Rainwater's small oufit has outsize influence in Springfield Stakes
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ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Brad Rainwater’s day job is farming land in southern Illinois, but for a guy essentially moonlighting as a breeder, owner, and trainer of Thoroughbreds, his impact on the $75,000 Springfield Stakes on Saturday at Arlington is profound.
Rainwater trains two entrants in the Springfield, a one-turn Polytrack mile for Illinois-bred 3-year-olds: Tak, owned by his sister Arlisa Payne, and Colonel Klink, who campaigns for Rainwater and Mary Elizabeth Rainwater. Dabo, who looks like the favorite shipping from Kentucky for trainer Dale Romans, was bred and owned by Rainwater until he made such an eye-catching debut last August at Arlington that a West Point Thoroughbreds partnership purchased him privately.
That’s half the Springfield field, which is short but solid. Another Mystery figures to be second choice at worst for trainer Chris Block, while D’fever’s last two starts put him in the hunt. D’ Yank appears to be the Springfield outsider both in terms of odds and actual chance.
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Rainwater’s father, Owen, occupied the same position he does – owner, breeder, trainer, farmer – and a mare named Mytak was one of his better performers on the Chicago circuit. Mytak could run, and before her exceedingly difficult temperament, as described by Rainwater, eventually derailed her broodmare career, she produced Tak. Tak, one of the only offspring to race by a stallion named Fool for You, debuted in a mere $12,500 maiden claimer this spring at Arlington and won by a pole. Rainwater moved him up to a $35,000 conditioned claimer and Tak easily won again, and in his third and last start ran sixth in a turf sprint.
Tak could bounce back and produce a mild upset, but Dabo and Another Mystery might be fundamentally better horses. Dabo scored a sharp Polytrack allowance win over older horses here earlier this meet before finishing third in the Grade 3 Marine Stakes at Woodbine. Another Mystery ran below his best form July 13 in the Grade 3 American Derby on turf after notching maiden and first-level Polytrack allowance wins earlier in the Arlington season.
◗ The $75,000 Sharon N. Kirby Memorial, for Illinois-bred 3-year-old fillies over a one-turn Polytrack mile, drew eight entrants, five of whom are maidens. Sister Ruler just raced July 18 but still seems the most likely winner over logical contenders W W Fityz and Patsy J.