US Racing / Editor / 10 August 2007 /

European trainers have missed an opportunity by missing wonderful Arlington

Todd Pletcher recorded yet another Grade 1 victory in his incredible season when Any Given Saturday demolished his rivals by four-and-a-half lengths in Sunday's $1m Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park. Both Hard Spun and Curlin looked to be feeling the effects of the Triple Crown rigours as they finished second and third.

Satish Senan the colt's co-owner was skipping around the winner's enclosure like a schoolboy when the pictures were taken afterwards. And if anybody deserves to enjoy this proud moment it's him. I met Satish around 1991 in Florida when he was just getting in to racing at my local track Tampa Bay Downs. At the time he had some horses in training with D Wayne Lucas and this self-made man was a real delight to talk to. He has sunk a fortune into racing and finally he is getting the success he deserves. For good measure he also has a share in Curlin and owns the stallion Exchange Rate who sired Xchanger who finished sixth. Anyway more about Satish later. Pletcher will give this horse one more run before coming back to Monmouth for the Breeders Cup Classic.

Elsewhere at Saratoga on Saturday, Dream Rush made all the running under Eibar Coa to win The Darley Test Stakes. She was so visually impressive that she is sure to be strongly fancied for the Breeders Cup Filly and Mare Sprint on October 26th. With Price Tag withdrawn from The John C Mabee Handicap with colic this Grade I event was possibly one of the weakest I have ever seen with Precious Kitten taking the honours. Any one of the first six in last Saturday's Nassau Stakes would surely gone close to winning this event. Next time I hear a trainer in the UK moan about lack of opportunity in a Grade One for fillies i will scream!!!

For me, the performance of the weekend had to be Nashoba's Key in The Clement L Hirsch Handicap. Victor Espinoza on Balance kept her in all the way round the final bend but this unbeaten mare exploded in the lane and extended her unbeaten run to six. She is one of my bankers in the Distaff at the Breeders cup and hopefully I can get around 3.0 when our markets open.

Onto this weekend's racing action and the feature is the $1m Arlington Million Grade 1 over the turf course at Arlington Park in Chicago. If you are in town for the racing make sure you visit Gibsons for a big boy steak or the freshest of seafood. I kid you not ... just tell them Joey sent you.

Now let's get to the race itself. The Tin Man is bidding to make it two Millions in a row but I fear he may not withstand the challenge of After Market trained by John Shirreffs. As long as they go at a decent clip I can see this son of Storm Cat finishing like an express train to win the cash.

And I am putting my money where my mouth is and taking anything above 3.5 as long as it remains a firm track. It's sad not to see more of a European presence this year with only Pressing from England and Doctor Dino and Danak representing France and Ireland. Come on guys there is $1m at stake and huge stallion potential in this race. I guess that maybe I'm underestimating the value of this week's Shergar Cup at Ascot.

Looking at the other Grade 1 at Saratoga Springs this Saturday - the Sword Dancer Invitational run over a mile-and-a-half on turf - I think there is a case to be made for saying this race is almost as strong as The King George. I think this rests with Better Talk Now or English Channel trained by, you guessed it Todd Pletcher. I am backing English Channel hopefully at around 2.6 for a few quid. Across the country at Del Mar later on in the day Medici Code and Vaquelin both ex-European horses are my split stakes picks on what should be a beautiful day in Southern California.

To close out my very first instalment this week I told you there was more to be said about Satish Senan who owns Padua Stables and his recent good fortune regarding Any Given Saturday and Curlin. On a summer day at the 2005 Fasig-Tipton July sale a colt by Forestry out of Magical Masquerade, by Unbridled was sold for $425,000 to Dean DeRenzo and Randy Hartley. The colt was bred by Satish and Anne Sanan at Padua Stables. "So Joey what's the big deal," you may say. Well my friends I will tell you what the big deal is. The following year that colt was resold at the Fasig-Tipton Florida select sale for two year olds in training for $16m. He is called The Green Monkey. Is Satish green with envy? Absolutely not, he is happy he sold a beautifully bred horse. That's what makes him such a special person in both horse racing and in life.

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