Sound Of Souls Tops Arlington Park

Grade I
A mile and three sixteenths
Firm Turf
$1,000,000
All horses, 3 years old

           
PP    Horse                              Owner      Jockey    Odds 
1 ROCKING THE HOUSE(AUS)  mtkindy  J Benisz  6/1 
2 NEW SKY CH(ENG)  chevry  T Small  12/1 
3 TAPIRSIM(KY)  vineland  B Tate   16/1 
4 VALLE ALTO(KY)  jandicaper  S L Ledwith  14/1 
5 SUICIDEBYCOP(KY)  danmancan  W Ratzlaff  16/1 
6 EVEN THE COUNT(KY)  bushmonste  J Stivers   9/1 
7 DALAKHANI’S WINGS(IRE)  cypress  B Child  11/1 
8 HUSSONET AGAIN(AUS)  aiaiai  Ja White  17/1 
9 BLISSFUL STAR(IRE)  latte  H Eisen  32/1 
10 SETTLING CATAN(FR)  scoregon  A Craig  28/1 
11 ARLEQUIN(KY)  pato5  H Harzheim  12/1 
12 YOUNG N DANGEROUS(AUS)  psyduck215  P Wright  12/1 
13 MADE IN IRELAND(IRE)  1976reds  T Loesch  12/1 
14 FAKMI(ENG)  bertaal4  P Harzheim  6/1 
15 SOUND OF SOULS(KY)  checkmate4  K Ledwith  9/2

 

 

As with most Equinics races, there is a little bit of everything in here.  Tough race to fill with three residencies unable to locate a starter.  Let’s look at the sophomore classic grass specialists from the hedge outward.

 

 

Rocking The House is the first of a handful of legit graded turf routers.  Mtkindy’s Blazing Saddles entry simply crushed an excellent field at Woodbine in The Queen’s Dish (G1) last time out.  The strapping son of Fastnet Rock and the Shamardal mare, Ultimate Preformer, has won five of eight career starts.  Popped a 107 in the Liz which equaled his lifetime best taken two back.  If he doesn’t bounce, he’s going to be awfully tough to beat.  

 

 

Cothill Stables sends out their homebred speedster New Sky CH (New Approach x Skyformed CH by Dynaformer) to represent Minnesota Downs in The Arlington.  He is perfect at this distance having won the G3 Manatee in New Zealand four back.  Earned a lifetime best 102 speed rating LTO finishing second in allowance company.  Needs to step forward just a bit to medal on Saturday.   

 

 

Fourth generation SIM horse Tapirsim represents City-Race Rhein-Main Turf Club.  Platero’s improving Dynaformer colt has won two of nine starts.  Finished second last race but posted a 102 career best speed number.  Potential to be something special in the future.  Chances for a medal Saturday appear slim.

 

 

DelPenn will be represented by Ivanyamil’s versatile Valle Alto.  The handsome gray son of Tapit and the well traveled Stormdropper (Eavesdropper) has won four listed stakes and is graded placed.  He is equally adept at leading, stalking or closing from mid-pack.  He has won on both firm and yielding footing.  Gets a great draw and top rider in Ledwith.  Many options.  Upset in the making? 

 

 

Suicidebycop is the Testbarn rep.  Worldwide’s Street Sense colt picked a bad time to go horribly off form.  He finished dead last in each of his last two starts.  Prior to that there were a few nice efforts including a stakes win and a third in G3 company.  Don’t bet the rent money on this guy.

 

 

Crafty Lordpye conditions the dangerous speedster Even The Count.  Andrew’s East-West Connection Even The Score X Western Idol rep is fast as sin but somewhat erratic.  Seventeen starts.  Five wins.  Five seconds.  Seven starts resulting in varying degrees of yuck.  Has finished second in two G1s and took a solid G2 field gate to wire.  It all depends on which Even The Count shows up.

 

 

Vermont’s entry is Dalakhani’s Wings.  David’s deep closing son of Dalakhani and Wings To Fly (Montjeu) had a two race winning streak halted in the G1 Irish Derby.  Clearly has some talent.  Cutback in distance a help.  May have a say late if speed collapses.  Level of competition looks a bit beyond has range right now.

 

 

Hussonet Again has done virtually nothing wrong thus far.  I like the way Jijiji has handled his scratch bred Midas delegate.  After debuting with a third on grass, the Hussonet colt reeled off three straight wins on dirt.  If he were mine, he probably would never see turf again in his life.  But Jijiji put him back on the lawn and he has just kept getting better and better.  Won a stake while posting a 103 two back.  Not sure he’s up to handling these yet.  But I wouldn’t be surprised if he did.   

 

 

Blissful Star is the longest shot on the board.  I wouldn’t be surprised if this colt turned into a big time runner eventually.  Toplight’s Saltire Racing rep has hit the board in all three lifetime races.  Broke maiden impressively last time out.  Sea The Stars colt simply too inexperienced to compete at this level yet. 

 

 

NWRC sends out Handshobby’s Settling Catan.  The obscurely bred (Youmzain X David Junior) long shot did finish second in a listed stake at this distance.  But overall form is well short of this bunch.  Pass. 

 

 

Next in line, representing Hispano Parlante, is Huracan Stables’ Arlequin.  The dual stakes winner has a lot of talent but has tailed off lately.  And the Rock Hard Ten colt has been unable to manage anything better than one third place finish in four graded outings.  Not likely to find way to podium.

 

 

Young N Dangerous pretty much describes both this colt and his trainer, Psyduck.  The trainer is very good.  The horse is getting there.  But if Comedy Central gets a medal Saturday, it probably won’t be from this son of Redoute’s Choice.  Nice colt simply in way too tough.  

 

 

Danger Will Robinson!  And it comes in the form of very live long shot, Made In Ireland.  Metallinut conditons the flashy chestnut for Universal Racing Club.  Made In Ireland is the wise guy horse.  The Dylan Thomas colt is working lights out and arrives in terrific form.  Won a G2 in Kentucky LTO with a career best 105 speed figure.  Really didn’t beat that much compared to the company Rocking The House has kept.  But his manner of winning was impressive and his raw figures suggest he should be competitive here.  Decent shot at a big price.       

 

 

Fakmi is the BIG FIG horse.  109.  Taken winning a G2 last time out.  Made it look like a stroll in the park, too.  Opened a big lead and coasted home by more than two lengths under wraps.  If Balata’s Makfi colt has anything left under the hood, Empire State Racing will be celebrating a medal.

 

 

Rounding out the field is race favorite, Sound Of Souls.  The half brother to zillionaire Creepshow is approaching two million in earnings himself.  Last time out the almost white son of Medaglia D’oro finished a powerful second in the G1 Irish Derby.  Prior to that, the Checkmate trained GR Simster star won consecutive grade1 events, including the English Derby, posting solid speed figs in all three races.  Looks set for another huge race.