Defending champ Little Mike tops Arlington Million pre-entries

Defending champ Little Mike tops Arlington Million

pre-entries

Defending Arlington Million champion Little Mike (trained by Dale Romans) was

pre-entered along with 13 others for the 31st Arlington Million on August 17. If

the son of Spanish Steps proves victorious again for owner Priscilla Vaccarezza,

he will have to defeat up to seven foreign interests, including three Group 1

winners – GusMay-Fer's Indy Point (Richard Mandella) from Argentina via

California, Godolphin Racing's Hunter's Light (Saeed bin Suroor) from the United

Arab Emirates and Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa al Maktoum's The Apache (Mike de

Kock).

Also pre-entered from across the pond were Yvonne Jacques' multiple Grade

2-winning Grandeur (Jeremy Noseda), Giuliano Manfredini's lightly-raced Guest of

Honour (Marco Botti), Pearl Bloodstock's battle-tested gelding Side Glance

(Andrew Balding) and Invictus' improving Mull of Killough (Jane Chapple-Hyam). 

The American contingent to challenge Little Mike is talented and deep.

Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey's Real Solution (Chad Brown) exits a strong third-place

finish behind the brilliant Point of Entry in the Manhattan Handicap, while

Robert E. Courtney Jr.'s Rahystrada (Byron Hughes) and Windy Hill Farm's Nates

Mineshaft (Anne Smith) exit strong victories over the local course. 

While Nates Mineshaft won a classy turf allowance, Rahystrada took down the

course and distance prep, the Arlington Handicap. Second in that race was Niall

Racing's fellow Million pre-entry Temeraine (Tom Proctor), an improving horse

who outran his long odds. Dale Romans also pre-entered Donegal Racing's

Finnegans Wake, whose closing style would complement his stablemate if both

run. 

Ten fillies, all stakes winners, were pre-entered in the Beverly D. Stakes on

Friday, eight days in advance of America's most prestigious filly and mare turf

race outside of the Breeders' Cup. Six pre-entries from the United States, two

from England and one each from Ireland and Canada make the field an

international affair.

Leading the likely field is Glen Hill Farm's 2012 Beverly D. runner-up

Marketing Mix (trained by Proctor), a winner of nearly $2 million. Some of the

most powerful ownerships in the world will line up to take on Marketing Mix.

Juddmonte Farm's Starformer (Bill Mott), the Ramseys' Artemus Kitten (Mike

Maker), Shadwell Stable's Ausus (Danny Peitz) and Flaxman Holding's Duntle

(David Wachman) have been pre-entered for a piece of the $750,000 purse. 

Ireland's aforementioned Duntle, who would be a Group 1 winner if not for a

disqualification last fall, leads the European invasion. Joining her from across

the pond will be two England-based fillies -- Alan D. Spence's improving Gifted

Girl (Paul Cole) and James Wigan's Dank. The latter will be internationally

renowned trainer Sir Michael Stoute's first attempt in the Beverly D.

Hernandez Racing Club's local Arlington star filly La Tia (Armando de La

Cerda), Jim and Susan Hill's multiple Canadian Grade 2 winner Solid Appeal

(Reade Baker) and Etreham Farm's five-time Grade 1-placed Dream Peace (Brown)

round out the likely field.

Team Stallion Racing Stable's highly regarded Rydilluc (trained by Gary

Contessa) has been pre-entered in the Secretariat Stakes and leads 13

pre-entries for the marquee sophomore turf event. A winner of four of seven

starts, including two graded turf stakes, the nearly black son of Medaglia d'Oro

will likely renew his rivalry with Gary Barber's Jack Milton (Todd Pletcher),

against whom he has competed in his last two starts. Rydilluc conquered Jack

Milton in the Penn Mile on June 1 by a length, then finished 11 lengths behind

him in the Virginia Derby last out. Jack Milton lost a three-horse photo for the

victory, checking in third, while 5-2 favorite Rydilluc wound up eighth. 

Rydilluc and Jack Milton will be joined by Dennis Narlinger's fellow Virginia

Derby graduate Draw Two (Michelle Nihei), who in his previous race -- an

allowance at Belmont Park -- defeated another pre-entry, Leonard Leveen and

Michael Shanley's Stormy Len (David Donk). 

Stormy Len exits a tough beat when third in a three-horse photo finish in the

American Derby -- the local prep for the Secretariat -- a nose behind multiple

graded stakes-placed Admiral Kitten (Maker). One of two pre-entries from the

Ramseys' national leading stable, Admiral Kitten is joined by another homebred,

Amen Kitten (Wesley Ward), who exits a third against older horses in a race

named for their sire Kitten's Joy. 

Team Valor International, who took down the American Derby with Infinite

Magic, sends out a new soldier from its equine army -- Irish Group 2 winner

First Cornerstone (Andy Oliver). Also invading from Europe will be Charles Fox's

Yeager (Jeremy Noseda) from England and the Aga Khan's Visiyani (Alain De Royer-Dupré)

from the same French connections who took down the Secretariat last year with

Bayrir.

Peachtree Stable's Balthazar (Romans) and Juddmonte Farm's Tattenham (Mott)

exit New York allowance runner-up finishes, while Raut LLC's Bethel and Olympia

Star Inc.'s Golden Jason -- both conditioned by Gennadi Dorochenko -- round out

the pre-entries for what will likely be a highly competitive renewal of the

$500,000 race.

The second running of the American St. Leger had 10 pre-entries, including a

favorite from each side of the pond, a globetrotting Arlington veteran and a

live pair of locals from one of Arlington's leading owners. The Ramseys' Dark

Cove (Maker) -- a winner of three straight graded turf marathons -- was

pre-entered to follow up his victory in the local prep Stars and Stripes a month

ago. He will have to take on Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock's Dandino (Botti),

an England-based representative from the same connections as last year's winner

Jakkalberry. 

Mark Hawtin's Wigmore Hall (Michael Bell) has been pre-entered to make his

fourth consecutive appearance at the International Festival of Racing after

finishing second in the 2010 Secretariat Stakes, fourth in the 2011 Million and

seventh in last year's Million. Team Block, leading owner by purses won at the

2012 Arlington meet, has pre-entered its two big homebreds -- Ioya Bigtime and

Suntracer -- who exit finishing second and fourth, respectively, in the Stars

and Stripes for trainer Chris Block. 

The top three ranked trainers in the current Arlington standings each have

thrown a pre-entry into the race. Gary and Mary West's Code of Conduct (Wayne

Catalano), Feel the Thunder Stable's Cavalero (Mike Stidham) and Richard Ravin

and Patricia's Hope's Ojos de Hielo (Larry Rivelli) have been tossed their

respective hats in for a shot at the $400,000 purse. Shadwell Stable's graded

stakes-placed Najjaar (Peitz) and Hiram Polk Jr. and David Richardson's Harrods

Creek (Mott) round out the pre-entries.

Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com