Arlington Million Headlines Weekend Racing
It’s that time again.
After last year’s winner Hardest Core rallied to win the G1 Arlington Million from an earlier stalking position along the rail, I could hardly wait to get back to Chicago.
This is the 33rd running of the Arlington Million for 3YO & UP open company and is the headliner on the Saturday card but there’s a rich list of races on the undercard including the Grade 3 Pucker Up Stakes for 3YO fillies at 1 1/8 miles on the turf for $100,000 purse. And the G3 American St. Leger Stakes for 3YO & UP open company runners at 1 1/16M on the turf for a purse of $350,000.
Thirteen horses are expected to run in the Million including the trio of Chad Brown runners Big Blue Kitten, winner of the G1 United Nations at Monmouth in his last start and runner-up Slumber who had to steady in that race, as well as Shining Copper who set all the pace in the UN before fading to fourth beaten 1 3/4 lengths.
Europe will be well represented with 5 runners expected to make the trip including Bookrunner, a lightly raced 4YO son of Tiznow; Wake Forest who’s been racing in Germany; Maverick Wave trained by legendary John Gosden for Godolphin Racing. Maverick Wave won his last two starts in the UK; Elleval who has 3 wins and 7 seconds from 33 starts and adds Lasix on Saturday; and Belgian Bill at 30-1.
The Million is part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series and the winner gets an automatic berth into the Breeders’ Cup Longines Turf in October.
Get Wiz Capper’s selection for the 2015 Arlington Million free here.
The other two G1 races are the Secretariat Stakes for 3YO open company at 1 1/4M on the turf for a purse of $450,000. And the Beverly D. Stakes for 3YO & UP fillies and mares at 1 3/16M on the turf for $700,000.
You can get the early edition of the free Brisnet PPs for the Arlington Million as the Race of the Day here, or the Equibase version here.
