by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

Ken Weingartner

Freehold, NJ — In The Arsenal was away from the races for seven weeks this summer because of illness, but the layoff might have turned into a blessing in disguise.

During the recently completed Grand Circuit meet at The Red Mile in Lexington, In The Arsenal won divisions of the Bluegrass and International Stallion stakes. He won his Bluegrass split in a national season’s best 1:49.4 for a 2-year-old pacer and captured his International Stallion division by a length over Cartoon Daddy as previously unbeaten Artspeak went off stride in the stretch and finished third.

On Sunday (Oct. 12), In The Arsenal faces another undefeated colt – Yankee Bounty – in the first of three Historic-Goshen Cup divisions at Harrah’s Philadelphia.

In The Arsenal, who has won four of seven races, starts from post No. 2 with driver Brian Sears at the lines for trainer Kelvin Harrison. He is 8-5 on the morning line. Yankee Bounty, who is 8-for-8 this year, leaves from post four with Yannick Gingras driving for Ron Burke. He is 9-5.

“I’ve never seen one get a nice break during their 2-year-old year where it doesn’t help,” Harrison said about In The Arsenal being sidelined. “He was really sick and missed quite a bit of time before we got him back nice and healthy. His first race at Lexington was a huge mile because he really hadn’t had a good run in him in a couple of months. It was a really good race.”

USTA Photo

In the recent Red Mile Grand Circuit meet In The Arsenal won a division of the Bluegrass in a season’s best 1:49,4 for 2-year-old pacers.

In The Arsenal is a son of American Ideal out of the mare Ladyotra. He was bred by White Birch Farm, who bought back the colt for $7,500 at the 2013 Standardbred Horse Sale. Harrison attributed the price to In The Arsenal’s then-smallish size, as well as the fact he was the 14th foal out of the then-21-year-old Ladyotra.

“I think that kind of determined his price at Harrisburg, because he was really small,” Harrison said. “But he had great conformation, he was well put together.”

And during this summer’s respite, he matured physically.

“He did grow a lot, no question,” Harrison said. “I was looking at him in the paddock the other day and thought he measured up pretty good to those other horses now. He’s a big-gaited horse too. Even if they’re a small horse, when they’re big gaited they always look bigger on the track.”

Prior to his illness, In The Arsenal won two of four races, including the Lawrence B. Sheppard Pace at Yonkers Raceway. One of his setbacks came when he started from post eight at Yonkers in a division of the New York Sire Stakes.

Upon returning from his layoff, the colt started from post seven and went off-stride in the Standardbred Stakes at the Delaware County Fair in Ohio, but since then has been perfect.

“The post position kind of sets it for you at Delaware,” Harrison said. “If you’re inside, you can kind of roll, but if you’re outside you’re kind of at the mercy of it. He was just a little fired up there.”

In The Arsenal is eligible to the Matron Stakes and Breeders Crown in November. Harrison thinks the colt has all the tools to remain a top performer in the 2-year-old ranks.

“He’s got a good shot at it,” Harrison said. “He’s nice and sound and he’s doing everything well. He’s a good colt.”

In the second Historic-Goshen Cup division, International Stallion Stakes division winner Hall Of Terror is the 5-2 morning line favorite. Reynolds Stakes division winner Dragon Eddy is the 8-5 choice in the third division.

There also will be two divisions of the Historic-Harriman Cup for 2-year-old male trotters on Sunday at Philly. Don’t Mind Me is the 9-5 favorite in the first division and Ralph R is the 8-5 favorite in the second split.