Arlington Trip Notes and Horses to Watch (August 22-25)

The following are trip notes for horses who had tough trips the week of August 22-25 at Arlington, and/or who figure to improve in their next races. Add these runners to your horses to watch list, and bet them back next time out if they land in a reasonable spot. Racing for the week of August 22-25 at Arlington was run under very nice weather conditions. The turf was yielding for racing on Thursday, but dried out the rest of the week. The weather changed from hot and muggy to dry and cooler, and with the change in the weather the main track (Polytrack) changed on Friday and Saturday, killing speed and favoring late runners. The track changed again on Sunday, with the main track appearing to carry speed very favorably. The turf played fair all week. Leading trainer Larry Rivelli enjoyed a hot week, and with the help of Rivelli's horses perennial leading jockey Jose Valdivia, stayed red-hot for the second straight week. BELLE BREZING: Finished second again behind only a strong winning favorite, and never gets bet despite remaining in good form. Don't overlook. BONITA BAY: Made a winning move but just got caught late by a rival's big effort to settle for second, eight lengths clear of the rest of the field. Sitting on the maiden win. BOOKIE'S BLUES: Was going right on by when smashed by the leader to immediately lose all momentum. Should make amends in next with a clean trip. BOOM BOX: Remains in fine form with another good finish for second, and never gets bet with Nik Meza aboard. Looms a late-running turf sprint threat. DANEIRA: Set a pressured pace on an anti-speed biased track and finished off the board. Can rebound on a fair surface. DRIVEN BY HISTORY: Pressed and set the pace on an anti-speed biased track and held on best of the front runners for third behind two closers. Try again for Amoss. EXPROMPT: Too back to last due to trouble at the start, then raced too far back on a speed favoring track and could close for no better than third. Worth another shot. GATE CREW: Got slammed coming out of the gate and then tried to rush up but didn't handle the mile after the early mishap and emptied out. Has ability and deserves another chance, probably with a cutback to a sprint. HIDENSEEKSALLY: Stumbled out of the gate when not handling the rail and trailed the field. Rallied in a good field for third behind the favorite and fits well vs. local rivals. LIVELY SPELL: Blazing speed horse drew the rail, stumbled badly, and lost all chance for the second race in a row due to a bad start. Wire-to-wire threat with a clean start, probably back on the Polytrack. ME TOO MO: Powered clear in the stretch and snatched defeat from the jaws of victory after stepping in a hole, stumbling, and losing momentum back to third in deep stretch. Ready to graduate. MS MEER: Sent for the lead, got overtaken, lagged back, then came on strong for a decisive win on a main track that killed speed all day. Can repeat up at the next level. ROUND HILL: Raced four wide on the first turn and three wide on the second turn and was beaten a head when third due to the ground-losing trip. One to beat back vs. similar. SPEED EFFECT: Invaded from Indiana with good speed, but was unlucky to battle up front on an anti-speed track. Held on for third, which was good under the circumstances, and can go all the way in second off the three-month layoff. SPENDER: Nearly caught a loose lone speed leading odds-on Rivelli favorite and ran well in her own right for second. Try again. STUDENT BODY LEFT: Pressed a blazing speed horse, challenged that one with a 3 1/2-length gap back to the rest of the field, and then put that challenger away and held on for second as the longest shot on the board on an anti-speed biased main track. TEMPLUNA: Invaded from Kentucky with good synthetic track breeding and took to the Polytrack to beat a good rival for the maiden win. Likely to repeat up at the next level. TUFF ATTACK: Broke poorly when not handling the rail post, but then rallied and won anyway as much the best. Legit threat up at the next level vs. state breds.   (c) Coady Photography