Hooves and other CHicago fans great story

[dellinger63]

Major win for Messineo, Fires in Stars and Stripes
By John Leusch
Daily Herald Sports Writer
Posted Monday, July 03, 2006

When he was playing varsity basketball for Paul Grady and baseball for Bill Wurl at Buffalo Grove High School, Jim Messineo also had another sporting interest.

He used to make the trip to the old Arlington Park and remembers many a time watching Earlie Fires hustling horses through the stretch en route to becoming the track’s all-time winningest jockey.

The 1983 BG graduate was watching Arlington’s 59-year old legend do the same thing Sunday at Arlington Park.

But this time, the horse Fires rode was not just any horse.

It was Messineo’s.

Getting 16 cracks of the whip from the quarter-pole to the wire by the Hall of Famer, 35-1 longshot Major Rhythm surged to a head victory over 16-1 Come on Jazz and jockey Francisco Torres in the Grade III, $195,000 Stars and Stripes Breeders’ Cup Turf.

“The last 70 yards he needed help,” Fires said of the 7-year-old colt ($73 to win) whom Messineo claimed for $30,000 four years ago. “He got a great trip today and that made the difference because he can’t encounter any trouble in big races like this and still win.”

And Major Rhythm has been in his share of big races. He ran fourth in the Grade I Secretariat Stakes a few years ago.

Messineo has nominated the son of Rhythm to the Arlington Million every year.

“That’s my dream — to run a horse in the Million,” said Messineo, a Palatine resident and Inverness attorney. “Forget about the Kentucky Derby, forget about the Preakness. To me, the Arlington Million is greatest race of all.”

Messineo’s greatest win of his career Saturday didn’t come without its anxious moments.

He stood in the east park area watching with about 80 friends and family members.

“I didn’t know if he won at the end,” Messineo said. “I was saying, ‘Did he win? Did he win?’æ”

“To be honest, I thought I had it won at the top of the lane and at the wire,” said Torres, who was aboard runner-up Come On Jazz. “He never saw (Major Rhythm) coming on the outside until it was too late. Once he did, he started running again. That’s just the way it goes. I’m glad for Earlie and their connections.”

Major Rhythm is trained by Ed Beam and his wife and assistant Tracy, who is a vice-principal at Lakewood Elementary School in Carpentersville.

“That man (Messineo) is fabulous for racing,” said Tracy, who with her husband have four other horses stabled at Arlington. “Everyone has been questioning him about the competition that he runs this horse against, but he is just really a good person for the sport.”

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott has also been quite a person for the sport.

He showed up at Arlington on Sunday with 3-5 favorite Silver Whistle, already a Grade III winner.

However, the 4-year-old gray son of Alphabet Soup got off to a lackluster beginning and finished fourth, about 3 lengths behind Major Rhythm.

Silver Whistle won a Grade III stakes at Gulfstream two starts back with jockey Edgar Prado, the rider for Kentucky Derby champion Barbaro.

Robby Albarado, who won Saturday’s Arlington Classic, was back in town Sunday to ride Silver Whistle.

“I was kind of covered up behind a slow pace,” Albarado said. “I would have liked to have gotten him out of there earlier.”

“He didn’t break well,” said Mott, perhaps best remembered by Arlington fans for his work with Cigar. “He kind of got stuck in the back the whole way and never had a shot to improve his position.”

Major Rhythm’s victory — worth $120,00 — improved his bankroll to $547,140.

It was his 10th win in 46 career starts but first since capturing the Edward DeBartolo Memorial Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Remington Park in September 2004.

Ascertain, a 5-year-old Irish-bred, ran third at 9-2, completing a $2,176.80 trifecta payout.

“He threw his ears up and fought on well in the stretch,” said jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., who rode Ascertain for trainer Niall O’Callaghan. “I thought he ran a good race.”

Messineo, who has owned about 10 thoroughbreds for trainer Ed Beam since 1993, also had a good day at the betting window.

“Sure, I always bet on my horses,” he said with a big smile.

Fires on the Arlington turf always seems to be a good bet.

And this time he provided a truly “Major” upset.

Originally Posted by dellinger63

Major win for Messineo, Fires in Stars and Stripes
By John Leusch
Daily Herald Sports Writer
Posted Monday, July 03, 2006

When he was playing varsity basketball for Paul Grady and baseball for Bill Wurl at Buffalo Grove High School, Jim Messineo also had another sporting interest.

He used to make the trip to the old Arlington Park and remembers many a time watching Earlie Fires hustling horses through the stretch en route to becoming the track’s all-time winningest jockey.

The 1983 BG graduate was watching Arlington’s 59-year old legend do the same thing Sunday at Arlington Park.

But this time, the horse Fires rode was not just any horse.

It was Messineo’s.

Getting 16 cracks of the whip from the quarter-pole to the wire by the Hall of Famer, 35-1 longshot Major Rhythm surged to a head victory over 16-1 Come on Jazz and jockey Francisco Torres in the Grade III, $195,000 Stars and Stripes Breeders’ Cup Turf.

“The last 70 yards he needed help,” Fires said of the 7-year-old colt ($73 to win) whom Messineo claimed for $30,000 four years ago. “He got a great trip today and that made the difference because he can’t encounter any trouble in big races like this and still win.”

And Major Rhythm has been in his share of big races. He ran fourth in the Grade I Secretariat Stakes a few years ago.

Messineo has nominated the son of Rhythm to the Arlington Million every year.

“That’s my dream — to run a horse in the Million,” said Messineo, a Palatine resident and Inverness attorney. “Forget about the Kentucky Derby, forget about the Preakness. To me, the Arlington Million is greatest race of all.”

Messineo’s greatest win of his career Saturday didn’t come without its anxious moments.

He stood in the east park area watching with about 80 friends and family members.

“I didn’t know if he won at the end,” Messineo said. “I was saying, ‘Did he win? Did he win?’æ”

“To be honest, I thought I had it won at the top of the lane and at the wire,” said Torres, who was aboard runner-up Come On Jazz. “He never saw (Major Rhythm) coming on the outside until it was too late. Once he did, he started running again. That’s just the way it goes. I’m glad for Earlie and their connections.”

Major Rhythm is trained by Ed Beam and his wife and assistant Tracy, who is a vice-principal at Lakewood Elementary School in Carpentersville.

“That man (Messineo) is fabulous for racing,” said Tracy, who with her husband have four other horses stabled at Arlington. “Everyone has been questioning him about the competition that he runs this horse against, but he is just really a good person for the sport.”

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott has also been quite a person for the sport.

He showed up at Arlington on Sunday with 3-5 favorite Silver Whistle, already a Grade III winner.

However, the 4-year-old gray son of Alphabet Soup got off to a lackluster beginning and finished fourth, about 3 lengths behind Major Rhythm.

Silver Whistle won a Grade III stakes at Gulfstream two starts back with jockey Edgar Prado, the rider for Kentucky Derby champion Barbaro.

Robby Albarado, who won Saturday’s Arlington Classic, was back in town Sunday to ride Silver Whistle.

“I was kind of covered up behind a slow pace,” Albarado said. “I would have liked to have gotten him out of there earlier.”

“He didn’t break well,” said Mott, perhaps best remembered by Arlington fans for his work with Cigar. “He kind of got stuck in the back the whole way and never had a shot to improve his position.”

Major Rhythm’s victory — worth $120,00 — improved his bankroll to $547,140.

It was his 10th win in 46 career starts but first since capturing the Edward DeBartolo Memorial Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Remington Park in September 2004.

Ascertain, a 5-year-old Irish-bred, ran third at 9-2, completing a $2,176.80 trifecta payout.

“He threw his ears up and fought on well in the stretch,” said jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., who rode Ascertain for trainer Niall O’Callaghan. “I thought he ran a good race.”

Messineo, who has owned about 10 thoroughbreds for trainer Ed Beam since 1993, also had a good day at the betting window.

“Sure, I always bet on my horses,” he said with a big smile.

Fires on the Arlington turf always seems to be a good bet.

And this time he provided a truly “Major” upset.

Dell do you guys know this guy? If so thats a great story(it is anyway)!!
Any of you guys in the winners circle?

[Scav]

Earlie lives in the area..has two fine daughters

[Scav]

Dell, my boy JL wrote this article...I personally think JL should get to write a daily article about the races on a daily basis...J.K. is a moron...

[dellinger63]

Orca
Yes we know him and he showed me the story at the track today. He's a great guy and the fact he watched the race in the park area and not in the owners box speaks volumes for how the guy is. Wasn't at the track for his win but Jimmy was still buying beers today.
Also know the writer of the story as well and so does Scavs and Habersham.