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Arzak looks to become racing’s newest millionaire in $150K Harvey Pack

by Mary Eddy

Sonata Stable’s multiple graded stakes-winner Arzak returns to the scene of a hard-trying runner-up effort in the Grade 1 Jaipur when taking on eight rivals in Monday’s Listed $150,000 Harvey Pack, a 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf sprint for older horses, on Closing Day of the Saratoga Race Course meet.

Trained by Michael Trombetta, who annexed last week’s featured turf sprint when Future Is Now captured the Listed Smart N Fancy, Arzak arrives from a narrow third in the Wolf Hill going the Harvey Pack distance on July 20 at Monmouth Park.

There, the 6-year-old son of Not This Time tracked in fifth-of-8 at the three-eighths call before pouncing in the stretch between foes and making his bid for the front. He gained ground bravely, but came up three-quarter-lengths shy of the victorious Nothing Better while being headed out of place honors by That’s Right in a blanket finish. The effort was awarded a 94 Beyer Speed Figure.

“The overall outcome was a little disappointing, but it was just one of those outcomes where he didn’t get the ideal setup and trip we would want,” Trombetta said. “When they turned for home, they kind of got away from us a little bit. He made his run at them, but he ran out of time.”

Arzak returns to the Spa where he ran a deep-closing second in the 5 1/2-furlong Grade 1 Jaipur presented by Resolute Racing two starts back on June 8, which was won by Cogburn in a North American record time of 59.80 seconds. Though it was his first Grade 1 placing, he ran admirably at that level when defeated just two lengths with a closing sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint in November at Santa Anita Park.

“It was just an exceptionally fast-run race and he ran hard to get up for second,” Trombetta said of the Jaipur. “Hopefully, he’s ready to go. He's doing good, he’s training well, and I’m happy with his workouts leading into this race. He’s a quality horse. He’s always run good for us. I think he likes to stalk the speed and get a chance to run them down in the straightaway.”

The consistent chestnut’s 27-8-4-2 record also includes a one-length win in the Grade 2 Shakertown in April at Keeneland to kick off his current campaign, as well as additional graded conquests in last year’s Grade 2 Woodford at Keeneland and the 2022 Grade 3 Jacques Cartier at Woodbine. A win in this event would make Arzak racing’s newest millionaire, entering with total purse earnings of $934,019.

Irad Ortiz, Jr. has the call from post 5.

Arzak should have a speedy target to chase in the dual stakes-placed Souper Quest [post 6, Jose Ortiz], who looks to double up on Spa victories for Hall of Fame conditioner Mark Casse off a determined nose optional claiming score last out on July 28 over course and distance.

A Florida homebred for Live Oak Plantation, the Munnings 4-year-old has made the early lead in all but one of his eight lifetime outings, led by his last-out score here in wire-to-wire fashion over returning rival Our Shot to earn a career-best 97 Beyer. The effort came on the heels of a hard-trying second in the June 16 Get Serious at Monmouth where he was bested 1 1/4 lengths by Grooms All Bizness.

Shane Tripp, assistant to Casse, said Souper Quest is primed for a strong showing on Monday.

“He couldn’t be doing any better. He’ll be salty in that spot, I’m looking forward to leading him over there,” Tripp said. “He had a tough one at Monmouth, finished second before he came up here. He just needed a couple of races to get to where he needed to be. I think he will be a handful on Monday.”

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing’s Big Invasion [post 8, Dylan Davis] seeks to avenge a neck defeat in this event last year when bested by the late-running Thin White Duke. The Christophe Clement trainee went on to win the Grade 2 Nearctic at Woodbine and finished second beaten a neck by Nobals in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint in November at Santa Anita Park, where he earned a co-field-high 102 Beyer.

This year, the 5-year-old son of Declaration of War was a close fourth in the Listed Silks Run in March at Gulfstream to kick off his campaign and was well-beaten in both the Grade 2 Turf Sprint in May at Churchill Downs and the Jaipur, but relished a drop in class when a neck second in a six-furlong optional claiming tilt last out on July 4 at Belmont at the Big A.

“He’s doing well. He’s training well. Hoping we don’t get too much rain Saturday and then we go from there,” Clement said. “He’s been running well, he just needs a bit of racing luck.”

Big Invasion enjoyed a tremendous summer at the Spa in 2022 when winning the Grade 3 Quick Call presented by the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation and the Listed Mahony as part of a six-race win streak. A top-three finish would put Big Invasion over the million-dollar earnings mark as well.

Sharing the field-high 102 Beyer with Big Invasion is Photos Finish’s Surveillance [post 3, John Velazquez], who enters off a last-out romp in an off-the-turf edition of the local Grade 3 Troy on August 10 for conditioner Wayne Potts.

The 7-year-old Constitution gelding earned his 102 Beyer for a win in the 2022 Richard R. Scherer Memorial on dirt at Fair Grounds Race Course when in the care of trainer Keith Desormeaux. He was later claimed by Flying P Stable and Mike Maker in May at Churchill Downs, and claimed again for $62,500 by current connections two starts later out of an optional claiming win over course and distance on July 26.

The claim paid immediate dividends when the gray was wheeled back two weeks later to take the Troy with a stalk-and-pounce trip engineered by Tyler Gaffalione, drawing off to win by 3 1/4 lengths over next-out winner Outlaw Kid.

Completing the field are multiple stakes-winner Smithwick’s Spice [post 1, Jorge Luis Gonzalez] for conditioner Douglas Nunn; stakes-winner High Front [post 4, Ricardo Santana, Jr.] in his first start off the claim for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen; stakes-placed Charging [post 2, Ramon Vazquez] for trainer Mike Maker; seven-time winner Mister Mmmmm [post 7, Tyler Gaffalione] for trainer Joe Sharp; and Grade 2-placed Our Shot [post 9, Luis Saez] for conditioner John Terranova.

The Harvey Pack is slated as Race 8 on Monday’s 12-race program, which features the Grade 1, $300,000 Hopeful in Race 10, to close out the summer meet at the Spa. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

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