Horse Racing News by Jason Shandler

Winner of the 2009 Arlington Million and runner-up the last year, Gio Ponti drew post 5 and was listed as the 2-1 second choice. Cape Blanco, winner of the July 9 Man o' War, was pegged as the 9-5 choice at the post position draw Tuesday, Aug. 9.

Despite making his first start in North America, European-based Grade 1 winner Treasure Beach was tabbed as the 2-1 morning-line favorite for the Grade 1, $400,000 Secretariat Stakes Aug. 13 at Arlington Park.

The handicap division has taken its lumps this year for not being especially deep, but its competitive nature has led to one of the more intriguing recent editions of the Grade 1, $750,000 Whitney Handicap, which drew a large field of 11.

California invaders Prayer for Relief and Dreamy Kid, both recent graded stakes winners, headline a field of 10 in the Grade 2, $750,000 West Virginia Derby Aug. 6 at Mountaineer Casino, Racetrack & Resort.

Locally-based Get Serious has been off form this season but will try to get back to his winning ways when he goes for his third straight victory in the Grade 3, $200,000 Oceanport Stakes July 31 at Monmouth Park. A field of 11 was drawn.

On July 31 at Monmouth Park, the son of Forestry will try to stamp himself as the division leader when he leads a field of eight in the Grade 1, $1 million Haskell Invitational.

Bourbon Bay, a four-time graded stakes winner in California, looks to get back on track when he leads a field of eight in the Grade 3, $125,000 Cougar II Handicap July 29 at Del Mar.

European invader Cape Blanco, making his United States debut, denied champion Gio Ponti a third straight victory in the Grade 1, $600,000 Man o' War when he held him off in the stretch to win by 2 1/4 lengths July 9 at Belmont Park.

Robert Scarborough's Cheetah came from the back of the pack and used an inside stretch move to score the Grade 3, $202,450 Robert G. Dick Memorial Stakes July 9 at Delaware Park.

On paper, Kaleem Shah's May Day Rose stands tall among the six 3-year-old fillies entered for the Grade 3, $150,000 Azalea Stakes as the lone 2010 graded stakes winner in the bunch.