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Magician, Real Solution top seven-horse Arlington Million
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| Magician seeks to become the first BC Turf winner to take the Arlington Million since Manila in 1986-87
(Wendy Wooley/EquiSport Photos) |
Three years ago, Coolmore and trainer Aidan O'Brien sent Irish classic winner
Cape Blanco over for the Grade 1, $1,000,000
Arlington
Million, kick-starting a three-race American campaign which resulted in an
Eclipse Award for the Galileo colt as the nation's leading turf male.
There are no firm plans for Magician, also a son of Galileo, ahead of
Saturday's renewal of the 1 1/4-mile fixture at
Arlington, but the
similarities between he and Cape Blanco are there. Competitive but unsuccessful
in several of Europe's leading events this spring and summer, Magician will try
and turn things around on U.S. soil against six rivals.
Unlike Cape Blanco prior to the 2011 Million, Magician has already made one
successful raid on America. That came last November in the Breeders' Cup Turf at
Santa Anita, when the now four-year-old upset the 1 1/2-mile event at 12-1 while
making his first start in more than four months. Winner last spring of the Irish
One Thousand Guineas over a mile, Magician stepped up in trip and came from 14
lengths back to defeat The Fugue by a half-length. |
That now-retired mare got her revenge on Magician in the Prince of Wales's at
Royal Ascot on June 18, winning by 1 3/4 lengths. It was the second runner-up
finish in a row for Magician, who started the year with a sixth in the Dubai
World Cup, a first in the Mooresbridge at The Curragh, and a second behind Noble
Mission in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, also at The Curragh.
Last time, however, Magician showed little when a distant sixth behind the
brilliant three-year-old filly Taghrooda in the King George VI and Queen
Elizabeth at Ascot. Thirteen lengths adrift of the winner, it was not the first
time he had failed to fire over that particular course. Better things will be
expected in the Million with Joseph O'Brien, son of Aidan, in the saddle.
Real Solution is seeking to become the second two-time winner of the
Arlington Million and the first to win in consecutive years. John Henry took the
inaugural running in 1981 and won again three years later, while Powerscourt was
disqualified from first in 2004 but came back the next year to win relatively
cleanly.
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| Real Solution (red cap) was awarded the 2013 Arlington Million on a disqualification
(Four Footed Fotos) |
Real Solution did not actually finish first in the 2013 edition, but was
elevated to the winner's circle after The Apache bumped him soundly approaching
the wire. A Pennsylvania-bred who started his career in Italy, Real Solution did
not build on that victory right away, subsequently running third in the Joe
Hirsch Turf Class and ninth behind Magician in the Breeders' Cup Turf.
After two early-season losses to start 2014, the latter a narrow beat in the
Man o' War, Real Solution showed that 10 furlongs is what he really excels over
when taking the June 7 Manhattan at Belmont Park by more than a length.
Also making a return trip to the Million is Side Glance, third by two lengths
as a 24-1 chance last year. The globetrotting gelding later traveled to
Australia, Hong Kong, Dubai, Singapore and back to England, but found success
only in the Mackinnon, a Group 1 at Flemington's Melbourne Cup Carnival.
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Side Glance made a preparatory return to the U.S. last month for the United
Nations at Monmouth Park, where he weakened to third in the late stages after
leading part of the way.
The only foreign invader in the Million without prior U.S. experience is
Smoking Sun, a five-year-old Smart Strike horse who captured his first Group win
in the Prix d'Harcourt at Longchamp in April. Subsequently fourth behind
superstars Cirrus des Aigles and Treve in the Prix Ganay, Smoking Sun was most
recently second in the International Cup in Singapore, nearly five lengths ahead
of Side Glance.
Up With the Birds, Canada's Horse of the Year last season in a campaign
highlighted by scores in the Jamaica Handicap and Breeders' Stakes, hopes to
continue his recent momentum following an impressive four-length romp in the
Nijinsky at Woodbine. Success in the nine-furlong heat was preceded by
disappointing sixth-place finishes in two races for which he was favored -- a
Keeneland allowance and the Dixie at Pimlico.
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| Up With the Birds was back on his best form in last month's Nijinsky at Woodbine
(WEG/Michael Burns Photography) |
Finnegans Wake, fourth in the Million last year, overcame a hideously slow
pace to take the course-and-distance Arlington Handicap by a head last month,
but no winner of that race has ever come back to win the Million itself.
The Million field is rounded out by Hardest Corse, who was cross-entered in
the American St Leger but is expected to start here. The Hard Spun colt enters
on a three-race win streak, but is taking a significant step up in class
following a three-length win in the $50,000 Cape Henlopen at Delaware Park.
As part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Win and You're In, the Arlington
Million winner will receive an automatic berth into the Breeders' Cup Turf with
pre-entry and entry fees waived plus a travel stipend to the race to be held on
November 1 at Santa Anita. |
WGN-TV will televise the Arlington Million live in an hour-long broadcast
that begins at 5 p.m. (CDT). HorseRacingTV (HRTV) and the Horse Racing Radio
Network (HRRN) will broadcast the race as well.
The Arlington Million is the centerpiece of the International Festival of
Racing which also includes the $750,000 Beverly D., the $500,000 Secretariat and
the $400,000 American St Leger.
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