Juddmonte's 7-year-old gelding Set Piece, a multiple graded stakes winner across North America, tops a field of seven turf specialists that entered Saturday's 87th running of the $225,000 Arlington Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs.
The Arlington is one of six stakes events on the “Stephen Foster Preview Day” card. Run at 1 1/8 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course, the Arlington was carded as Race 9 of 11 with a post time of 4:55 p.m. (ET) First post is 12:45 p.m. The stakes-laden program at Churchill Downs also will feature the $225,000 Blame Stakes (G3, $225,000 Regret Stakes (G3), $225,000 Shawnee (G3), $225,000 Aristides (Listed) and $225,000 Audubon Stakes (Listed).
Trained by Brad Cox, the 11-time winner Set Piece made his return to the races May 4 at Churchill Downs when he finished a fast-closing third in the Opening Verse Stakes under jockey Florent Geroux. The British-bred Dansili dark bay is a four-time winner beneath the Twin Spires, most notably in last year's $400,000 Wise Dan Stakes (G2), which will be run one month from the Arlington at Churchill Downs. Set Piece drew post No. 7 in the Arlington and will once again be ridden by Geroux.
Others entered in the Arlington include Kentucky West Racing and Clarke Cooper's Belmont Derby (G1) hero Classic Causeway and Ironhorse Racing Stable, BlackRidge Stables, T-N-T Equine Holdings and Saratoga Seven Racing Partners' multiple graded stakes winner Get Smokin.
Here's the complete field for the Arlington from the inside out (with jockey and trainer): Get Smokin (Ricardo Santana Jr., Mark Casse); Kentucky Ghost (Rafael Bejarano, Vicki Oliver); Classic Causeway (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek); Tiberius Mercurius (Luis Saez, Mike Maker); Harlan Estate (Declan Cannon, Whit Beckman); Royal Patronag (John Velazquez, Graham Motion); and Set Piece (Geroux, Cox).
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