Hanshin Cup opens Arlington Park stakes schedule

Arlington Park’s $5.8 million stakes schedule breaks out of the gates today with the running of the Grade III $150,000 Hanshin Cup.

Leading the field of 10 in the mile test over the Polytrack is 5-2 morning-line favorite Lonesome Street, winner of the Grade II Commonwealth at Keeneland in April.

A 5-year-old Broken Vow horse, Lonesome Street stretches out to a mile for the Hanshin after posting a 2¼-length victory over 7 furlongs in the Commonwealth, his only win this year and lone tally over a synthetic surface.

Two other graded-stakes winners are included among the starting lineup — Havelock (3-1) and Free Fighter (20-1).

Havelock, a gelded son of Great Notion, finished third in last year’s Hanshin but followed that up with victories in the $100,000 Arlington Sprint and the Grade II Play the King at Woodbine. In addition, the Darrin Miller-trained 5-year-old captured the Grade III Woodford at Keeneland last fall. Most recently, he finished fourth in the Grade III Shakertown at Keeneland last month. Florent Geroux has the call.

Free Fighter, an Illinois-bred son Out of Place, won the Grade III Stars and Stripes over Arlington’s Polytrack last summer. Trained by Mike Reavis, the 7-year-old gelding has made just one start this year, finishing last of nine in the $60,000 Cryptoclearance Stakes at Hawthorne Race Course on April 7. Tim Thornton will ride.

Others of note entered in the Hanshin include Fast Alex (Francisco Torres); Scotus (Manuel Cruz) and Taptowne (A.L. Contreras), a victor in back-to-back starts at Hawthorne including a 1 ¼-length tally in the Cryptoclearance.