Block's barn heating up at Arlington

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – For the second consecutive Arlington season, trainer Chris Block started slowly, but unlike in 2013, when his stable didn’t heat up until mid-July and never truly fired on all cylinders, Block began rolling a couple of weeks ago. One might suggest that My Option’s sharp win Saturday in the Chicago Handicap was the culmination of that trend, but Block hopes there’s more to come.

Block went 45-4-8-4 from the start of the Arlington meet through June 15, but since June 16, his record is 20-6-2-4. In 2013, when Block’s runners won 23 Arlington races – his lowest total since 2002 – the barn went 6-82 from the meet’s inception through June 30.

“It’s really the way we operate in the winter,” said Block, who turns many of his horses out for an extended winter rest. “We were able to get races into some of these horses early this meet, and I knew they’d be better second time out. I still have several in the barn in the same position that I look to move forward in their next race.”

As for My Option, the 4-year-old Tim Keeley homebred in her third start of 2014 probably ran the best race of her life Saturday. She looked like a winner from the three-furlong pole and accelerated powerfully to win the seven-furlong Polytrack race by 6 1/2 lengths, earning a career-best 99 Beyer Speed Figure.

“I really haven’t even looked to see what might be next for her,” Block said Tuesday. “We’d consider stretching her out. She came out of the race real well. She’s bright and alert, goes back to the track tomorrow.”

Block and owner Bob Lothenbach still are weighing options for Mister Marti Gras, among them the Arlington Handicap and the Stars and Stripes Handicap on the July 12 Million Preview Day program. Block also has the Team Block homebred 3-year-old Afortable for the American Derby that day, while the 4-year-old General Election, a Dick Duchossois purchase last season, is ready to make his first start after a long break.