Arlington: Shared Property proves talent trumps experience in Arlington-Washington Futurity

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – The era of giving 2-year-olds ample race experience before jumping them into stakes competition has come and gone, and the first two across the wire Saturday in the Grade 3, $100,000 Arlington-Washington Futurity, Shared Property and Take Charge Indy, both were coming off a debut win in a maiden race. Talent trumped experience, and both the winner and runner-up look good enough to merit attention as summer turns to fall.

Shared Property ($8.20), trained by Tom Amoss and ridden to victory by Indiana-based Leandro Goncalves, had broken slowly when unveiled July 30 at Ellis Park, but that was the only thing he did wrong that afternoon. Shared Property won by four lengths and did so with such ease that the Ellis chart caller affixed this short comment to his running line: “At will.”

The going proved more difficult Saturday, but Shared Property was racing at a different venue, moving from dirt to Polytrack, stretching out to a mile, and facing 11 opponents who also had won at least once. Away in mid-pack, Shared Property tracked in sixth and seventh as Ville set a strong pace, going to the quarter in 22.88 seconds and the half in 46.36. Racing two paths off the fence, Goncalves asked Shared Property to pick up midway around the turn, and after Goncalves briefly tapped on the brakes in tight quarters, he made his way to the outside for the stretch run. Coming home about five paths off the rail, Shared Property finished slightly better than Take Charge Indy, who drifted down to the fence and was beaten one length. It was another 2 ½ lengths back to Motor City, who, along with fourth-place No Spin, had significant trouble through the stretch run. Winning time for the one-turn mile was 1:37.93.

Shared Property, Amoss said, has trained professionally since he hit the racetrack, and his natural ability to comfortably rate behind horses gives Amoss confidence that Shared Property will successfully transition to two turns, a chance he is likely to get in the Breeders’ Futurity next month at Keeneland. Shared Property is owned by Jerry Namy, a Texas oilman, and was bred by Mr. and Mrs. John Williams. A son of Scat Daddy, he was purchased for $90,000 at a 2-year-old sale in May, and had been gelded before going to auction, according to Amoss.

Take Charge Indy, a debut winner here July 30 for trainer Pat Byrne, was briefly steadied at the six-furlong marker but recovered to make what looked like a winning move coming off the turn and into the stretch. But just as he had done in his maiden voyage, Take Charge Indy lugged several paths in after making the lead.

“He ran a little green,” Byrne said. “He got himself beat there in the stretch. The talent’s there.”

Rocket Twentyone connects at 16-1 in Lassie

Jockey Eddie Razo picked up and left Arlington for Remington Park several weeks ago, but Razo made the wise decision to stay close to Rocket Twentyone. He followed her to Prairie Meadows, where she made a winning debut Aug. 12 after a local maiden race failed to fill, and he was back in Chicago on Saturday to pilot Rocket Twentyone to a half-length score in the Grade 3, $100,000 Arlington-Washington Lassie.

“From the first time I got on her for [trainer Tom] Howard, I told him, ‘You’re going to win the Lassie with this filly,’ ” Razo said. “I wondered if I was maybe saying too much.”

Razo had Rocket Twentyone pegged, and gave her a perfect trip pressing moderate splits set by Essence of Bubbles. Rocket Twentyone engaged the leader at about the eighth pole and edged clear before the wire, with Ann of the Dance finishing best for third, another half-length behind Essence of Bubbles. Winning time for one mile on Polytrack was 1:39.13, and Rocket Twentyone paid $34.80 to win.

Rocket Twentyone was cross-entered in an allowance race earlier on Saturday’s card, a back-up plan, Howard said, in case an unforeseen heavy hitter was a late addition to the Lassie when entries were taken Wednesday. That didn’t happen, and though Howard, who is spending his first summer at Arlington, said he had hoped to get two races into Rocket Twentyone before the Lassie, the filly was far enough along to win Saturday.

“I was a little worried about the distance,” Howard said.

Owner Frank Fletcher, who won the 2006 Futurity with Officer Rocket, paid big money for Rocket Twentyone, a daughter of Indian Charlie who sold for $300,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sale of 2-year-olds in March.

“She looked like one of the best ones there,” Fletcher said.