Come on Chas wins in slop

On Saturday at Arlington Park, Come on Chas won the Mac Diarmida Stakes - or what was left of it.

Carded for 1 1/2 miles on turf, the Mac Diarmida was moved to the main track after heavy overnight rain, and what had been a 10-horse field scratched down to a meager three. So, at a win price of $8.40, Come on Chas qualified as a longshot.

That's because Air Academy was sent off as the 1-5 favorite, in part because he had won 3 of his previous 4 starts, and in part because leading jockey Chris Emigh already had won four races on the afternoon. But Air Academy was no match in the stretch for Come on Chas, a horse that used to reside in the barn of Air Academy's trainer, Brian Williamson.

Come on Chas ran in a $15,000 conditioned claimer at Mountaineer Park last November, but has improved significantly since then, and perhaps more importantly loves a muddy racetrack. After his eight-length win Saturday, his wet-track record stands at 10-5-2-0. In fact, Come on Chas has scored 5 of his 7 career wins over wet going.

He's Hammered set a solid early pace in the Mac Diarmida, but the field stacked three deep around the final turn, with Come on Chas between horses and Air Academy three wide. But Come on Chas ($8.40) edged clear at the top of the stretch and pulled away late, covering the distance on a track rated sloppy in 2:32.04.