The Pizza Man has Arlington Million as summer goal

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Pizza Man, the winner of the 2015 Arlington Million, is gearing up for another shot at the Arlington Park showcase by training at the Trackside training center near Churchill Downs.

Now 8, The Pizza Man has begun a series of workouts for trainer Roger Brueggemann that his connections hope will result in two prep races leading into the Aug. 12 Million.

“He’s doing great,” said Jim Schenck, racing manager for the gelding’s owner and breeder, the Midwest Thoroughbreds of Richard and Karen Papiese. “He got time off in Ocala before coming back to Roger.”

The Pizza Man, an Illinois-bred by English Channel, has won 17 of 33 career starts and earned more than $2.1 million. His most recent victory came in the Grade 1 Northern Dancer last September at Woodbine.

Arles likely to be retired

Arles, who was scratched last Friday as the odds-on morning-line favorite for the Grade 3 Bewitch Stakes at Keeneland, has been diagnosed with a soft-tissue injury that may lead to her retirement.

Barry Irwin, whose Team Valor International syndicate is an ownership partner in the 5-year-old French-bred mare, said an MRI revealed tendonitis in her left foreleg. “She’ll be rescanned in a couple of weeks, but she’s likely facing retirement,” Irwin said.

Arles finished second in all three of her starts in the United States, all in Grade 3 turf races, after nine starts in Europe.

With her defection from the Bewitch, the 1 1/2-mile turf race was won by Quiet Business, at 16-1 the longest shot in a five-horse field.

Whiting memorial set

The family of Lynn Whiting has announced that his public memorial service will be held at Churchill on May 15 at 2 p.m. Eastern. Whiting died April 19 at age 77 from complications of a chronic blood ailment and a stroke suffered in February.

Tuesday marks the 25-year anniversary of Whiting winning the Kentucky Derby with Lil E. Tee. It was on May 2, 1992, that Lil E. Tee gave Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day his only Derby victory from 22 tries.

Bridgmohan with new agent

Veteran jockey Shaun Bridgmohan, who hit the 3,000-win milestone on April 1 at Fair Grounds, has hired Terry “Jaws” Miller as his agent.

The hiring already has produced noticeable results, as Bridgmohan is riding most of the horses in the sizable stable of Dale Romans.

“Jaws and I go way back, and I tend to use whoever he’s selling,” Romans said.

As a team, Miller and Corey Lanerie won 12 riding titles at Churchill. Lanerie hired Lenny Pike Jr. as his agent when the Keeneland meet began in early April.

New homes for everyone

Closing day of the Keeneland spring meet yielded something of a racing rarity: All five starters in the third race were claimed for $10,000. The easy winner was Special Jo, who moved afterward from the care of Chris Hartman to Brett Santangelo.