Bizzee Channel catches Two Emmys in Arlington Stakes

Four turf stakes were featured on an eight-race Million Preview Day card Saturday at Arlington Park. All are steppingstones to the Aug. 14 Million Day program, when the $600,000 Mister D. and $400,000 Beverly D. will be run on the biggest day of what is expected to be the final meet in the storied history of the suburban Chicago track.

Betting favorites were blanked in all four stakes, all of which were run over a grass course rated “good.”

Bizzee Channel (3-1) wins Arlington

Bizzee Channel rallied up the inner rail to edge past front-running Two Emmys in the final yards of the Grade 3, $100,000 Arlington Stakes, giving veteran jockey Jareth Loveberry his first-ever graded stakes win.

Zulu Alpha was the 4-5 favorite in a field of six older horses when making his first start in more than nine months in the 1 3/16-mile Arlington, but the 8-year-old gelding had no apparent excuse when laboring home fifth. Instead, the race was left to Bizzee Channel, whose steady inside run bested Two Emmys by a neck.

Bizzee Channel, a gray 5-year-old gelding by English Channel, returned $8 as second choice after finishing in 1:55.08. The Kentucky-bred now has a 4-for-5 mark over the local course and has five wins and six seconds from 20 overall starts.

“We knew we were up against it with Zulu Alpha in there, but this guy just keeps getting better,” said Larry Rivelli, the longtime Arlington kingpin who trains Bizzee Channel for the Patricias Hope LLC of Vince Foglia.

Another Mystery finished third, another four lengths back, while Zulu Alpha, a 2020 Eclipse Award finalist in the male turf division, was no threat when returning from an ankle injury suffered last October.

Loveberry, who reached the 1,500-win milestone July 10, has ridden since 2005, mostly at lesser-known tracks. “This is just great,” he said. “The hole opened up and we were ready to go.”

The Arlington is designed as the local prep for the Mister D., formerly known as the Arlington Million.

Tango Tango Tango (8-1) in American Derby

A maiden in three prior starts, Tango Tango Tango notched his first career win in dramatic fashion when drawing clear in the final furlong of the $100,000 American Derby.

Trained by Jack Sisterson for Calumet Farm, Tango Tango Tango got a great inside stalking trip under Declan Cannon before taking over for Bodenheimer and kicking away in midstretch from him and the other eight 3-year-olds. A $35,000 yearling purchase, the bay colt from the first crop of Tourist had been third, sixth, and second in his previous tries, all on his home Kentucky circuit.

Accredit, the 9-5 favorite, was two lengths behind the winner when rallying inside to get second by a neck over Red Hornet.

Wearing blinkers for the first time, Tango Tango Tango “got in a lovely rhythm, had a lovely trip,” Cannon said. “This is a huge honor.”

Tango Tango Tango paid $19 after finishing the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:43.58.

The American Derby is the local prep for the $300,000 Bruce D. (formerly the Secretariat), also set for Aug. 14.

Naval Laughter (8-1) captures Modesty

Sophie Doyle gave a terrific ride on Naval Laughter, a 4-year-old Midshipman filly making her grass debut, in winning the Grade 3, $100,000 Modesty by a half-length over Joy Epifora.

Closing steadily from midpack, Naval Laughter overtook the front-runners leaving the furlong grounds in winning for the second time in four starts. Her three prior races were on other surfaces, including her only previous win, a June maiden romp over the Arlington synthetic.

“She handled it fantastic,” Doyle said. “She traveled beautifully and when I called on her, she had a ton of foot. She finished up in a really nice fashion.”

“We’re on Cloud Nine,” said Chris Davis, who registered his first graded win in a training career dating to 2016. “Watching her train, we always thought she’d like the grass. She fit, and it showed today.”

Naval Laughter, bred and owned by the Two Hearts Farm of Tony Braddock, returned $19.60, and covered the 1 3/16 miles in 1:54.58.

Bramble Queen was third in a field of 11 fillies and mares, while Family Way, the 2-1 favorite, beat a steady fade after forcing the pace.

The Modesty is the local prep for the Beverly D.

Core Values (11-1) upsets Hatoof

Ridden by Rocco Bowen, Core Values out-nodded heavily favored Flown in a frantic finish to the first of the four stakes, the $75,000 Hatoof for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/16 miles.

Flown, the 1-2 choice in a field of seven, had picked her way through rivals to make a short lead in deep stretch, only to be nipped on the wire by Core Values, a late-running Honor Code filly trained by Vicki Oliver for BBN Racing.

“She was game and fought back,” Bowen said of his mount, now a winner in three of seven starts.

Core Values, the second-longest shot, paid $24.20 after finishing in 1:44.81.