Washington-bred Rings a Chime upsets more accomplished fillies as Keeneland opens

The very different mentalities of a professional hockey player and Thoroughbred trainer rarely meet head-on. The former is often dynamic and aggressive in nature, while the latter tends to be more conservative and deliberate. For reasons closely associated with their individual professions, neither tends to take unnecessary risks.

Joseph Kowal, a former professional hockey player with the Buffalo Sabres organization in the late 1970s and '80s, and trainer Lonnie Arterburn each display the appropriate characteristics of their professions, but neither is afraid to take their share of chances.

Ashland S. (G1)
Keeneland, April 8, $550,250, 1 1/16 miles, good, 1:44.43
1-RINGS A CHIME, f. 3, Metfield-Outofthebluebell, by Red Ryder.
2-Zoftig, f. 3, Cozzene-Mrs. Marcos, by Private Account.
3-Circle of Life, f. 3, Belong to Me-Concentric, by Shadeed.

Kowal, a Canadian-born resident of Southern California who races in the name of Turf Side Stable, took a chance when he heeded the advice of a bloodstock agent and plunked down nearly $1-million for a Washington-bred filly by Metfield who had raced primarily in Northern California.

Arterburn, trainer of that Washington-bred filly named Rings a Chime, took a chance when he took a third crack at Surfside, arguably the best sophomore filly in the country, in the Santa Anita Oaks (G1) last month. The Northern California-based conditioner also stepped out when he gave the order for Rings a Chime to engage Surfside right from the start in that race, a plan that backfired when the filly was caught on the inside and eventually finished fourth.

Arterburn and Kowal took another calculated risk when they shipped Rings a Chime across the country for the most prestigious three-year-old filly event on Keeneland Race Course's stakes schedule. The risk increased when the field-although short in numbers-figured to be loaded with runners featuring the same running style as Rings a Chime, who posted three victories last season on or close to the lead.

All the risks paid off when Rings a Chime earned a trip to next month's Kentucky Oaks (G1) with a game victory in the $550,250 Ashland Stakes (G1) on April 8 at Keeneland. Sent off as the 7.90-to-1 co-fourth choice in the field of six, Rings a Chime inherited a relatively easy lead under Shane Sellers and had enough left in the latter stages to hold off late-running Zoftig to win the 11Ú16-mile Ashland by a nose. The winner's time on a track rated as good was 1:44.43.

"We honestly gave Shane carte blanche to do whatever he really wanted to," Arterburn said. "But when she broke so sharp and got the jump on them, I'm glad that we just went ahead and went on with it.

"In her last race we went in thinking we could beat Surfside. We just got hung up in a speed duel and really kind of wore ourselves out. We were hoping to take it right to her from the get go, but we wanted to be on the outside."

Rings a Chime's victory in the Ashland ended a four-race losing streak, including three straight since Kowal purchased her on the advice of bloodstock agent Danny Alameda. Purchased for nearly seven figures, Rings a Chime had lost three consecutive races to Surfside at Santa Anita Park before being shipped East.

Shortly before Kowal purchased her, Rings a Chime set the early pace against males before she tired to finish third in the Doonesbury Handicap on December 18 at Golden Gate Fields. She had won her prior three starts at Bay Meadows Race Course, including the Bay Meadows Lassie Stakes for trainer Lloyd Mason.

"It's the most I've ever spent for a horse," Kowal said. "An agent friend of mine spotted her, and we were able to cut a deal. We've been running her in graded stakes ever since. This time there was a lot of speed in there, but when she got to the front, it looked like she did it real easy."

Easy lead

Sellers and Rings a Chime inherited a relatively easy lead when the field's two Grade 1 winners-Circle of Life and Cash Run-could not get to the front entering the first turn. Tracked by 1.70-to-1 favorite Deed I Do, who was equipped with blinkers for the first time after running a game second to Cash Run in the Bonnie Miss Stakes (G2) on March 16 at Gulfstream Park, Rings a Chime took the field through the opening quarter-mile in :23.39 and the half in :46.63.

"I was surprised when we ended up on the lead," Sellers said. "She has a lot of speed, but on paper, there was a ton of speed in this race. It was good speed, too."

Past six furlongs in 1:11.03, Rings a Chime shook off Deed I Do entering the far turn as Circle of Life started to gain ground on the outside under Richard Migliore. Circle of Life never developed a serious threat to the winner, who had a two-length lead in midstretch but was tested in deep stretch.

Zoftig, fourth nearly the entire trip, angled out when the field turned for home and closed strongly in deep stretch. Jockey Marlon St. Julien, who said the daughter of Cozzene had some trouble changing leads in the lane, felt he had dead aim on Rings a Chime but came up short.

"I really thought I had (Sellers) measured at the top of the lane," St. Julien said. "But he was able to get his own way on the lead. I thought there would be a speed duel up front, but it didn't work out that way. When we hit the wire, I thought it could have gone either way."

Rings a Chime and Zoftig, who was third in the Fair Grounds Oaks (G3) on March 11, last time out for trainer Mike Doyle, were four lengths clear of third-place finisher Circle of Life. Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner Cash Run, who came into the Ashland off back-to-back stakes victories at Gulfstream, never got on track and finished fourth, beaten 12 lengths. Deed I Do and maiden I'm Just a Peach completed the order of finish.

Arterburn said Rings a Chime would be pointed toward the Kentucky Oaks on May 5 at Churchill Downs, the day before the Kentucky Derby (G1).

"She's nominated for the Oaks, and we have been planning on going in that direction all along," Arterburn said. "This is my first Grade 1 win. In Northern California, I've been known as a claiming trainer. Lately, some of my owners have been buying horses, and I've got some new clients. It's all worked out."

Arterburn could have a busy first weekend in May, with Remember Sheikh considered a possible starter in the Derby. The three-year-old son of 1991 Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) winner Sheikh Albadou (GB) won the El Camino Real Derby (G3) last time out, defeating Turfway Spiral Stakes (G2) winner Globalize.

The connections of Cash Run and Circle of Life also indicated that both fillies are probable for the Kentucky Oaks.

UNDER THE DOGWOODS-James S. Karp's Field Cat registered a wire-to-wire victory in the opening day feature, the $113,900 Transylvania Stakes for three-year-olds on the turf. Trained by Kim Boniface and ridden by Mike Smith, the son of Metfield won by 1 1/2 lengths over Lendell Ray, getting the mile over the firm course in 1:35.19. ... Michael Ryan's Impending Bear closed out the first weekend of racing with a 2 1/2-length victory in the $113,300 Appalachian Stakes for three-year-old fillies on the turf on April 9. Ridden by Pat Day for trainer Michael Stidham, the daughter of Farma Way won the one-mile event in her turf debut in 1:36.24 on a firm surface. Impending Bear had won her two previous starts on the main track at Fair Grounds, and the win in the Appalachian increased her career earnings to $107,446.