NEWS
My Dominick James returns to Arlington for Futurity
Posted: Wednesday, September 10, 2008 6:08 PM
by Tim Nichols
My Dominick James established himself as a potential future star on June 8, when he set a track record at Arlington Park by winning a 4 1/2-furlong race in :51.22 in his career debut.
Larry Rivelli’s and Richard Ravin’s two-year-old Dance Master gelding will return to the synthetic Polytrack surface at Arlington on Saturday for the first time since that record-setting performance. My Dominick James will make his graded stakes debut in the one-mile Arlington-Washington Futurity (G3).
Since breaking the previous record of :51.64, set by Wheat Penny in 2000 and equaled by Bold America in ‘02, My Dominick James won stakes races at Prairie Meadows and Fairmount Park by a combined 7 1/4 lengths.
My Dominick James took the Prairie Gold Juvenile Stakes on July 5 at Prairie Meadows and enters off a win in the Troy Our Boy Stakes on August 26 at Fairmount.
The Arlington-Washington Futurity figures to be My Dominick James’s most difficult test to date.
He will be part of a full 14-horse field. In addition to My Dominick James, six other undefeated juveniles are slated to contest the one-mile race.
Adele Dilschneider’s homebred Terrain is the only other stakes winner in the field. The Sky Mesa gelding captured the six-furlong Mountaineer Juvenile Stakes by 1 3/4 lengths on August 2 at Mountaineer Race Track in his previous start.
He is one of five unbeaten horses, including My Dominick James, stretching out to a mile for the first time on Saturday.
Capt. Candyman Can won his debut by 7 1/4 lengths in a 5 1/2-furlong race on August 13 at Saratoga Race Course.
Jose Adan is unbeaten in two career starts, both at Arlington Park, at five and six furlongs, respectively.
His Greatness won his debut by two lengths in a six-furlong race on August 9 at Arlington.
One horse already familiar with the surface and distance is WinStar Farm’s Advice. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Advice posted an eight-length romp in a one-mile race on the Arlington track on July 3.
Debut winner Giant Oak makes the move from grass to a synthetic surface on Saturday. He won a one-mile turf race by two lengths on August 17 at Arlington.
Tim Nichols is a Thoroughbred Times assistant daily news editor
The field, in post-position order, with (sire), jockey, weight, and trainer:
1. Willie to To (Mahie Gold), Tanner Riggs, 117, Ronald O. Goodridge;
2. Ready Racer (More Than Ready), Calvin H. Borel, 117, Bernard S. Flint;
3. My Man Moran (Five Star Day), James Graham, 117, Jerry Quinn;
4. His Greatness (Honour and Glory), Alex O. Solis, 117, Marco P. Salazar;
5. Malibu Maverick (Posse), Jose C. Ferrer, 117, Ronny W. Werner;
6. Jose Adan (Crypto Star), Brandon Meier, 119, Wayne M. Catalano;
7. Zion (Thunder Gulch), E. T. Baird, 117, Steven M. Asmussen;
8. My Dominick James (Dance Master), Timothy Thornton, 119, Larry Rivelli;
9. Schleprock (Touch Gold), Inez Karlsson, 117, James M. Gulick;
10. Terrain (Sky Mesa), Jamie Theriot, 122, Albert M. Stall, Jr.;
11. Advice (Chapel Royal), Rene R. Douglas, 117, Todd A. Pletcher;
12. Capt. Candyman Can (Candy Ride [ARG]), Julien R. Leparoux, 119, Ian R. Wilkes;
13. Giant Oak (Giant's Causeway), Junior Alvarado, 117, Chris M. Block; and
14. Investor (Petionville), Christopher A. Emigh, 117, Patrick B. Byrne.
