Euro import Our Channel seems well suited to American Derby

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – English trainer William Haggas’s first North American runner, a colt named Primary, performed well enough, finishing third behind Showing Up and Ivan Denisovich in the 2006 Secretariat Stakes at Arlington. Eight years later and Haggas finally has lined up his second North American starter, Our Channel, another horse for a 3-year-old turf race at Arlington, Saturday’s American Derby.

Despite Haggas’s sparse participation on this continent, he said he has long intended Our Channel for American racing.

“He’s a genuine, tough, handy horse, and I thought America would suit him. I think he’s got speed and stamina,” said Haggas, reached by phone Tuesday at his Somerville Lodge stables in Newmarket. “Our plan was to go to Chicago and see how he handled it, and to come back for the Secretariat if he were to run well.

Our Channel, a compact chestnut American-bred son of English Channel, arrived here over the weekend. He was to clear quarantine Tuesday night and could train Wednesday. Our Channel has yet to win a major race, though he ran in one June 7, finishing 10th of 13 in the 1 1/2-mile Epsom Derby.

“I was expecting him to stay the trip and he didn’t, though probably he wasn’t good enough anyway,” Haggas said.

Our Channel had earned a Derby start winning the April 23 Derby Trial at Epsom over a testing 1 1/4 miles, leading all the way and finishing gamely. That was Our Channel’s first start at 3, second win and easily the best showing of his career. At 2, he took tour of secondary English courses, finishing third at Carlisle and second at Brighton before winning at Beverly. All the while, though, Haggas was schooling his young pupil.

“As a 2-year-old he was purchased as a breeze-up sale, and for the first five months with us all he wanted to do was run a furlong in 9 seconds. They trained him to run fast for two furlongs but he wasn’t a fast horse, if you know what I mean,” Haggas said. “He’s getting better and learning. He’s much more relaxed now.”

Haggas, 53, has long run a successful barn, but his operation has expanded in recent seasons, and he now trains 140 horses at Newmarket. Last weekend was a particularly good one for the barn, as Mukhadram (who could make his next start in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes later this month at Ascot) won the Group 1 Eclipse Stakes at Sandown and Graphic captured the Group 3 Prix Messidor in France.

Schoolofhardrocks coming from California

While the English horse for the American Derby already has arrived, the California shipper Schoolofhardrocks was to fly on Wednesday after working six furlongs on dirt in 1:12 Monday at Santa Anita.

“He’s a good work horse, and he went well,” said trainer David Hofmans, who has tabbed Victor Espinoza to ride Saturday.

Schoolofhardrocks has taken two of five starts, with wins in a maiden race and a first-level allowance, but with only two grass races on his resume – and only one of those around two turns – he’s brimming with upside. Racing blinkered for the first time in his most recent start, a first-level allowance against older horses going 1 1/8 miles May 31, Schoolofhardrocks scored a f4 1/4-length victory, galloped out powerfully, and earned a career-best 93 Beyer Speed Figure.

Hofmans could have run Schoolofhardocks in the Oceanside Stakes on opening day at Del Mar, but the $200,000 American Derby is worth more than twice as much, and the Oceanside is a one-mile race.

“He just ran a mile and an eighth, and I don’t want to shorten him up,” Hofmans said.

Options for War Dancer

Trainer Ken McPeek decided quite some time ago that War Dancer, who won the Louisville Handicap at Churchill last out, would start July 12 at Arlington, and acting accordingly, he shipped the 4-year-old here last week and worked him an easy five furlongs on turf Sunday. But what McPeek hasn’t decided is in which race War Dancer will start, the 1 1/4-mile Arlington Handicap or the 1 1/2-mile Stars and Stripes.

“Haven’t decided yet. He’s won at a mile and a quarter, he’s won at a mile and a half. We’re going to call and audible at the line of scrimmage,” said McPeek. “Even if we go in the mile-and-a-half, we still could have the option of the Arlington Million.”

War Dancer’s biggest win came last summer at Colonial Downs, where he beat Charming Kitten and Jack Milton in the Virginia Derby over 1 1/4 miles.

Stakes entries on Wednesday

Entries will be taken and post positions assigned Wednesday for Saturday’s Million Preview card, which features the American Derby, the Arlington Handicap, the Stars and Stripes, and the Modesty. The local weather forecast this week calls for cool, clear conditions with a slight chance of rain Friday and Saturday.

Super Soldier eyes repeat

The feature on Thursday’s nine-race program is race 8, a one-mile second-level turf allowance for Illinois-breds. Though he faces several worthy rivals, Super Soldier sharply won his most recent start, a first-level Illinois allowance at one mile on grass, and has a decent chance at a repeat.