Track tips for Thursday, Aug. 30
A field of eight 2-year-olds has been programmed for Saturday's Grade III $200,000 Arlington Washington Futurity. Off a trio of romping wins at Lone Star, the Bret Calhoun-trained Gold Coyote has been installed as the 2-1 morning-line favorite for the one-turn mile Polytrack affair. Calhoun took down the 2003 Futurity with the monster Cactus Ridge, and that colt's full brother Sebastian County (10-1) will look do the same this season for trainer Don Von Hemel.
Other notables in Saturday's Futurity include (with ML odds): Riley Tucker (5-2), third last out in the Grade II Saratoga Special; Blackberry Road (5-1), fourth last out in the Grade III Bashford Manor at Churchill; T.J.'s Posse (6-1), the winner of the Jamestown Stakes for Virginia-breds last out at Colonial; and Texas Wildcatter (6-1), who broke his maiden at first asking in impressive fashion over the Arlington carpet for trainer Todd Pletcher.
Third in last year's Futurity, Street Sense has gone on to win, among others, the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, the Kentucky Derby and the Travers. Dominican, who was fourth in the '06 Futurity, captured the Blue Grass earlier this season. In addition to the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile, this year's crop of freshmen can also point to the newly instituted $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile turf. Arlington's vaunted team of owner Frank Calabrese and trainer Wayne Catalano failed to win a race on Wednesday. Entering today's action, Calabrese is one win away from equaling the Arlington record of 66 that he set in 2002. Catalano is four wins shy of equaling the training record of 69 that he established in 2005.
Best bet: Abc Me Win (6th)
Price play: Photo Image (8th)
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