Accomplished runners from both coasts assembled Monday at Arlington International Racecourse for the Grade II $200,000 Washington Park Handicap. But the hitherto unheralded hero of the track’s top dirt race for older horses came from Barn 15 on the Arlington backstretch.
Competing as a member of the mutuel field, Powerful Punch lived up to his name late in the stretch and his clout carried him to the winner’s circle.
Joining him there were his Chicago owner, Russell Reineman, a pillar of American racing for five decades, and trainer Harvey Vanier, another of the sport’s longtime VIPs.
“We felt we had an outside chance,” said Reineman. “Harvey thought a lot of him. Today Curt Bourque rode him the way he has to be ridden.”
“This horse likes an off track, and the race set up well,” said Bourque, leading rider at the Sportsman’s Park meeting. “He rated well. Everything opened up (leaving the top of the stretch). I just had a couple of horses in front of me, and when I called on him he went on.
“He ran up to the second-place horse (Memo) and hung a little. When I got into him real hard, he went by the other horse.”
After being ninth in the 13-horse field with 3/8 of a mile to go, Powerful Punch won by 3/4 of a length.
Memo, a Grade II winner at Santa Anita, ran second. Coming in third was Northern Trend, tied to Powerful Punch and sixth-place Evanescent in the betting as a member of the field.
Maryland invader Sunny Sunrise went off the 2-1 favorite but wound up last, done in after dueling front-running Northern Trend and Memo early.
The field horses went off at odds of 16.30-1 and kicked back payoffs of $34.60, $12 and $8.40 after Powerful Punch went the distance in 1:50 on a muddy track.
The victory was the fifth in the 20-race career of the 4-year-old son of 1986 Belmont winner Danzig Connection and Silvery Honey.
“This always has been a high-quality horse, but until today he never has been a lucky horse,” said Vanier. “He always comes from so far out of it and many a time he had traffic problems.”
Vanier is one of six trainers employed by Reineman. He also has horses with Carl Nafzger and Frank Springer at Arlington, with Woody Stephens and Phil Gleaves on the East Coast and with Jack Bohannan in Kentucky.
– Memorial Day was a field day for Tribune handicapper Dave Surico, who picked seven winners on the 11-race card. The horses were Bianca D ($5) in the first, Wisest Lady ($9) in the second, Quentin Corners ($4) in the fifth, Sale Special ($6.40) in the sixth, Adam Smith ($5.80) in the seventh, Crescent Creole ($10.60) in the 10th and Ms. Bowen ($9.40) in the 11th. Bianca D and Wisest Lady produced a $26.60 daily double and Quentin Corners, Sale Special and Adam Smith collaborated for a $21.20 Pic 3 payoff. Surico’s big day comes on the heels of another seven-winner day by Tribune racing writer Neil Milbert.
