The Pizza Man scores second straight Stars and Stripes title

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – The Pizza Man, stuffed into a tight spot much of the trip, still managed to dig deep and dish out his second straight win in the Stars and Stripes Stakes, topping the Grade 3, $100,000 race Saturday at Arlington by a neck over the pace-setting Roman Approval.

The Pizza Man took advantage of leading on a slow pace to win the 2014 Stars and Stripes but nearly was done in by pedestrian fractions this year. Breaking slightly flat-footed under Florent Geroux, The Pizza Man found himself bottled up in traffic most of the 12-furlong trip, racing among horses while two paths off the fence and in midpack as Roman Approval walked on the lead, going 25.56 seconds, 52.53, 1:18.78, and 1:44.49. Geroux finally found some room before the quarter pole, coming with a three-wide run outside Roman Approval and Xtra Luck, and though Roman Approval fought on after being headed, he could not contain the 4-5 favorite’s challenge.

Roman Approval, claimed for $25,000 last year at Saratoga, nearly gave trainer Mike Maker and jockey Julien Leparoux a stakes double after the two teamed to win the Arlington Handicap with Quiet Force. Roman Approval finished just less than a length in front of the luckless Calvados, who was totally stopped trying to rally inside and had to switch out off heels in the final furlong, running well for third. Xtra Luck faded to fourth, while The Pizza Man ($3.80) was timed in 2:34.13 for 1 1/2 miles on good turf turned slower late in the card by rain showers.

Owned and bred by the Midwest Thoroughbreds of Rich and Karen Papiese and trained by Roger Brueggemann, The Pizza Man is 6 but only found his best form last year, when he won the $400,000 American St. Leger on the Arlington Million card. His connections might have bigger plans this time around – the Million itself – for the son of English Channel, who both Brueggemann and Geroux said after the race seems to be a stronger horse this summer than last.