The Pizza Man taking shot in Million

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – The Pizza Man is the lone cross-entry in the four International Festival of Racing events Saturday, but owner Richard Papiese told Arlington officials he is 99 percent sure he will opt for the Arlington Million over the American St. Leger.

No local horse has won the 1 1/4-mile Million since its 1981 inception, but at 10-1 on the morning line, The Pizza Man is an Illinois-bred with a legitimate shot given his best effort. The 6-year-old gelding has won 14 of 22 career starts and comes off a victory in the 1 1/2-mile Stars and Stripes over the Arlington turf July 11.

“We wanted to stretch him out last time and cut him back by design,” said Papiese, who races under the Midwest Thoroughbreds banner with his wife, Karen. “On any given day, any of these horses can win the Million, and all we can ask for is the opportunity to show what our horse can do.”

The Pizza Man and his Midwest Thoroughbreds stablemate Work All Week have been the poster boys for the Illinois-bred program in the face of declining foal crops. Work All Week was the 2014 Eclipse Award winner in the sprint division.

With The Pizza Man almost assuredly out, the American St. Leger becomes a more competitive race, with the California invader Crucero standing an improved chance for brothers Keith and Kent Desormeaux. This is the fourth year for the Grade 3 American St. Leger, which is run at the oddball distance of a 1 11/16 miles.

Under Kent Desormeaux, Crucero won the 1 3/4-mile San Juan Capistrano on the Santa Anita turf in June at 23-1 in his most recent start, narrowly defeating the odds-on Going Somewhere.

“He loves the distance, no doubt,” said Keith Desormeaux, the trainer of the 5-year-old Florida-bred. “We’ll see if he has true class for this level or was just the beneficiary of a terrible trip for the favorite last out. Either way, he’s earned a shot.”

◗ Wayne Catalano, the 11-time leading trainer at Arlington, has become far less of a presence here this year, commensurate with a decline in purses and overall quality of racing. Based primarily at Monmouth Park this summer while maintaining a lesser string here, Catalano said this week from New Jersey that he wasn’t sure whether he would return this weekend to Arlington, where he has longshots Alpha Kitalpha and Highball entered in the American St. Leger. It was on Arlington Million weekend a year ago that Catalano, now 59, received something of a hero’s welcome after a lengthy hospital stay.