Archive for September 2017

2017 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Preview, Plus Belmont and Santa Anita Graded Stakes Selections

With five weeks until the Breeders’ Cup, many of the marquee prospects for our sport’s biggest weekend have penciled in their final prep races for this weekend.  Thanks to that, Saturday’s cards at both Belmont and Santa Anita are chock full of graded stakes. This piece features a full preview of the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
September 27, 2017 at 8:54 pm
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CAMMACK, DADDY'S BOO Annex Closing Day Features at Arlington

On another unseasonably hot September day, the Arlington meet drew to a close.  A pair of turf mile stakes anchored the card: the Les Ahrens Memorial Stakes for  open company, and the Steve Morgan Memorial Stakes, the fillies’ and mares’ complement. In the Les Ahrens Memorial Stakes, consistent Illinois-bred gelding Cammack found his winning ways... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
September 23, 2017 at 7:16 pm
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Arlington Closing Day - Pick 6 Carryover Sequence

If you love carryovers and turf racing, you need to play Arlington’s closing day Pick 6. The Pick 6 has a $0.20 minimum bet, and it covers the last six races (races 7-12).  Every race in the sequence is a grass race, and none drew a field smaller than eleven horses.  So, it will be... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
September 23, 2017 at 10:40 am
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2017 Les Ahrens Memorial Stakes and Steve Morgan Memorial Stakes Preview

Arlington’s summer meet draws to a close on Saturday with a twelve-race card.  Set your clocks a little early if you’re planning to come out to the track; to make sure everyone crosses the wire before sunset, first post will be at 12:25pm, an hour earlier than usual.  Co-anchoring the card are two $65,000 overnight stakes... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
September 21, 2017 at 8:04 pm
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Chicago Racing Review: September 14-16, 2017

We draw ever closer to the end of the Arlington summer meet.  But, before the final weekend, let’s take a look back at last week.  Of course, Picks and Ponderings has already discussed Saturday’s pair of stakes races, the Richard Scherer Memorial (won by Puntsville) and the Jeff Lynn Memorial (won by Good Bye Greg). But,... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
September 20, 2017 at 5:06 pm
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PUNTSVILLE, GOOD BYE GREG Win Stakes Honoring Local Trainers

Chicago horse racing lost two of its own earlier this year, trainers Richard Scherer and Jeffrey Lynn.  In their memories, Arlington ran a pair of main-track sprint stakes today: chances for the Chicago-area racing community to get together, celebrate their memories, and enjoy the sport to which both devoted so much of their lives. In both... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
September 16, 2017 at 11:17 pm
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Carryover Time: Arlington Park Early Pick 4, Friday, September 15

When a Brave ‘n Away baby is the shortest-priced winner in a Pick 4 sequence, you may have a big payout afoot.  Or, in Thursday’s case, when Away She Glows ($13.00) was followed by Wayaway ($24.40), Time For Parading ($23.80), and class-jumping Americanperfection ($35.80), it’s a recipe for a $14,977 carryover in Friday’s early Pick... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
September 15, 2017 at 11:44 am
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2017 Jeff Lynn Memorial Stakes and Richard Scherer Memorial Stakes Preview

Arlington’s series of late-season overnight stakes continues this Saturday with a pair of $65,000 overnight stakes races named for longtime Chicago trainers who passed away this spring. The first stakes of the day, a six-furlong sprint for open company, runs in memory of Jeff Lynn.  Lynn ran his first horses in Nebraska, at Ak-Sar-Ben and Fonner,... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
September 14, 2017 at 12:07 pm
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Chicago Racing Review: September 1-9, 2017

Here, we look back at a pair of highlights over the last two weeks of Chicago racing, beyond the stakes races.  Of course, if you haven’t already — make sure to look back at the triumphs of Devileye, Babybluesbdancing, Bet She Wins, Barry Lee, and Moms Choice! Imposing Will Fights On Three-year-old Imposing Will (Wilburn – Relentless, by... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
September 13, 2017 at 12:11 am
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Arlington-Washington Futurity Day Recap: A Day of Firsts

It was a day of firsts at Arlington Park. The stakes portion of Saturday’s card began with the first running of the Avers Wexler Memorial, where four-year-old  Moms Choice broke through in stakes company for the first time. Then, Barry Lee won the Arlington-Washington Futurity.  Making his Arlington debut after two starts on the east coast, today... Read more »
By Nicolle Neulist,
September 10, 2017 at 12:11 am
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