Time and Motion on the way for deep Modesty Handicap

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – The Grade 1-winning 4-yearold filly Time and Motion ships Tuesday from New York to start Saturday in the Grade 3, $100,000 Modesty Handicap at Arlington, trainer Jimmy Toner confirmed Friday.

Time and Motion adds heft to a race that is coming up stronger than its grade and purse. Also expected to run is the exciting South American import Dona Bruja, a Grade 1 winner in her native Argentina who in her U.S. debut handed the very sharp filly Believe in Bertie a 1 1/2-length defeat in the Mint Julep Stakes Churchill Downs.

Arlington racing officials also expected the Christophe Clement-trained filly Paige to ship for the Modesty. Zipessa, who was third in the Grade 1 Beverly D. here last summer, also is possible for the Modesty, a 1 3/16-mile grass race designed as a Beverly D. prep.

Time and Motion was a good 2-year-old filly and even better last year at 3, when she won 5 of 7 starts, including a narrow victory over Harmonize and Hawksmoor in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland. Time and Motion has made two starts this year, finishing sixth by three lengths in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley and third, beaten three-quarters of a length by Hawksmoor and Dacita, in the Grade 3 Beaugay at Belmont Park.

Toner said an intended start in the New York Stakes on June 9 had to be abandoned after Time and Motion “came up with a low-grade infection and missed some training.” Rather than try to train Time and Motion up to what figures to be a very strong edition of the Grade 1 Diana at Saratoga, Toner decided to use the Modesty as a prep for the Beverly D.

After missing the New York, Time and Motion got back on the work tab June 19, and she had a five-furlong grass breeze timed in 1:01.55 on June 26. She works again Monday before shipping.

“She recovered nicely from that infection and seems ready to go forward,” said Toner.

Toner also is shipping the 4-year-old Awesome Again gelding Manitoulin to start in the Arlington Handicap. Manitoulin came steadily forward through his 3-year-old campaign and has won both of his 2017 starts, a first-level Keeneland allowance and a second-level Belmont allowance.

Toner said Florent Geroux has the mount on both Time and Motion and Manitoulin. Entries for the Modesty, the Arlington Handicap, the Stars and Stripes, and the American Derby – all to be run here Saturday – are to be taken Wednesday.

The Pizza Man back again

One day there will be a Stars and Stripes Handicap lacking The Pizza Man, but that day will not be Saturday.

The popular Illinois-bred gelding is set to start in the Stars and Stripes for the fifth year in a row, owner Rich Papiese said Friday. Papiese bred and owns The Pizza Man with his wife, Karen, as Midwest Thoroughbreds.

The Pizza Man finished third in the 2013 Stars and Stripes, won it in 2014 and 2015, and was fourth, beaten one length, last summer. He went on to win the Grade 1 Northern Dancer Turf at Woodbine last fall. The Pizza Man made his 8-year-old debut June 17 at Arlington, finishing fourth in the Black Tie Affair Handicap for Illinois-breds while carrying 128 pounds and racing over a very soft turf course at a distance short of his best. The Pizza Man raced last of five early behind a slow pace and came with an encouraging finish in the final 1 1/2 furlongs.

“He came out of the race fine,” Rich Papiese said. “He didn’t really quite understand what was going on, being so far behind. He had too much work to do at the end. I definitely think he should move forward.”

The Pizza Man will ship from trainer Roger Brueggemann’s base at the Trackside Training Center in Louisville, Ky., late next week.

Correas sending a pair

Pending Saturday workouts at Keeneland, the high-powered Ignacio Correas duo of Kasaqui and Dona Bruja remain on track for Arlington stakes starts Saturday.

Kasaqui convincingly won the Grade 2 Wise Dan Stakes at Churchill Downs in his most recent start and will try to win the Arlington Handicap for the second year in a row. The 7-yearold Argentine import went on to finish second last summer in the Arlington Million.

Dona Bruja, also from Argentina, could be favored in the Modesty Handicap after her impressive victory in the Mint Julep Stakes at Churchill.

Correas, who has a string at Arlington this summer, said he plans to ship both horses by van on Thursday.