Stars and Stripes Offers Value

The Stars and Stripes, run at a mile and a half, serves as the local prep race for the August 16 American St. Leger Stakes on Million Day.   The race draws a competitive field of ten in an excellent betting race.  The Pizza Man is the 7/2 morning line second choice, but will vie for post time favoritism for trainer Chris Block after a comeback win in the Black Tie Affair Stakes June 21 at a mile and a sixteenth.  The win marked the first race in eight months for The Pizza Man who has ten wins in fifteen career starts including a record of 6-1-1 in nine starts on the Arlington Turf.  He finished third in last year’s Stars and Stripes.  

Suntracer might be better used underneath  

Suntracer (3/1 ML), trained by Chris Block, should find himself in the thick of things when the real running begins despite just one win in twelve lifetime starts on the Arlington turf including zero wins in seven starts at the distance.  Still, Suntracer was beaten just a head in his last start by the well-regarded War Dancer in the Grade III Louisville Handicap also run at a mile and a half.  War Dance is the favorite in the Arlington Handicap.  

O'Prado Ole well-bred, live longshot  

The lightly race O’Prado Ole (12/1) will make just his ninth lifetime start for trainer Dale Romans.  Although he has only raced beyond a mile and a sixteenth once, he is a son of 2007 Breeder’s Cup Turf winner English Channel.