Track tips for Sunday, Aug. 26
Handicappers love turf racing, and on Labor Day at Arlington, weather permitting of course, they're sure to get their fill. Nine races will be carded that day, and following up the Polytrack opener will be eight consecutive grass races. The Pick Six and both Pick Fours will be all turf.
Two of the eight Labor Day grass races will be overnight stakes -- the Claire Marine for female marathoners, and the Rossi Gold for male routers.
With one turf rail on temporary loan from Fair Grounds Racecourse in New Orleans, Louisiana, Arlington Park will run half of Labor Day's turf races from lane No.5 and the other half from 10 feet inside lane No. 1.
I'll be conducting another interactive Get in the Game seminar that afternoon from the Starting Gate Theatre (noon to 4 p.m.), with a focus on the art of handicapping grass races.
Jockey Daniel Coa, 25, a native of Caracas, Venezuela, is in the process of transferring his tack from Calder to Arlington. He's named to ride Razvi Ltd.'s If Nine Was Six in Wednesday's first race. The nephew of veteran rider Eibar Coa, Daniel was a 1999 finalist for an Eclipse Award as leading apprentice rider. This summer at Calder, Coa rode four winners from 63 mounts. His engagements will be handled by agent Oscar Sanchez, who lost rider Cecilio Penalba to injury last week.
Best bet: Spanish Ghost (5th)
Price play: Satin Sheets (8th)
Contact: joedakracing@aol.com
Check out Joe Kristufek's Arlington ParkCast audio files at www.arlingtonpark.com