2016 Arlington-Washington Futurity Wellabled Stars
By: Nicolle Neulist, Blinkers-Off.com
Race 8: Arlington-Washington Futurity
(GIII), seven furlongs on the polytrack, post time 4:56 CDT
The Arlington-Washington Futurity
began its life as the American National Futurity in 1927 and 1928. Reborn
in 1932 and rechristened the Arlington Futurity, its name added the nod to
Washington Park in 1962. A Grade I from when races were first assigned
grades in 1973 through 1989, it has held its current GIII designations since
2002. Run at distances between six furlongs and a mile, it has been run
at its current seven-furlong distance since 2014.
The most recent winner
of the Arlington-Washington Futurity to win the race en route to a championship
was Gilded Time (1992): already a winner of the Sapling (GII) before coming to
Arlington, and winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) in his next
start. Earlier in its history, the race’s winners list is rich with
eventual champion juveniles: Honest Pleasure (1975), Silent Screen (1969),
Vitriolic (1967), Buckpasser (1965), Ridan (1961), Hasty Road (1953), and
Ladysman (1932).
Though this year's rendition of the
Arlington-Washington Futurity drew just one Illinois-bred (MAXUS), horses from
the Land of Lincoln have seen success in this race. The last two winners,
Shogood (2015) and Recount (2014), were bred here; both continued to be
successful in stakes company at age three. Durable state-bred Polar
Expedition (1993), a millionaire who won graded stakes through age seven,
annexed his first graded score in the Futurity as well. All Fired Up
(1983) also carried the mantle for Illinois, following up a win in the
Ak-Sar-Ben Juvenile Stakes (GIII) two weeks before with a victory back
home. Though Run Dusty Run (1976) was not himself Illinois-bred, he did
his Illinois-bred sire (Kentucky Derby winner Dust Commander) proud by winning
this race, and then hitting the board in all three Triple Crown races that
year.
ROMEO O ROMEO debuted on August 21 over the
Arlington polytrack. He was right on a heavily contested pace, looked
passed, and yet kicked back on to win by a length and a quarter. This
race, of course, will be tougher than that group. But, it showed that he
has the ability to manage a fight on the front: useful, given that most of this
field has made its impression on or near the lead. ROMEO O ROMEO also has
every right to stretch out: he is by Macho Uno out of Romance Is Diane.
Romance Is Diane won the Grade I Hollywood Starlet at age two, going two turns
over the synthetic at Hollywood. ROMEO O ROMEO may get a bit ignored in
the betting behind a few other horses, as well, making him the value of the
race.
The two real standouts in the field
are WELLABLED and STAR EMPIRE.
Between the two, STAR EMPIRE appeals a bit more. The Wesley Ward trainee
debuted at Belmont in May and won in a romp. But, he showed a different
side when he returned at Presque Isle last month. He stretch out to six
and a half furlongs, say off the pace instead of running right on it, and
rallied gamely to win. The Arlington-Washington Futurity is a
seven-furlong race, and STAR EMPIRE is the only one who brings an extended
one-turn victory in with him. He also comes in second off a break, giving
him a chance to step forward off an already solid last time out.
WELLABLED posted a blazing wire-to-wire debut
win at Arlington earlier in the meet, proving he can handle the polytrack
beautifully. He then shipped up to Saratoga and switched to the grass for
the Skidmore Stakes. He went perhaps a bit too fast early there, and just
got nailed by Harlan's Harmony at the wire. The stretch to seven furlongs
along with all the speed in the race raise some questions. but, he looks
like the speed of the speed, gets a switch back to E. T. Baird, and may well
like the polytrack more than the grass. In short, WELLABLED is a
defensive use.
One to take a shot against here is SEVEN FORTY SEVEN. After being so
live on the board at Saratoga, he stands to take some money here on the drop to
a softer circuit, despite being a maiden still. But, that outing at the
Spa seemed to suggest that he needs to be on the lead, at least for now.
And, the odds of him outgunning the likes of WELLABLED seem slim.
Selections:
#3 ROMEO O ROMEO (6/1)
#9 STAR EMPIRE (5/1)
#7 WELLABLED (5/2)
Longshot: #11 MAXUS (30/1) gets a class test here
-- this field will be a lot tougher than the $35,000 maiden claimers he faced
on debut. But, it would not be unprecedented for trainer Wayne Catalano
to take a juvenile from a win in the maiden claiming ranks at Arlington to
stakes level: that's the same thing he did with 2009 Lassie winner and eventual
divisional champion She Be Wild. MAXUS is one of only two in this field
who is cutting back from a route to a sprint here, so the distance is no
question. He also came from off the pace in his maiden victory, a
positive sign since so many in this field have shown blazing early speed.
Finally, MAXUS should handle the polytrack just fine: he has some solid works
over it, and he is a full brother to Fire Tricks, a stakes-winning polytrack
sprinter. At a price, there's enough to like about MAXUS on the class
rise to include him on tickets here.
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