Courier Journal

Other than attending horse auctions, Lonnie Arterburn has never been to Kentucky.

But you won't find this Northern California-based trainer trumpeting his long-awaited arrival from the top of the Twin Spires, even though he could have the favorite for Friday's Grade I Kentucky Oaks in Rings a Chime.

"I'd rather keep my mouth shut and let the proof be in the pudding," Arterburn said. "But a lot of people want you to make big-time predictions."

Instead, he prefers to stick to what he likes about his filly.

"She's a real trouper," he said yesterday morning at the Downs. "She's real happy. She's doing everything right. She's eating good, and she's training very well."

Rings a Chime enters the 1 1/8-mile, $500,000-added Oaks off a nose victory over Zoftig in the Grade I Ashland Stakes at Keeneland Race Course. She is 4-4-2 in 11 career outings with earnings of $484,155.

"She tries hard and runs her best every time," Arterburn said.

More important, perhaps, Rings a Chime could open doors for Arterburn, a successful trainer but one who has spent 18 years conditioning claiming horses.

"I'm still young. . . . There are certain goals in this racing world I'd like to achieve: bigger races and to race out here in the East," said Arterburn, 43. "At this point I've been hidden out in Northern California.

"I've had to do it the hard way. I had to go out and buy and claim my horses. We never had a farm or anybody shuttling me horses."

Rings a Chime is his first Grade I winner. He rode from 1977 to 1980 -- largely in Northern California and Washington -- and never won a graded stakes.

"I never did hit if off as a rider," said Arterburn, whose father, Jack, also rode and now trains. "But you can look it up: I think I've done well. . . . Actually, the cheapest horses are the hardest to train."

Through April, the native of Idaho had trained 1,117 winners in 4,940 races.

"I guess I've always been pretty high on myself as a trainer," he said. "I've just never had an opportunity to have the right kind of horse. This filly is as close as I've ever had."

Of the roughly 30 horses Arterburn currently has in training, more than 20 are claimers.

However, at one time this spring he was close to having a starter in Saturday's Kentucky Derby in Remember Sheikh, winner of the Grade III El Camino Real Derby at Bay Meadows. But the colt has an infected hock.

"Some people run horses in the Derby and the Oaks just because they can," he said. "I try to run favorites. If you're a long shot, you don't belong in the race. Remember, Sheikh probably would have been a long shot, so I'm not heartbroken that he's not here.

"But this filly belongs here, and she probably should be 5-1 or less in the race."

Arterburn said he first realized that Rings a Chime was an Oaks-caliber horse in January, when she finished second to multiple Grade I stakes-winner Surfside in the Grade III Santa Ysabel at Santa Anita.

A month earlier he had added her to his stable when Southern Californian Joe Kowal -- a former National Hockey League left wing -- bought the filly privately for $400,000.

"She probably didn't receive all the training she deserved before (the Santa Ysabel)," Arterburn said. "She made a nice run, then tired in the stretch and still held on for second. I knew then that we had a legitimate horse."

Rings a Chime has faced Surfside three times, finishing third in the Las Virgenes and fourth in the Santa Anita Oaks, both Grade I races.

Arterburn's filly also has raced against males, finishing third in the Doonesbury Handicap at Golden Gate Fields in December.

Rings a Chime won the 1 1/16-mile Ashland wire to wire, which seemed to dispel speculation that she couldn't handle distances of more than a mile.

"She actually is a speed horse, and I think a mile and an eighth sometimes is easier on a speed horse than a mile and a sixteenth or a mile," Arterburn said. "Usually you get a softer pace."

He said he was impressed in the Ashland by the way Rings a Chime held off Zoftig, who also is to contest the Oaks.

"That particular day speed was not favoring, and she won on a fairly good pace on a non-favoring speed-bias track," he said. "If you watched the race, she was loafing a little bit at the head of the stretch, and you could see her drift out (some). The grandstand and all the commotion were probably new to her.

"Then when (Zoftig) came up to her, my filly pinned her ears and went back to running. She never got by her, even when they galloped out, and I don't think she ever will."


	The Courier-Journal KENTUCKY OAKS 126 Trainer playing it low key for Rings a Chime By DAVE KOERNER, The Courier-Journal May 3, 2000 Other than attending horse auctions, Lonnie Arterburn has never been to Kentucky. No Derby, no Oaks. Not even a peek at Churchill Downs. Until this spring. But you won't find this Northern California-based trainer trumpeting his long-awaited arrival from the top of the Twin Spires, even though he could have the favorite for Friday's Grade I Kentucky Oaks in Rings a Chime. "I'd rather keep my mouth shut and let the proof be in the pudding," Arterburn said. "But a lot of people want you to make big-time predictions." Instead, he prefers to stick to what he likes about his filly. "She's a real trouper," he said yesterday morning at the Downs. "She's real happy. She's doing everything right. She's eating good, and she's training very well." Rings a Chime enters the 1 1/8-mile, $500,000-added Oaks off a nose victory over Zoftig in the Grade I Ashland Stakes at Keeneland Race Course. She is 4-4-2 in 11 career outings with earnings of $484,155. "She tries hard and runs her best every time," Arterburn said. More important, perhaps, Rings a Chime could open doors for Arterburn, a successful trainer but one who has spent 18 years conditioning claiming horses. "I'm still young. . . . There are certain goals in this racing world I'd like to achieve: bigger races and to race out here in the East," said Arterburn, 43. "At this point I've been hidden out in Northern California. "I've had to do it the hard way. I had to go out and buy and claim my horses. We never had a farm or anybody shuttling me horses." Rings a Chime is his first Grade I winner. He rode from 1977 to 1980 -- largely in Northern California and Washington -- and never won a graded stakes. "I never did hit if off as a rider," said Arterburn, whose father, Jack, also rode and now trains. "But you can look it up: I think I've done well. . . . Actually, the cheapest horses are the hardest to train." Through April, the native of Idaho had trained 1,117 winners in 4,940 races. "I guess I've always been pretty high on myself as a trainer," he said. "I've just never had an opportunity to have the right kind of horse. This filly is as close as I've ever had." Of the roughly 30 horses Arterburn currently has in training, more than 20 are claimers. However, at one time this spring he was close to having a starter in Saturday's Kentucky Derby in Remember Sheikh, winner of the Grade III El Camino Real Derby at Bay Meadows. But the colt has an infected hock. Arterburn isn't sure how Remember Sheikh would have fared. "Some people run horses in the Derby and the Oaks just because they can," he said. "I try to run favorites. If you're a long shot, you don't belong in the race. Remember, Sheikh probably would have been a long shot, so I'm not heartbroken that he's not here. "But this filly belongs here, and she probably should be 5-1 or less in the race." Arterburn said he first realized that Rings a Chime was an Oaks-caliber horse in January, when she finished second to multiple Grade I stakes-winner Surfside in the Grade III Santa Ysabel at Santa Anita. A month earlier he had added her to his stable when Southern Californian Joe Kowal -- a former National Hockey League left wing -- bought the filly privately for $400,000. "She probably didn't receive all the training she deserved before (the Santa Ysabel)," Arterburn said. "She made a nice run, then tired in the stretch and still held on for second. I knew then that we had a legitimate horse." Rings a Chime has faced Surfside three times, finishing third in the Las Virgenes and fourth in the Santa Anita Oaks, both Grade I races. Arterburn's filly also has raced against males, finishing third in the Doonesbury Handicap at Golden Gate Fields in December. Rings a Chime won the 1 1/16-mile Ashland wire to wire, which seemed to dispel speculation that she couldn't handle distances of more than a mile. "She actually is a speed horse, and I think a mile and an eighth sometimes is easier on a speed horse than a mile and a sixteenth or a mile," Arterburn said. "Usually you get a softer pace." He said he was impressed in the Ashland by the way Rings a Chime held off Zoftig, who also is to contest the Oaks. "That particular day speed was not favoring, and she won on a fairly good pace on a non-favoring speed-bias track," he said. "If you watched the race, she was loafing a little bit at the head of the stretch, and you could see her drift out (some). The grandstand and all the commotion were probably new to her. "Then when (Zoftig) came up to her, my filly pinned her ears and went back to running. She never got by her, even when they galloped out, and I don't think she ever will." back