Everybody profits from Arromanches, 5 for 5 this meet

OCEANPORT, N.J. - No doubt, he's the horse of the meet.

Arromanches, an 8-year-old gray son of Relaunch, won his fifth straight race this meet on Sunday. The horse, who was campaigned this meet by trainer-owner Danny Lopez, has earned $123,000 this summer. His victory on Sunday, in a $35,000 claiming race, resulted in him being claimed by Gary Contessa for My Son My Son Stables, which is headed by John DelRiccio. Contessa trained the horse last year, and he will now be sent up to Contessa's main stable at Saratoga to prepare for starts at Belmont and Aqueduct. Contessa and Julio Cartagena were the only two who attempted to claim Arromanches.

"I thought there would be more trying to claim him," said Kim Laudati, assistant trainer in charge of Contessa's stable here. "He was claimed by a New York owner who wants to see him back home."

Arromanches has been the model of consistency throughout his career, making money for every trainer that has trained him. He has earned a little over $600,000 in his 64-race career, 23 of which were victories. According to Laudati, Arromanches won seven races while racing for the Contessa stable.

Arromanches started the summer here with two three-length victories in a $35,000 and $45,000 claiming race on May 27 and June 14. The owners who claimed him Sunday considered doing so when he ran for $45,000, but decided to wait. Arromanches stepped out of the claiming ranks to win a $50,000 money allowance by one-half length, and his hardest-fought win came on Haskell Day, Aug. 5. He battled to a head victory along the rail that day, in an optional claiming allowance. He won Sunday's claiming race by 1 1/4 lengths. Chuck Lopez was aboard in all of his races this summer.

Lopez stated that Arromanches, who he claimed from Bruce Levine at The Meadowlands Sept. 15 for $25,000, was one of his best claims ever.

"I dropped him into a claimer because he was starting to tail off," he said. "It was either put him in for $35,000 or send him to the farm."

Pure Precision may go longer

John Tammaro III, trainer of Grade 3 Sapling winner Pure Precision, reported Sunday that the colt came out of his biggest career victory in good shape. Tammaro said that he spoke briefly with owner George Steinbrenner after the race, and they discussed stretching Pure Precision out in his next start. He said they would decide on the colt's next race in the upcoming week.

"When he stumbled out of the gate, he sprang his shoe a little," said Tammaro. "But he walked sound this morning, and did everything perfect after the race."

Pure Precision, who was ridden by Eibar Coa for the first time, swept the juvenile stakes this summer, winning the Tyro and Sapling after relocating here from Calder. Pure Precision won his maiden race and finished second in the Criterium Stakes while being trained by Manny Tortora for Steinbrenner. Steinbrenner sent him to Tammaro's barn here, and the move has paid tremendous dividends.

"With a horse like him, the question is whether he can stretch out," Tammaro said. "He's got great speed, and hopefully, he can handle longer distances in the future."

Pure Precision entered the Sapling off a bullet workout he fired Aug. 11. The workout came over a good track that was very deep and slow, yet he fired off five furlongs in 59.40. The workout had him primed for the six-furlong Sapling, as he broke from the rail and dueled with Truman's Raider before putting the favorite away in the stretch to win by 1 1'4 lengths in 1:10.82."He's got natural speed," said Tammaro. "We will try to teach him to settle a little bit more. In the Tyro, he settled, but being inside in the Sapling, he was more aggressive."

State-breds impress in Sapling

The Sapling was Wild Navigator's first start facing open company, as he tackled Jersey-bred maidens in his first two career starts. But the John Mazza-trained colt put in a solid performance as a 23-1 longshot, getting beat only a neck for second by Truman's Raider, who was ridden by Mark Guidry. Mazza reported that Wild Navigator was playing in the detention barn after the race, and the race took very little out of the colt. He also said that stablemate Capture the Silver, fourth in the Sapling, also came out of the race in fine condition.

"Turning for home, it looked to me like when [Mark] Guidry hit his horse, his whip grazed Wild Navigator," Mazza said. "He ducked a little bit and seemed to lose some momentum.

"I was very pleased with both of their performances. It was a good race for a couple of Jersey-breds."

Two from Delaware in feature

A pair of Delaware invaders sent out by top trainers head a field of seven for Wednesday's feature, a third-level turf allowance at 1 1/16 miles. Kolinor, trained by Dale Capuano, won an allowance two races back and was third in his last start. Eibar Coa will be aboard the horse from post 1.

Tsar Czar, moved to the barn of Michael Dickinson three starts back, enters Wednesday's race on a two-race consecutive winning streak. Jose Velez Jr. will guide Tsar Czar from post 4.

* Delaware Township, co-holder of the six-furlong track record here, breezed five furlongs in 1:03.20 on Saturday. Delaware Township, a 5-year-old, finished second in the Grade 2 Vanderbilt at Saratoga on Aug. 5 in his last start, and trainer Ben Perkins Jr. reported that the horse is on track for a return trip to the Spa in the Grade 1 Forego closing weekend.