Arrest Me Red Could Lock Up BC Berth in Turf Sprint

In seven turf starts at distances ranging from 5 1/2 to six furlongs, Lael Stables' Arrest Me Red has recorded six victories, five at the stakes level, with his sole defeat being a last-out second to Casa Creed  in the June 11 Jaipur Stakes (G1T) at Belmont Park.

The 4-year-old Pioneerof the Nile  colt now looks to resume his winning ways when he returns from a three-month layoff Sept. 10 at Kentucky Downs in the six-furlong FanDuel Turf Sprint (G2T), which carries a $1 million purse for Kentucky-breds. The race is a Breeders' Cup Challenge qualifier for the Nov. 5. Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) at Keeneland.

Though he doesn't have to withstand Casa Creed's potent late punch this time—the latter took the one-mile Fourstardave Handicap (G1T) Aug. 13 at Saratoga Race Course—Arrest Me Red faces other top-class foes. Eleven rivals, led by Chewing Gum , Arzak , Gregorian Chant , Bran , and Totally Boss , await him in the body of the field, and another three are on the also-eligible list.

Some of these runners he has faced and outran before. Twice last fall, he defeated Chewing Gum in New York, and this spring at Churchill Downs in the Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes presented by Sysco (G2T), he won by 1 3/4 lengths over Bran and Gregorian Chant, who were noses apart in a place photo that went to Bran.

Irad Ortiz Jr., aboard Arrest Me Red in all three of his starts this year, returns to the irons on the 4-year-old colt, who won fresh after an eight-month layoff when he was first transferred into the barn of trainer Wesley Ward last year.

"We took him up to Saratoga, just for a few grass works, worked every week up there, pointing for this big race here," Ward said in preparation for Saturday's race. "He's doing tremendous. We're ready to go."

Should showers dampen the course, that would appear unlikely to impact Arrest Me Red. He won his debut on "good" turf in August 2020 at Laurel Park when trained initially by Arnaud Delacour. He also won the Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs over a course officially rated firm, but that had some give in the ground. He won it in 1:04.18, indicative of moderately tiring conditions.

The colt drew post 12 for Saturday's race. Right after the start, the field will bear right initially before a sweeping, left-handed turn quickly approaches.

Ward believes a contributing factor in success in turf sprints at Kentucky Downs is having a sprinter with a degree of stamina.

"You can't bring just a total five-eighths horse, that's for sure," he said. "You have to bring to a horse that can go a little bit further. And now you have to like a horse that will like a little bit of soft going. That's a big key."

Arrest Me Red lost his one race at five furlongs when third in the Silks Run Stakes at Gulfstream Park in March. The only time he was unplaced on turf was when he ran fifth in the 1 1/16-mile Bourton Stakes (G2T) at Keeneland at a 2-year-old.

Just two entrants have winning experience at Kentucky Downs: Pantofel Stable, Wachtel Stable and Jerry Zaro's Chewing Gum , a local maiden winner in 2019, and Susan and Jim Hill's Totally Boss , who won the 2019 Turf Sprint at Kentucky Downs. In their only other local starts, the Rusty Arnold-trained Totally Boss ran seventh in the 2020 Turf Sprint and Bill Mott-trained Chewing Gum was eighth in this race last year.

Entries: FanDuel Turf Sprint S. (G2T)

Kentucky Downs, Saturday, September 10, 2022, Race 9

• Grade IIT
• 6f
• Turf
• $1,000,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 4:10 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Johnny Unleashed (KY)	Gerardo Corrales	121	Eric N. Foster	30/1
2	2Chewing Gum (KY)	Joel Rosario	125	William I. Mott	5/1
3	3Necker Island (KY)	Francisco Arrieta	121	Chris A. Hartman	15/1
4	4Charcoal (KY)	Rafael Bejarano	121	Tracey J. Wisner	20/1
5	5Arzak (KY)	Kazushi Kimura	121	Michael J. Trombetta	9/2
6	6Bob's Edge (KY)	Adam Beschizza	121	J. Larry Jones	30/1
7	7Gregorian Chant (GB)	Jose L. Ortiz	121	Philip D'Amato	10/1
8	8Bran (FR)	Vincent Cheminaud	125	John W. Sadler	6/1
9	9Front Run the Fed (KY)	Jose Lezcano	121	Caio Caramori	15/1
10	10Totally Boss (KY)	Florent Geroux	121	George R. Arnold, II	12/1
11	11Chasing Artie (KY)	Edgard J. Zayas	121	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	15/1
12	12Arrest Me Red (KY)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	125	Wesley A. Ward	9/5
13	13Artemus Citylimits (ON)	Tyler Gaffalione	121	Michael J. Maker	12/1
14	14A C Expressway (KY)	Joseph Talamo	121	Norm W. Casse	30/1
15	15Torontotoro (ON)	Jack Gilligan	121	Paul McEntee	30/1