The Pizza Man, 8, tries to defy age in Black Tie Affair

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – The Pizza Man, the venerable Illinois-bred gelding, races for the first time as an 8-year-old when he starts as the heavy favorite in the $50,000 Black Tie Affair Handicap for statebreds Saturday at Arlington.

The Pizza Man hasn’t raced since Nov. 24, and seeing his past performances reminds one of what an awesome career this horse has put together – 17 wins from 33 starts, including a victory in the 2015 Arlington Million, and a bankroll of more than $2.1 million. Over the Arlington turf course, The Pizza Man is 10-1-1 from 15 starts.

“He’s ready,” said Rich Papiese, the principal in Midwest Thoroughbreds, which bred and owns The Pizza Man. “He’s getting bored. He needs to run.”

The Pizza Man got time off over the winter at Midwest’s farm in Florida before joining trainer Roger Brueggemann in Kentucky this spring. He’s been working steadily since May 2 and is racing outside of gradedstakes competition for the first time in more than two years.

“This is a better place to land than some of the other places,” Papiese said. “The feeling is, ‘Why not get a race over the track?’ If everything goes well, you’d probably go to the Stars and Stripes. If you train him up to the Stars and Stripes, you don’t get much of a chance to see where he is.”

The Grade 3, $100,000 Stars and Stripes is July 8 at Arlington. The Pizza Man finished fourth in that race last year before running sixth in the Million. Both races fell below his 2015 peak, and while The Pizza Man landed a solid blow in winning the Grade 1 Northern Dancer last September at Woodbine, he appeared to have lost a halfstep from his best form.

The Pizza Man carries a significant impost in the Black Tie Affair – 128 pounds – while racing at 1 1/16 miles, well short of his best distance. This will be his third start in the race – he finished second in 2013 and won by a half-length as the odds-on favorite in 2014. He’ll be an odds-on favorite Saturday but might not be a cinch.

Cammack won the 2016 Black Tie Affair, and while he got away leading on a slow pace that day while facing easier competition than he meets Saturday, Cammack almost certainly is a better horse than he was a year ago. After winning just twice in his first 15 starts, Cammack has won eight of his last 11.

“He’s been consistent, and he’s done everything we’ve asked him to do and continues to go forward,” trainer Chris Block said. “I’m looking for the same kind of effort Saturday.”

Super Soldier finished a close third in the 2015 Black Tie Affair and comes off one of the better performances of his career, overcoming trouble to win impressively here June 3.

“He’s kind of a delicate, little horse, and the 14 days back is a concern,” trainer Michele Boyce said.

Oak Brook could be worth a play at something close to 10-1. His best grass races are not far off what will be needed to win the Black Tie Affair, and he could shake loose and control the pace while getting 11 pounds from The Pizza Man.

Prado’s Sweet Ride in Spellman

Prado’s Sweet Ride’s strong winter form at Fair Grounds continues to age well. Kitten’s Roar, a horse with whom Prado’s Sweet Ride traded decisions in New Orleans, finished a solid third last weekend at Belmont Park in the Grade 1 Just a Game Stakes. And Prado’s Sweet Ride will not need a Grade 1-level performance to win the $50,000 Mike Spellman Memorial Handicap, the female-restricted counterpart to the Black Tie Affair.

Prado’s Sweet Ride carries 121 pounds in the Spellman, a race in which she finished a somewhat disappointing fifth a year ago. That’s one pound fewer than the highweighted Lovely Loyree and a weight break Prado’s Sweet Ride probably doesn’t even need.

“She seemed to really blossom over the winter,” trainer Block said. “I saw a difference with her in the way she settled the early part of a race and finished, and being adaptable to pace. She’s a more mature filly from midseason last year up until now. She was never a filly that carried a lot of flesh, and you always worried about overtraining her, but I see a heartier individual who has filled out as a 5-year-old.”

Lovely Loyree finished second in this race a year ago while making her first start in three months and starts Saturday for the first time since July.

“Her works have been good, but you can only do so much with works,” trainer Boyce said.

Stormin Elle won this race a year ago, but the 7-yearold would need a career-best performance to beat an in-form Prado’s Sweet Ride.