Saint Leon takes first stakes victory in Arlington Sprint
Michele Boyce’s 7-year-old, Saint Leon, finally grabbed his first stakes win, sealing the top place in the Arlington Sprint Handicap, held at Arlington on Saturday, July 7th. Although he was given a hard time by the opponents, the champion horse did well on turf to ensure the top position by half-length.
The 5½-furlong event attracted five speedy runners including Regally Ready, who was declared favourite ahead of the race. However, Steven Asmussen’s charge failed to make an impact in the hands of Corey Nakatani. As a result, he finished fourth on the table.
On the other hand, Saint Leon was mighty impressive all the way through. Bred in Kentucky by Six Winters Farm LLC, the horse inflicted plenty of pressure on the opposition right from the start. Under E. Baird, the 7-2 shot did a fine job to keep the rest of the pack under tremendous pressure throughout the contest.
Following an excellent effort, he outpaced, Chamberlain Bridge, by half-length to bag the winning prize. Darrin Miller’s trainee, Longhunter, ended up third, whereas Birdie Beats Par completed the order of finish.
Margaret Burlingham, owner of the seven-year-old, was delighted to see her horse registering the maiden stakes success. She said after the race:
"It's just amazing to me that Saint Leon was able to win a stakes race like the Arlington Sprint. It wasn't too long ago that we weren't sure he could even be saved -- and if he could be -- we were pretty sure he could never run again. When we were able to get him back all we really wanted to do was make sure he could have a happy home for the rest of his life.”
Saint Leon started his career in 2010, when he recorded four consecutive triumphs to make a fine impression. He has a wonderful track record at Arlington, winning eight of his 10 starts at this track. On Saint Leon’s journey over the years, the owner described:
"The decision was made to send him to Mountaineer to give him the chance to learn how to win, and he won two races."
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