Soaking Smoking won in track-record style when he collected the Cozzene purse by 1 3/4 lengths Wednesday at Arlington International Racecourse.
The 5-year-old Illinois-bred set the fractions while holding off a persistent challenge from classy invader Balla Cove before taking command in the early stretch. Favored Balla Cove tired and finished fourth.
Soaking Smoking posted a time of 1:34 4/5 for the allowance race carded at about a mile. The clocking reset the 23-year-old record held by Traffic Ruler by 2/5 of a second.
Leading Arlington jockey Shane Sellers piloted the winner, who is trained by P. Noel Hickey.
Whadjathink fine: Whadjathink had surgery Wednesday in Lexington, Ky., to repair a fractured cannon bone and broken sesamoid in his left hind leg.
”The operation was a success; now we just have to wait and see how the horse comes out of the anethesia,” said Arlington owner Dick Duchossois, who bred and owns the 3-year-old.
Whadjathink won the John D. Hertz Stakes at Arlington Sunday, but pulled up lame immediately after the race.
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About-face: In an effort to increase fan safety, Arlington management has reversed the direction horses are led in the paddock walking ring.
”We did that because there is a potential (for) accidents with horses kicking up and hitting patrons who are close to the rail on the inside,” said General Manager Bob Bork. ”This way the grooms are on that side so the horses are going to kick in a little bit better.”
The horses have been walking in the new clockwise direction since July 17.
Modesty immodest: A field of nine is taking shape for the grade III Modesty Stakes Saturday at Arlington.
Winner Lady Shirl, runner-up Townsend Lass, Coolawin (fourth) and beaten favorite Super Fan from the Hanshin Handicap at Arlington July 13 top the projected field.
Lyphover, Phoenix Sunshine, Country Casual, Maria Jesse and Song Stylist round out the expected field for the 1 3/16-mile turf event.
Pencil in Olympio: Olympio appears headed for a start in the grade II American Derby at Arlington Aug. 3.
The Ron McAnally runner will be supplemented to the race for a $12,500 fee, said Bill Thayer, Arlington vice president of racing. Most recently Olympio got up late to edge Richman in the Grade II Minnesota Derby July 7 at Canterbury Downs.
The entry of Olympio apparently has scared off the connections of Mane Minister, which finished third in each race of the Triple Crown. The onetime projected starter will now look for a race elsewhere.
Mega-trainer D. Wayne Lukas will be represented in the race by two runners. He will start Castle Rock in the Derby along with another starter who has yet to be determined. Lukas won the race for the first time last year with Real Cash.
Odds on: Odds Against will ship to Chicago to contest the first leg of the U.S. Pacing Championship Aug. 10 at Sportsman`s Park.
The top pacer recently paced the fastest mile ever by a 4-year-old on a 5/8th-mile track when he won his elimination heat of the Molson Canadian Pacing Derby at Greenwood in 1:50 4/5. George Segal of Highland Park owns the talented colt.
The three-race series includes tests at the Meadowlands Aug. 16 and at Yonkers Aug. 24.
Youth rules: Two of the top younger horses based at Sportsman`s Park paced well in out of town ventures last weekend.
Freshman colt Nuclear High took runner-up honors behind Big Brat in the $100,000 New Jersey Sire Stake at the Meadowlands. The loss was the first of Nuclear High`s young career. Charles Day and the George Steinbrenner Racing Stable own the top 2-year-old.
Hermosa Hanover proved second-best to Yankee Coed in $100,700 Courageous Lady Stake at Northfield Park in Ohio. Chicagoan Frank Calabrese owns the sophomore filly.
Racing Times premieres: The Racing Times will make its Chicago debut Friday. The new daily paper will compete for readership with the 97-year-old Daily Racing Form.
The Racing Times hired many nationally known writers, including former New York Times writer Steven Crist, who is the paper`s editor-in-chief.
The Racing Times will begin publishing with Saturday`s edition. Free copies will be distributed at racetracks, intertracks and off-track betting sites Friday through Monday. The paper will be sold beginning Friday at retail outlets for a special introductory price of $2. The paper carries a $2.50 cover price.