Light southeast winds today (that's cross/tail through stretch -- but little factor at 3-6 mph), 70 degrees, and more humid than anything in recent weeks. Poly seems par-ish after one race, with winner of the first, an Illinois-bred $10K maiden-claimer, going 8.5 furlongs around two turns in 1:46.64. That was Speed Ball, giving trainer Christine Janks just her third winner from 29 starts here, an unusually slow Arlington beginning for a barn that historically is a pretty big player at AP. Speed paid $6.80 despite being a 7-5 morning-line choice, that because Rosemont Sammy was bet heavily throughout the wagering, going off at 6-5. Why? Yeah, barn change from Joel Berndt to Dale Bennett, but Berndt is a 21-percent trainer from more than 100 runners in '10, and this horse didn't show a work since running below form May 2 in his Polytrack debut. He did stay on for second while no match for the winner.
Miles and Miles the even-money early favorite in race 2, a $5K one-turn mile on Poly. No surprise - Calabrese-owned, Canani-trained runners have been getting pounded at the windows, and coming through over and over again.
They're going to try turf racing today despite rain last night through today. Course called "yielding" and should be quite wet. Showers, t-storms possible through the afternoon, and it won't take much to rain things off onto Poly.
