$50,000 Bruce D. Memorial Starts Stakes Bonanza at Arlington

Category :: News

The $50,000 Bruce D. Memorial will be little more than a footnote in the grand scheme of Arlington Million Day August 15 at Arlington Park, but with a quality field of eight three year-olds lined up to contest the one mile event over the Polytrack, the race is an excellent prelude to the main attraction.

Recount, the 2/1 morning line favorite, will be stretching out on short rest after winning the Cammack Stakes August 1 while showing the ability to win from off-the-pace – a new dimension for the James DeVito trainee. Recount has 4 wins in 6 career starts, including a perfect 3 for 3 over the main track at Arlington. Emmanuel Esquivel will be aboard with an advantageous outside draw.

Prospect is head of the class

Private Prospect (5/2) is the class of the field after consecutive third-place finishes in the Grade 3 Matt Winn and Grade 3 Iowa Derby, but will have to avenge a loss to Recount in last year’s Arlington-Washington Futurity. Private Prospect, trained by Michael Campbell, will also have to break a seven-race losing streak, but looks well-matched against this field. Jockey Florent Geroux will be aboard breaking from post 4.

The distance equation

Singingintheheat (5/1) is likely the speed of the race and will try to last longer than he did last out when tiring to finish second to Chip Leader (4/1) in a five furlong turf sprint. Chip Leader, a son of Giant’s Causeway, should appreciate the extra ground. Trainer Louie Roussel connects at an 18% clip with sprint to route runners.