This year, like all others, the Million boasts thirteen great horses from around the world - the U.S., South Africa, Europe, Dubai...the list of achievements could go on and on for these horses. So why don't we meet this international star-studded field for the 2013 Arlington Million?
1) Real Solution
This Kitten's Joy colt, owned - fittingly - by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, raced for five starts in Italy before being shipped to the United States. In Italy, he won three races before finishing off the board in the Derby Italiano (G2). Upon his arrival in the United States, he finished fourth in the Fort Marcy (G3). This race flattered him; the horse that finished 3rd in that race, King Kreesa, finished a strong second to Wise Dan in the Fourstardave Handicap (G2) at Saratoga. After the Fort Marcy, Real Solution was entered in the Manhattan Handicap (G1) over yielding ground, where he finished an even stronger third behind Point of Entry - who exited that race with an injury - and Optimizer. That performance was enough to convince the Ramseys that Real Solution belonged in this race. Trained by Chad Brown, he has Alan Garcia aboard and will most likely sit off the pace.
Here is a video of his win in the Premio Botticelli, a handicap in Italy:
2) Finnegan's Wake
This colt is a son of 2005 Million winner Powerscourt, who is even better known for being disqualified in the 2004 edition of the race. Finnegan's Wake has ran with the best of them, but never seems to get to the wire first in a stakes race. Last time out he was fourth behind Boisterous in the Man O' War (G1) and before that, he was fourth behind Point of Entry in the Manhattan (G1). In fact, ignoring speed figures, his best finish in a stakes race came in last year's Secretariat Stakes (G1), where he finished second to Bayrir and in front of the favored Silver Max. This Dale Romans trained colt has veteran rider Robby Albarado in the irons. If he wins this race, it will be his very first stakes victory. At 30-1, he is a longshot, but he already has a good race over this course under his belt.
This is 2012's Secretariat, where Finnegan's Wake finishes second to Bayrir:
3) Hunter's Light
One of the most intriguing individuals in the field, Hunter's Light is making his first appearance in the United States after wins in four countries. This year, he dominated the Al Maktoum Challenge series, with wins in the last two of three legs in that challenge. After a dull seventh place finish in the Dubai World Cup (G1) won by Animal Kingdom, he flew to Singapore for the Singapore International Cup (G1) and finished sixth. At the end of July, he came back from those two brutal beats with a strong third in a race in Munich. Trained by Saeed bin Suroor and ridden by Ryan Moore for the famous Godolphin Stable, Hunter's Light adds Lasix for the first time and, given the company he's kept in his career, could be very dangerous here.
This is Hunter's Light's win in the Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 (G1), over Meydan's Tapeta surface:
4) Nates Mineshaft
The next American contestant in this race is Nates Mineshaft, a nice older male who is giving the grass big leagues a shot. He was the talk of the town last year when he strung together all those victories, including nice wins in the Mineshaft (G3) and New Orleans (G2) Handicaps. After a third in the Stephen Foster Handicap (G1), he took nearly a year's layoff and came back in Arlington's Hanshin Cup (G3), where he finished a dull ninth. His last race comes off a second place finish in an allowance race on all-weather. After that, trainer Anne Smith switched Nates Mineshaft to turf, where he won by a head, his first victory in over a year. This is a huge jump up in class for him, but he has shown that he can handle the big guns - at least on dirt. Nates Mineshaft should give defending champion Little Mike some company on the front end, as well. Jockey E.T. Baird is aboard this son of - you guessed it - Mineshaft, whose odds to win are 30-1.
Here is Nates Mineshaft's last stakes victory, a runaway victory in last year's Lone Star Park Handicap (G3) on dirt:
5) Temeraine
This is one of the local hopes for trainer Tom Proctor and rider Eddie Castro, as this horse exits a second-place finish in the Arlington Handicap (G3) won by the veteran Rahystrada. This Arch gelding doesn't have the most sparkling record - in 14 starts and 4 wins, he has yet to win a stakes race. However, his last race over this course was very good, and he did beat Dullahan in that race as well, who is pointing for a second consecutive victory in the Pacific Classic (G1) at Del Mar. If this 30-1 M/L longshot can win here, it would be a major upset, and cause for celebration among his connections. He'll certainly be coming from well off the pace.
This is Temeraine's second-place finish to Rahystrada in his last start, the Arlington Handicap:
6) Side Glance
A globetrotting gelding with an unconventional pedigree - that's my first impression of Side Glance, who comes to us off of a seventh place finish in the Princes of Wales's Stakes (G1) behind Al Kazeem, who is looking like the best older horse in the United Kingdom at this point. Before that, he was fourth in the Dubai World Cup (G1), and before that, he was fourth in the Jebel Hatta (G1), both races in Meydan, of course. He had a decent 2012, winning the Diomed Stakes (G2) and putting together some impressive place and show performances, including a third place finish in that famous Queen Anne Stakes (G1), where Frankel won in a runaway performance. Trained by Andrew Balding, he has Jamie Spencer aboard and runs with Lasix for the first time.
I had quite a hard time finding footage of any of his wins, so here is Side Glance's strong second place performance in last year's Nayef Joel Stakes (G2) behind Penitent (I apologize for the link; embedding was disabled on this video):
7) Indy Point
Here is the horse that everyone's talking about. This Mandella-trained son of Indygo Shiner is coming off one of the most impressive U.S. debuts in quite some time. In last month's Wickerr Stakes, he sat off the leaders - "pulling early," the chart reads - and pounced, winning in 1:32 and 4 for the mile. Jockey Gary Stevens has a chance to win his third Arlington Million and reverse his luck in the race, after being unseated from a frightened Storming Home just before the line in the 2003 Million, leading to the horse's disqualification. Stevens, who has launched the most incredible comeback of this year, is on a very live shot to win. Indy Point was a multiple Grade 1 winner in Argentina, winning the Wickerr off a seven month layoff.
This is that Wickerr that everyone is talking about, won sensationally by this colt, Indy Point:
8) Mull of Killough
It's always nice to see young Joseph O'Brien in the irons, even if it's not for his father, trainer Aiden O'Brien. This seven year-old gelding is running without Lasix and enters this race after finishing second in a Grade 2 stakes across the pond. Before that, he was fifth in the Singapore International Cup (G1). Mull of Killough has been a steady lower-level stakes horse his whole life and really steps it up here in this race. Trained by Jane Chapple-Hyam, Mull of Killough's odds are 12-1 to win and might be higher as the race draws nearer.
Here is a small clip of Mull of Killough's latest stakes win, the Earl of Sefton Stakes (G3) in April:
9) Guest of Honour
Here's another British invader who comes out of the same race as Mull of Killough, finishing behind that gelding in third. A fairly useful lower-level stakes horse - as Mull of Killough is - he has won three times in nine starts and hasn't finished off the board since October of last year. Unlike Mull of Killough, however, Guest of Honour adds Lasix for the first time. That could either help or hinder him - you can think of numerous examples to argue for either side. But I won't argue with trainer Marco Botti, who gives Martin Harley a leg up on this colt on Saturday.
This is Guest of Honour in his last victory, the listed Royal Windsor Stakes:
10) The Apache
I've heard a lot of buzz about Mike de Kock's The Apache, who comes into this race off of a fourth-place finish in the Sky Bet York Stakes (G2). This South African-bred racehorse, a Grade 1 winner in his home country, came into this year after quarantine with a strong win in the Al Rashidiya (G2) before finishing second in the Jebel Hatta (G1) and Dubai Duty Free (G1), both behind Sajjhaa. The Apache races without Lasix in the Million and will be ridden by Christophe Soumillon. From what I've seen of him on the track at Arlington, he looks in very good shape.
This is footage of his Al Rashidiya win at Meydan in January:
11) Little Mike
Here's the Million's defending champion, Little Mike, who went wire to wire to win last summer en route to a victory in the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) in similar fashion. His rider of last year, Ramon Dominguez, is now retired, so he picks up Joel Rosario, which can do nothing but help him. This six year-old gelding, however, had a rather inauspicious start to the year. After two failed attempts in Dubai, he returned to the States and finished a tiring fourth in the United Nations (G1) behind Big Blue Kitten. Can Little Mike return to his strong front-running form of last year? He will not be the lone speed; this Dale Romans trainee will have company from Nates Mineshaft and possibly Rahystrada just to his outside as well. The Breeders' Cup Turf champion is second choice to win.
This is the 2012 Arlington Million, where Little Mike led every step of the way:
12) Rahystrada
This nine year-old gelding is a fan favorite. A three time winner of the Arlington Handicap (G3), Rahystrada is coming into this race prepared for another shot at the Million, after he finished third last year. Trainer Byron Hughes has all the confidence in the world in his veteran gelding, who teams up with Rosie Napravnik for the Million. Rahystrada has raced forty-four times, winning fourteen of those races and, more than half of the time, finishing third or better. He's a horse that does his best running on or near the lead, so look for him to be close to Little Mike and Nates Mineshaft.
As shown before, this is his 2013 win in the Arlington Handicap, his 3rd in that race:
13) Grandeur
Finally, here is Grandeur, the morning-line favorite for this race (7-2) who drew the outside post. Last time out, Grandeur was second in the Sky Bet York Stakes (G2) behind Mukhadram, who came back to finish a strong second to Al Kazeem in the Prince of Wales's Stakes (G1). He made quite a splash last year in Southern California, winning two Grade 2 races and finishing second in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby. Before that, he was a useful small stakes horse in Europe - but you know what they say...Europe's second and third-stringers are often equal to our best, at least on turf. No, Grandeur certainly seemed to take to America, and should do well again here. Trained by Jeremy Noseda, he will be ridden by William Buick.
This is his Hollywood Turf Cup (G2) win in December of last year:
Well, there you have it - your field for the 30th Arlington Million. It will be an ultra-competitive race; so many of these horses have a shot to win. If I had to pick, I would select Indy Point. I believe the chestnut colt is improving by leaps and bounds and is set to run a big one for veteran jockey Gary Stevens. Regardless of the result, this race, as always, should be interesting and exhilarating to watch.
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