El Picaro can key big day for Correas with Arlington Handicap win

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Trainer Ignacio Correas is not running his entire stable Saturday, but he’s running close to a third of it. He has multiple entries at Indiana Grand, a horse at Delaware Park, and 10 runners entered at Arlington, including the talented El Picaro in the Grade 3, $150,000 Arlington Handicap.

A Chilean import making his second start in North America, El Picaro is 9-2 on the Arlington morning line and is a playable horse facing nine rivals (at most) in the 1 3/16-mile Arlington Handicap. My Bariley, cross-entered in the Warrior Veterans at Indiana Grand, will run at Arlington, trainer Tony Granitz said. As of Thursday afternoon, trainer Chris Block wasn’t certain whether Captivating Moon would start in the Handicap or in an allowance race earlier on the card.

Correas, though, is pretty sure El Picaro will be quite competitive Saturday.

“He’s a very talented horse,” Correas said. “He looks like a Chad Brown horse!”

Correas also runs Royal Artillery in the Arlington Handicap, Bundibunan as a major player in the Grade 3, $150,000 American Derby, and Cascanueces and Na Pali Spirit in the Grade 3, $150,000 Modesty Handicap. He has no entrant in the $75,000 Hatoof Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. “And thank God for that,” Correas deadpanned.

The four stakes, all with substantive fields, anchor an excellent nine-race card that starts at 1:25 p.m. Central. The local forecast calls for dry late-week conditions, with only a slight chance of Saturday afternoon rain. If it misses, the course should be firm and quick.

That ought to suit El Picaro, who made seven starts in Chile – where the ground typically is hard and lightning-fast – winning three Group 1 races in impressive fashion, racing on or near the lead in all his best performances. But in the Wise Dan Stakes last month, his U.S. debut, El Picaro broke poorly and was rated off the pace by Javier Castellano, much to the horse’s displeasure.

“It was a fight between him and Castellano all the way around,” said Correas. “The plan is simple and the same we had the last time: Break from the gate. He is not a horse that needs the lead, but you don’t need to interfere with him. If there’s enough pace, you sit second. If there’s no pace, go to the lead.”

Leading rider Jose Valdivia Jr. has the mount on El Picaro, who carries 119 pounds, one fewer than top-weighted The Great Day.

The Great Day, an Argentine import based in Maryland with trainer Arnaud Delacour, should improve while stretching out from 1 1/16 miles last out at Laurel, but Bandua and perhaps Cullum Road might be better suited to Saturday’s race.

Bandua finished second to the high-level turf horse Synchrony in the Fair Grounds Handicap in February, ran in two dirt races, and last out set a contested pace and was beaten just four lengths by Bricks and Mortar in the Grade 1 Manhattan Stakes.

“Watching him train since then, I think he’s going to run a good race,” said trainer Jack Sisterson. “He’s just a 4-year-old, and I think he’s only going to get better.”

Early trouble cost Cullum Road all chance in the Wise Dan, where he finished decently to get within five lengths of the winner.