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Surgical Strike wins Arlington Classic with blinkers
- Updated: May 28, 2016
8:21 PM ET
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill — The favored Surgical Strike nipped game One Mean Man by a head to win the Grade 3, $100,000 Arlington Classic over a yielding turf course Saturday.
Third three weeks ago in the Grade 2 American Turf, Surgical Strike raced with blinkers added in hopes, trainer Ben Colebrook said earlier this week, of keeping him from falling so far behind early in the race. That worked, as Surgical Strike settled into a perfect pocket trip under James Graham racing closer to the lead than he had in nine months and nine starts.
“It was kind of where James had to be with the pace being that slow,” Colebrook said. “I was definitely pleased, but I think being a little closer he might not have kicked as much as he usually does.”
The slow-early, fast-race race shape of the Classic favored those forwardly placed, as the first four into the first turn filled out the first four placings at the finish, as Swagger Jagger, who pressed the leaders, three-quarters of a length behind One Mean Man and 1-3/4 lengths in front of pacesetting Two Step Time. Splits over a course that was in great shape but quite wet were 25.64 …
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