Papiese pair targeting Breeders' Cup

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill – The Pizza Man came out of his win in the $400,000 American St. Leger Stakes last Saturday in good shape and is likely to make his next start in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, according to Rich Papiese, who bred and owns The Pizza Man with his wife, Karen.

Papiese and trainer Roger Brueggemann could have a second Breeders’ Cup starter as well, with Work All Week being pointed to the BC Sprint, Papiese said.

The Pizza Man, an Illinois-bred by English Channel, has won five races in a row. In July, he captured the Grade 3 Stars and Stripes over 1 1/2 miles on the Arlington grass course, and last Saturday, he held off the 2013 American St. Leger winner, Dandino, by one length to score the richest win of his career in the Million Day turf marathon.

“I don’t want to sound cocky, but I was confident,” Papiese said. “I thought he was sitting on a big race. We knew he was going to show up, and he’s bred to run all day. Right now, if he comes back training the way he has been, the plan is to supplement to the Breeders’ Cup Turf. If we’re able to get in the race, we’d like to run there.”

The Pizza Man, not an original Breeders’ Cup nominee, can be supplemented to the Turf for $100,000. That’s the same fee Papiese would have to pay to get Work All Week into the BC Sprint.

“The Pizza Man paid his way, and he paid for Work All Week, too,” Papiese said. “We’re playing with house money. I’m from the school, when you’re going good, you press. Usually, I’d say it would be a bad investment, but I believe in these horses.”

Work All Week, like The Pizza Man, is a Midwest Thoroughbreds homebred. Midwest has trimmed its broodmare band in recent seasons, and these two horses are easily the most successful homebreds the operation has produced.

Work All Week finished second against Illinois-bred sprinters in his most recent start, the July 26 Addison Cammack, but he was saddled with a 130-pound impost in that handicap while racing on Polytrack. Papiese strongly believes Work All Week is much better on dirt, and the horse’s main-track record, a perfect 7 for 7, backs him up.

La Tia might revisit Woodbine

Another Illinois-bred, La Tia, performed admirably in the Beverly D., setting the pace until midstretch and holding gamely for fourth, beaten just 1 1/2 lengths by the victorious Euro Charline. In the 2013 Beverly D., La Tia had faded late to fifth, beaten six lengths, after showing the way.

For a moment, as the field turned for home last Saturday, it looked like La Tia had enough left to hold off the closers. “In upper stretch, I thought, ‘Man, maybe,’ ” said Armando de la Cerda, who trains La Tia for owner-breeder Salvador Hernandez.

La Tia was to return to the track Thursday for the first time since the Beverly D., but initial signs suggest La Tia took her race well.

“She looked happy walking the next day,” de la Cerda said.

La Tia has won twice on turf but has been even better on synthetic, capturing 6 of 9 starts. The mare has been to Woodbine three times, including last month, when she won the Ontario Matron on Polytrack by more than six lengths, and de la Cerda is considering another main-track Woodbine race for La Tia in September. He said that race could lead to a start either in the First Lady Stakes at Keeneland or the $200,000 Goldikova Stakes on Nov. 2 at Santa Anita.

Filly capable against older males

The Friday feature, race 5 on a 10-race program, is a second-level turf-sprint allowance also open to $40,000 claimers in which Richies Sweetheart – despite being a 3-year-old filly facing older males – is likely to be favored.

Richies Sweetheart, trained by Larry Rivelli, comes off a fast-paced, front-running victory in a first-level turf-sprint allowance Aug. 9 at Saratoga, and on July 12 at Arlington, she won her grass debut by nearly eight lengths.