Up With the Birds hopes to move forward in Arlington Handicap
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Up With the Birds was last seen at Arlington finishing a decent fourth of seven in the 2014 Arlington Million, and since that probably wasn’t his very best race, he looks like the horse to beat Saturday in the Grade 3, $100,000 Arlington Handicap.
Up With the Birds arrived here by van late Wednesday after shipping from trainer Graham Motion’s base at Fair Hill in Maryland, and he is one of 10 entered in the Arlington Handicap, the second of four Grade 3 turf stakes on Saturday’s eight-race Million Preview card. The Arlington Handicap goes as race 6, preceded by the American Derby and followed by the Modesty Handicap and the Stars and Stripes.
The Arlington Handicap could lose the 121-pound highweight The Pizza Man, whose connections cross-entered in the 12-furlong Stars and Stripes. As of Thursday afternoon, they were leaning toward starting in that race. If The Pizza Man defects, it would leave Triple Threat and Middleburg, who ran one-two, separated by a nose, June 7 in the Monmouth Stakes, as Up With the Birds’s chief rivals.
Up With the Birds makes his second start of the year and second since being moved by owner Sam-Son Farms into Motion’s barn. He finished a troubled third May 16 in the Dixie, a race he probably needed to shake off rust, and since has been pointed to the Arlington Handicap.
“The idea was to get him to the Arlington Million, and I didn’t want to run him more than once before that after the Dixie,” Motion said. “The timing of this race was perfect, really.”
The Arlington Handicap has been shortened a half-furlong this year to 1 3/16 miles. There is a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms here Saturday, but barring race-day rain, the local course should play good to firm. Dramedy, also cross-entered in the Stars and Stripes, is likely to start here, and along with Looks to Spare, he should set the pace.
Key contenders
Up With the Birds (Last 3 Beyers: 89-100-94)
* Lost precious ground in the Dixie after breaking from post 10. He was three paths wide around the first turn and got fanned a ridiculous 10 paths wide into the homestretch while the victorious Ironicus skimmed the rail.
* Has worked five times since the Dixie and should be set to move forward in his second start of the year. Don’t hold his modest workout times against him.
“He’s done well between races,” Motion said. “He’s not an impressive work horse. If I didn’t know he was that kind of horse, I wouldn’t know it from watching him.”
Triple Threat (Last Beyer: 99)
* French-bred overcame trouble and a slow pace to win the Monmouth Stakes in his U.S. debut. Was imported from France late last fall and has been with trainer Bill Mott since early this winter.
“That was his first race over here, so we hope he can improve,” Mott said.
* Broke decently at Monmouth but has been problematic in the starting stalls.
“He has some starting-gate issues, and we’ve been working with him with that,” Mott said.
* Had a poor 2014 but showed ample promise two years ago, and the distance looks ideal.
Middleburg (Last 3 Beyers: 99-97-94)
* Finished gamely while head and head with Triple Threat at Monmouth and now has placed in two stakes races after being conservatively run through allowance conditions until this year.
The Pizza Man (Last 3 Beyers: 91-97-99)
* Would have a strong chance if he winds up in this race. Tactical sort that stays will get first run on all three of his primary rivals and loves the Arlington course.