate, got away poorly and was steadied back to last on the first turn.

Rylstone's owner, Choctaw Racing Stable, paid $350,000 for the colt at a 2-year-old auction earlier this year. That was a huge price for an offspring of the unproven young sire Mecke, who stands in Florida.