Dr Chandler in the House on Arlington's Million Preview Day

In Today's Notes:

• Doctor Chandler in the House on Arlington's Million Preview Day
• Public Speaker One Loud Longshot in Saturday's Arlington ‘Cap
• Arlington's Leading Rider E. T. Baird Approaching 2,000 Career Wins

DR. CHANDLER IN THE HOUSE ON ARLINGTON'S MILLION PREVIEW DAY
Dr. John Chandler, the South African-born internationally renowned horseman who owns and breeds Thoroughbreds on his own in addition to his management duties at Juddmonte Farm, will be at Arlington Park Saturday to watch two of his own homebreds perform during Arlington's Million Preview Day.

One of those will be Thabazimbi in Saturday's Grade III Arlington Handicap as the final local prep for the 27th running of the Grade I Arlington Million Aug. 8. The other will be Dynaforce in Saturday's Grade III Modesty Handicap, a filly and mare test that serves in that same capacity for the upcoming Grade I Beverly D. - the Arlington Million's sister race run on that same second Saturday in August.

"The last time I had two horses running at Arlington on the same day was in 1994 and they both won," said Chandler, speaking over his cell phone Friday morning from Lexington, Kentucky, as he was driving from his own farm to Juddmonte.

"One of them was Juddmonte's Eagle Eyed," said Chandler. "He won the Arlington Classic that day, with my own horse Star Campaigner finishing third in that same race. Our other winner that afternoon was Aletta Maria, and she is the dam of both Thabazimbi and Dynaforce."

Thabazimbi, who raced in France last year, made the first North American start and 2009 debut in an allowance race and Keeneland and won by 2 1/2-lengths. In his only other start this season he was third in the Grade III Louisville Handicap May 23, beaten less than three lengths by the winning Brass Hat and the runner-up Spice Route after leading until mid-stretch.

"Brass Hat is a very good horse and has been for years," said Chandler of the Louisville Handicap, "and Roger Attfield's horse (Spice Route) won the (Grade II) Elkhorn in Lexington this spring. By the way, Thabazimbi is named for a big pile of iron ore in South Africa. In Zulu, Thabazimbi - pronounced with a hard ‘T" and not the ‘Th' sound - means ‘mountain of iron.'

"Dynaforce went the same sort of way as Thabazimbi," said Chandler. "She raced in France under the care of (trainer) Andre Fabre, where she won a listed stakes (Chantilly's Prix Charles Laffitte) and was third in a Group II (Darley Prix Jean Romanet) at Deauville before coming back home last year."

Dynaforce was second by a neck to eventual 2008 Beverly D. Stakes winner Mauralakana, owned by Robert Scarborough, in her first North American start in the Grade II New York Stakes last spring, and won last fall's Grade I Flower Bowl Invitational at Belmont. She was then eighth under the wire in last fall's Grade I Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf after being forced to steady but was subsequently moved up to seventh in her 2008 finale.

The 6-year-old Dynaformer mare has made one start this year, finishing fifth beaten less than five in the Grade III Gallorette Handicap at Pimlico on Preakness Day May 16.

"She was a bit fresh that day, and the jockey took a bit of a hold on her, which she didn't like," said Chandler. "Also, she was running in very tough company."

Seven years ago, Chandler brought his homebred Cetewayo to Arlington to win the Grade III Stars and Stripes Handicap on the local lawn after that horse had won the Grade II Gulfstream Park Handicap on the main track earlier in the year.

"I think that was the absolute highlight of my visits to Arlington," said Chandler. "I really enjoyed that - winning the Stars and Stripes Handicap with Cetewayo."

PUBLIC SPEAKER ONE LOUD LONGSHOT IN SATURDAY'S ARLINGTON ‘CAP
After being haltered by trainer Becky Maker for $50,000 on behalf of owner Peter Karahalios two starts back, Public Speaker, at 20-1 in the morning line, will get a chance to speak volumes for the claiming game should he win Saturday's Grade III Arlington Handicap.

The Kentucky-bred colt won his last start June 26 in allowance company, and before that was second by neck under the wire in the $54,100 The Tin Man Stakes before being disqualified and placed fourth.

"It was his first start on the turf, and when he got the lead and the jockey switched his stick on him, he didn't quite know what he was supposed to do and got a little bit confused," Maker said.

ARLINGTON'S LEADING RIDER E. T. BAIRD APPROACHING 2,000 CAREER WINS
Jockey E. T. Baird, Arlington Park's current leading rider with 45 wins at the meeting - two more than his closest pursuer - is also approaching the 2,000-career win milestone.

Through Thursday, July 9, the son of the late longtime Arlington-based jockey Bobby Baird had 1,991 wins, with four mounts scheduled Friday at the Chicago oval and seven more slated for Saturday's Million Preview Day.