Original Spin spotted for a win

For a filly who began her career in spectacular fashion, the last few months hardly could have unfolded any worse for Original Spin.

But trainer Tony Mitchell expects the 3-year-old season of Original Spin to start heading in the right direction Wednesday. Making her first start outside of stakes company since she captured a maiden race nearly a year ago, Original Spin figures as a solid favorite when she tries statebred allowance fillies in the co-featured seventh race at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Ill.

"It has been very disappointing," said Mitchell. "But there's nothing in the world like a win to build a horse's confidence. Hopefully that's what we'll get done Wednesday in this spot."

Original Spin, owned by the Russell L. Reineman Stable Inc., will be ridden by Jesse Campbell in the $35,000 allowance, which carries a second-level condition for Illinois-breds. A full field of 12 was entered in the seven-furlong race.

After her victorious career debut here last August, Original Spin won the Grade 3 Arlington Lassie in her next start, then finished third behind Folklore and Wild Fit in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

"I sent her to Aiken for the winter, and I'm certainly not going to blame the track there, but for whatever reason, she just didn't come back as fit as she needed to be," said Mitchell.

In her two races at 3, Original Spin finished a distant 10th in the Forward Gal at Gulfstream Park in early March, then sixth in the June 24 Purple Violet for statebreds. Mitchell believes two workouts in the interim signal that Original Spin is ready to return to her old form.

If Original Spin isn't up to the task, then a mild upset could be forthcoming from Ripe Tomato, Zizook, or Unreal Rocket, all of whom figure to be poised to strike.

The Original Spin race will share the Wednesday spotlight with a $37,000 allowance (race 8), which also sports a $50,000 claiming option. That six-horse field of fillies and mares is headed by Precocious Kat and Piano Tuner, both of whom are in for the claiming price.

The Wednesday card will see the return of Mark Guidry to Arlington, where the Louisiana native formerly was a perennial leading rider. With 1,005 wins at Arlington, Guidry is fourth on the track's all-time list, led by Hall of Famer Earlie Fires. Guidry is in from the Churchill Downs spring meet, which ended Sunday.