Rinaldi aims higher in Artie Schiller Stakes
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Rinaldi scratched out of last Saturday’s $200,000 Mohawk Stakes against New York-breds at Belmont Park to run in Saturday’s $150,000 Artie Schiller Stakes against open company at Aqueduct.
Rinaldi, trained by James Bond, was one of 10 turf horses entered Wednesday for Saturday’s Artie Schiller. There also were two entered to run only if the race is transferred to the main track.
Bond cited several reasons for scratching out of the richer restricted stakes to run in this open-company event going a mile.
“I’ve always thought he’s better around two turns,” said Bond, noting the configuration of this race compared to the one-turn, 1 1/16 miles of the Mohawk. “He loves a fresh turf course, and [Luis] Saez was available.”
Bond also said that if Rinaldi had run in the Mohawk he and Somelikeithotbrown would likely have gotten into a speed duel and “set it up for somebody else.”
Somelikeithotbrown won the Mohawk in front-running fashion.
On July 16, the second day of the Saratoga meet, Rinaldi won the Grade 3 Forbidden Apple Stakes going a two-turn mile on a fresh turf course. Before that, he finished second to Delaware in the Dangers Hour in April over the Aqueduct turf. Last year, Rinaldi finished fourth, beaten three-quarters of length by Therapist in the Artie Schiller.
Rinaldi will break from post 3 in a field that includes Flavius, Olympic Runner, March to the Arch, Bodecream, Tell Your Daddy, En Wye Cee, Breaking the Rules, Field Pass, and Mandate. The two main-track-only entrants are Our Last Buck and Bal Harbour.