Good work and possible Million for 'Mystery'

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - Mystery Giver's five-furlong turf work at Arlington on Wednesday moved him a step closer to running in the Arlington Million a week from Saturday.

An Illinois-bred who endured a frustrating trip when fifth in the Arlington Handicap, the local prep for the Million, Mystery Giver breezed in 1:02 around dogs placed far out into the turf course. He broke off sharply for the work under Rene Douglas, who never asked Mystery Giver for run in the stretch.

"It looked to me like he worked as good as he did prior to the Arlington Handicap," trainer Chris Block said.

Block hopes Douglas will commit to riding Mystery Giver in the Million. Douglas was aboard when the colt won the Cardinal Handicap here, but rode Falcon Flight to victory in the Arlington Handicap. Douglas would ride Falcon Flight in the Million, but trainer Donald Burke hasn't decided if he will send Falcon Flight back from California for the race. Burke said Wednesday he's also considering the Del Mar Handicap for Falcon Flight, who is scheduled to work Thursday on the Del Mar grass course.

Falcon Flight's owner, Gary Tanaka, also has one of the favorites for the Million - Sarafan, winner of the Eddie Read.

Robby Albarado could wind up on Mystery Giver if Douglas doesn't ride.

Mystery Giver, who has never won a graded stakes race, will be a huge longshot if he runs in the Million. He also would be the lone local horse in the race. But even with an absence of Midwest-based talent, this year's Million is shaping up as the strongest recent edition of the race. Besides Sarafan, other American horses expected to run are Beat Hollow, Forbidden Apple, Suances, and The Tin Man.

Ms Brookski, what are you now?

Niall O'Callaghan shipped in Generous Rosi from Kentucky and he won the Saturday feature here last weekend. This week O'Callaghan has Ms Brookski, slated to van from Churchill Downs on Thursday for Saturday's $100,000 Singapore Plate, a Grade 3, nine-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies.

Ms Brookski will be part of a short field in the Singapore Plate, which is likely to draw See How She Runs, Lost at Sea, Summer Mis, and Strikes No Spares. A few other fillies are on the fence for the race.

On the basis of a runaway win in the Grade 2 Davona Dale this winter at Gulfstream, Gary Tanaka purchased Ms Brookski and turned her over to O'Callaghan. She made one start for him, finishing seventh of nine in the Kentucky Oaks, and then was given a break from racing.

When Ms Brookski has been good, she's been very good. Besides her romp in the Davona Dale, she won the $100,000 Three Ring by four lengths. But after her poor effort in the Oaks, her connections aren't exactly sure what to expect.

"It has taken awhile to figure her out and get to know her," said O'Callaghan's assistant, Jennifer Brown. "She's a very long, tall, lanky filly, and we've been trying to put some weight on her. We'll know more about her Saturday, but hopefully we're going in the right direction now."

Miss Brookski should be no better than third or fourth choice in the Singapore Plate. See How She Runs, the likely favorite, worked four furlongs here Wednesday in 49 seconds.

State of Godolphin's 2-year-olds

Two months into the meet, Godolphin has started only four horses at Arlington. But with only 2-year-olds in its barn and limited opportunities for juveniles, the low number is not surprising. And Godolphin has made the most of what it has run, coming up with a win and two seconds.

This is Godolphin's second year at Arlington. The 2-year-olds that wind up here with assistant trainer Davy Duggan aren't as precocious as those trainer Eoin Harty has in California and New York, but that doesn't mean they lack ability. Jilbab, a filly who summered here last year, won a Grade 1 race in New York last month.

There probably are stakes horses with Duggan this summer, notably Sharp Impact, a Siphon colt who won at first asking. The plan for Sharp Impact is to run back in a first-level allowance, though the Spectacular Bid Stakes will be considered if the allowance doesn't fill.

Waajeb was a troubled second in his debut but pulled up lame in the race, suffering from a foot bruise. On the mend, he should win his maiden here soon. And finally there is Anasheed, an A.P. Indy colt who ran a strange yet highly promising race in his last start. Close to the early pace in a mile race, Anasheed dropped back on the turn like a horse out of gas, but flew through the final furlong and nearly ran down the winner.

"He's been very immature since day one, but he learned something that race," Duggan said.

Anasheed will shine in two-turn races and on turf, things he should get to try later this meet.

Tough to figure feature

The best race carded for Friday's program is a second-level allowance for Illinois-breds.

There's something about this class level that produces races difficult to handicap, and Friday's is no exception. Of the eight entered, none can comfortably be eliminated. Even a horse that was ninth at this level in his last start, Toast the Host, picks up the meet's leading rider, Rene Douglas, in itself a positive angle.

The selection here - a tepid one indeed - is Movin to the Music, at 2 for 14 an unreliable winner but a horse eligible to improve after a good comeback race. Off since last October, Movin to the Music contested the pace and wound up third, beaten only two lengths, on July 19. He's worked twice since and his trainer, Tom Dorris, has recently been on a roll.