Cape Blanco, Gio Ponti pre-entered in Arlington Million

Pre-entries for the 2011 editions of the Arlington Million (G1), Beverly D.

S. (G1) and Secretariat S. (G1) closed Friday with 10 older horses named to the

29th running of the Arlington Million, 11 fillies and mares available for the

$750,000 Beverly D. and 12 contentious three-year-olds slated as probable for

the $400,000 Secretariat.

To be run August 13, the only three Grade 1 races contested in Illinois make

up Arlington's one-day International Festival of Racing. Post positions for all

three International Festival races will be drawn Tuesday at WGN Studios in

Chicago at noon (CDT). WGN and WGN America will televise the Arlington Million

live next Saturday from 5 to 5:30 p.m.

European invaders for Arlington Million XXIX, in alphabetical order, are Mrs.

Fitriani Hay, Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier and Michael Tabor's CAPE BLANCO

(Ire) (Galileo [Ire]), who defeated two-time champion GIO PONTI (Tale of the

Cat) in the July 9 Man o' War S. (G1); Mark Hawtin's WIGMORE HALL (Ire) (High

Chaparral [Ire]), third in last year's Secretariat as well as in the Dubai Duty

Free (UAE-G1) earlier this season; and Mathieu Offenstadt, Sylvain Fargeon,

Patrick Offenstadt and Mikel Delzangles' ZACK HALL (Muhtathir [GB]), most

recently fourth in the June 26 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (Fr-G1).

North American-based Million pre-entries are dominated by the star power of

Castleton Lyons' Gio Ponti, winner of the 2009 Arlington Million and now in the

position to become the second horse in history -- along with Dotsam Stable's

legendary John Henry -- to win the centerpiece race of Chicago Thoroughbred

racing season twice.

Alphabetically, the other North American-based Million pre-entries are Ken

and Sarah Ramsey's DEAN'S KITTEN, Pasquale Vizzoni's GENERAL PERFECT (Perfect),

Naipaul and Terikchand Chatterpaul's MISSION APPROVED (With Approval), William

Stiritz's PROCEED BEE (Bernstein), Robert Courtney Jr.'s RAHYSTRADA (Rahy) and

Shadwell Farm's TAJAAWEED (Dynaformer).

Eleven fillies and mares, including one South African-trained invader coming

to America for the first time and another European trainee from last year who

has become something of a hybrid this summer, have been pre-entered for the 22nd

running of the Beverly D. Stakes as the Arlington Million's sister race.

The South African-bred is the eight-year-old mare RIVER JETEZ (Jet Master),

owned by Barbara and Cedrick Amm and Marsh Shirtliff and conditioned by South

African superstar trainer Michael de Kock. River Jetez could inherit the Beverly

D. favorite's mantle at post time based on her form all over the globe since the

beginning of the year, including runner-up efforts versus males in the Duty Free

and the Singapore Airlines International Cup (Sin-G1).

Michael Deegan's PACHATTACK (Pulpit), the European Beverly D. invader from

2010, is still conditioned by Irish-born, British-based trainer Gerard Butler

but has been based at Arlington this summer and captured the Arlington Matron

(G3) over the Polytrack in her last start.

The North American-based Beverly D. group, once again in alphabetical order,

includes Lael Stables' CHECK THE LABEL (Stormin Fever); Robert Scarborough's

CHEETAH (GB) (Tiger Hill); Neville Callaghan, Clodagh McStay, Michael Magnier

and Annabel Wyatt's DUBAWI HEIGHTS (GB) (Dubawi); Richard Duchossois' defending

Beverly D. champion ECLAIR DE LUNE (Ger) (Marchand de Sable); Augustin Stable's

FANTASIA (GB) (Sadler's Wells); Team Block's NEVER RETREAT (Smart Strike);

Butterfly Stable's ROMIN ROBIN (Pure Precision); Martin Schwartz's STACELITA

(Fr) (Monsun); and Stone Farm, John Adger, Oak Crest Farm and Mike Stidham's

UPPERLINE (Maria's Mon).

All In Stable's WILLCOX INN (Harlan's Holiday), who won the May 28 Arlington

Classic and the July 9 American Derby (G2), is now in the position to become the

fourth horse in history to sweep Arlington's Mid-America Triple. The Stidham

pupil heads a dozen sophomore grass stars pre-entered for the Secretariat.

Three European-based three-year-olds are among Willcox Inn's challengers in

the Secretariat. Two are classic-winning stablemates of Cape Blanco from the

Aidan O'Brien yard -- Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and the

Sangster Family's RODERIC O'CONNOR (Galileo [Ire]), winner of the Irish Two

Thousand Guineas (Ire-G1), and Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier and Michael

Tabor's TREASURE BEACH (Galileo [Ire]), hero of the Irish Derby (Ire-G1). Also

set to jet in is His Highness the Aga Khan's Studs' Irish-bred ZIYARID (Desert

Style), winner of the July 2 Prix Daphnis (Fr-G3) at last asking.

North American-based sophomores pre-entered for the Secretariat in

alphabetical order are Stuart Janney III's AIR SUPPORT (Smart Strike), Glen Hill

Farm's BANNED (Kitten's Joy), Gary and Mary West's CASINO HOST (Dynaformer),

Team Valor International's CRIMSON CHINA (Giant's Causeway), Ken and Sarah

Ramsey's DERBY KITTEN (Kitten's Joy), Raut LLC's L'AIGLON (Montjeu [Ire]), James

Karp's NEWSDAD (Arch) and Team Block's SUNTRACER (Kitten's Joy).

Arlington Million XXIX once again serves as a "Win and You're In" race for

the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1), while the Beverly D. allows that same provision for

the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) for the fourth straight year. This

year's Breeders' Cup World Championships will be held November 4-5 at Churchill

Downs.