A competitive field of 13 will pit skills in the Arlington Million at Arlington Park Saturday in Chicago and for bettors that enjoy variety, it will be offered in spades.
At least 10 of the 13 in this field are capable of winning Saturday so let’s take a shot at a price.
It’s hard to believe that this Grade 1 mile and a quarter million-dollar turf race will be run for the 34th time.
I’m afraid I’m dating myself here, but I’ll never forget the first Arlington Million in 1981.
I was staying at Del Mar that weekend and was watching the race with a bunch of friends at the hotel since Del Mar had a late afternoon start.
The race was also larger than life because it was the first million-dollar race in the United States and my friends and I watched in awe as the great John Henry nipped The Bart in the last jump.
This was before live telecasts at the track so one of my shadier friends ran in to a guy at the track who hadn’t seen the race. When they showed it at the track on replay, the guy was adamant The Bart won and my shadier friend told him he’d bet anything that The Bart lost.
You know the rest of the story.
This was a huge coup for Arlington to attract a true rags-to-riches horse in John Henry. Once purchased for $1,100, John Henry went on to earn over $6.5 million and became one of the best horses ever. He was truly a once-in-a-lifetime performer.
The adage ‘refuse to lose’ embodied his skill and heart.
Fittingly the legend Bill Shoemaker was on the first winner of the Arlington Million and John Henry is the only double winner of this fixture.
Other stars like Estrapade, Manila, Steinlen, The Tin Man and Little Mike have won the Arlington Million and last year The Pizza Man delivered a hot serving of courage taking the Million.
Tryster will be one of the players in this year’s Arlington Million. Last year he won 6 of his 7 starts and he proved his class this March winning a Group 1 race in Dubai.
Deauville comes to Chicago as he won his stateside debut at Belmont Park July 9 to run his record to 3 for 7. He was also flattered when the runner that beat him on June 4 returned to win a $1.3 million race in Ireland.
Mondialiste does not like soft ground but really moves up if the grass is firm. He had a coming out party last year winning the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile and then proved it was no fluke when second to Tepin in the Breeders’ Cup Mile.
Decorated Knight has been in the exacta in 7 of his 10 races and is coming off a win vs. softer. He has never won a Group race and this will be a step up.
Take the Stand has been freshened since winning a Grade 2 at Fair Grounds in March and he is in the good hands of Bill Mott.
The Pizza Man invents ways to win. He has cashed in 16 of 29 starts and he has 2 solid races to build on now. This racer was hung wide last time and there does seem to be enough speed in here to help promote the needed late punch.
Wake Forest travels well. This racer, who has won 7 of his 14 starts, has succeeded in Germany, France and Belmont proving he can adapt.
World Approval is fresh from a win in the Grade 1 United Nations at Monmouth Park and he is consistent as the day is long. He has been in the money in all 5 starts this year.
Kasaqui went through his conditions in his native Argentina and he was professional winning his last race, the Arlington Classic on this very grass course.
After winning his first 2 starts at Gulfstream and Keeneland, Danish Dynaformer has done most of his good work in Canada in restricted stakes. He is coming off a win in a Grade 3 event but has never succeeded vs. this caliber foe.
Dubai Sky, another Mott student, was troubled in his racing debut back in 2014 but he has only lost once since and that was by a scant nose. His tactical speed will give him first run on the deep closers today.
Greengrassofyoming, the Stars and Stripes winner on this turf course last month, is a reformed claimer that is going great guns. He was fully extended in his last 2 races and it’s hard to tell how much those efforts may have taken out of him.
Pumpkin Rumble seems in tough as his last win was against just $40,000 optional claimers but he has shown the versatility to win pressing the pace or from left field.
Sometimes players get lost with these big races and forget about concentrating on the pace of the race. Granted, the pace will be rather slow in the Arlington Million this year but there are several horses that figure to be gunning hard and duking it out up front.
That could very well open the door for The Pizza Man to successfully defend his title. He gets the services of Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith, who just turned 51 last Wednesday.
With a bankroll of nearly $2 million, The Pizza Man is the class of the field and can run them all down.
Good luck.
