8/13 (AP): Arlington Million, Beverly D., Secretariat (G1's)
 

Arlington Million

Purse: $1 million; 1 1/4 miles (turf); Grade 1

1 Rahystrada S. Russell 12-1
2 Tajaaweed J. Graham 12-1
3 Dean’s Kitten J. Leparoux 30-1
4 Zack Hall C. Soumillon 10-1
5 Gio Ponti R. Dominguez 2-1
6 Proceed Bee C. Emigh 50-1
7 Cape Blanco J. Spencer 9-5
8 Mission Approved J. Espinoza 6-1
9 Wigmore Hall H. Turner 8-1
10 General Perfect G. Gomez 50-1


Beverly D.

Purse: $750,000, 1 3/16 miles (turf); Grade 1

1 Stacelita R. Dominguez 3-1
2 Check the Label J. Leparoux 20-1
3 Fantasia R. Maragh 6-1
4 Upperline J. Graham 20-1
5 Dubawi Heights J. Rosario 10-1
6 River Jetez C. Soumillon 4-1
7 Cheetah G. Gomez 9-2
8 Pachattack F. Geroux 10-1
9 Eclair de Lune J. Alvarado 12-1
10 Romin Robin J. Santana 30-1
11 Never Retreat S. Bridghmohan 10-1


Secretariat Stakes

Purse: $400,000, 1 1/4 miles (turf); Grade 1

1 Newsdad J. Rosario 10-1
2 Ziyarid C. Lemaire 10-1
3 Treasure Beach C. O’Donoghue 2-1
4 Crimson China R. Maragh 15-1
5 Casino Host R. Dominguez 8-1
6 Suntracer S. Bridgmohan 15-1
7 Banned G. Gomez 3-1
8 Derby Kitten J. Leparoux 15-1
9 Willcox Inn R. Albarado 9-2
10 L’Aiglon F. Geroux 50-1

Aidan O'Brien must not think much of his 3yos this year. Treasure Beach was only narrowly beaten in the Epsom Derby before winning the Irish Derby. Normally, you'd expect him to go for the King George or Juddmonte International.

Instead, he wheeled the colt back in less than 3 weeks in France where he finished unplaced. Now he winds up here, easily the most accomplished Euro ever to start in the Secretariat.

His Irish 2000 Guineas winner, Roderic O'Connor, was also mentioned for this race earlier this week. He was well beaten in his other classic starts this year and was also unplaced in that same French race that Treasure Beach started in most recently. I figured he had a big "For Sale" sign around his neck and would show up at Arlington, but obviously that's not the case.

Maybe if he didn't simply throw sh!t against the wall, these high dollar, well-meant horses might actually reach maximum potential.

Rant over. What happened to Air Support?

Seal Cove is better

He sure has Eternal Ruler figured out.

My main man Jose Espinoza with a chance to win the Million...I love it.

Saw Stacelita in the barn area at Saratoga on SAT morning - - she looks great !!!!

Thanks.

New rant: If they still run the Saranac then they should bring back the Lawrence Realization.

http://million.arlingtonpark.com/handicapping

Free PPs for the G1's

Thanks Scav.

Cape Blanco and Stacelita free money

Easy there.

lol this isnt Wednesday at Belmont, he already used up up his win in the Manhattan

If you like Stacelita, you HAVE to like River Jetez. Could be the easiest exacta box in recent history.

I would of been more encouraged had she been able to pass Gitano Hernando in Singapore. But anything near her last two efforts at Meydan should give Stacelita a run for her money, but I think Stacelita's class will prove to be too much if she gets a clear run. I am afraid Ramon will save too much and will have nowhere to run in the stretch.

I thought the Singapore race was relatively paceless, Waikato hanging around to the end for third on the rail seemed to make it clear the front-runners were good to stay on, plus River Jetez caught a shuffle back going around the turn.

Most meaningful news of the week on River Jetez, other than the fact the asst. trainer is reporting her to be great, eating up, no worse for wear (visually confirmed by yours truly), is that DeKock, his wife, and daughter have all arrived in Chicago today and the owners were yesterday and on track today. This is nothing to take lightly, they are guns ablazing on this race. She will have a gallop on the turf tomorrow. DeKock wasn't even sniffing around Newmarket when she run in the Falmouth, which was so obviously a prep and short of her best trip.

lol with what you said you are making me re think Stacelita as free cash, that 2nd to Presvis who finally broke through was just as good as any in here. lol i dont know what to do now..haha

I've gone through all three races and I'm against Cape Blanco, Stacelita and Treasure Beach.

Treasure Beach: In my opinion he needs more ground then 10 furlongs and he wants to be near the lead. The Arlington course has played well towards closers recently even into slow fractions and I fully expect him to get 'run off his feet' cause I don't see him being able to quicken.

Cape Blanco: Somewhat of the same opinion in that I truly think he wants more ground and he has zero turn of foot. The Million Pace should be fast, certainly sub 50 with Proceed Bee going to be sent. I am far from a Gio fan, matter fact I tried every which way not to use him, but I really feel this race is gonna be a perfect set up for him at a distance that is as far as he can go.

Stacelita: I think she is pace compromised in this race and I'm fully expecting River Jetez to be sitting 2nd/3rd and get first run. She was a great 3 year old and a good 4 year old but just think that she is gonna want longer distance and a cut in the ground and from all accounts it is gonna be firm on Saturday.

As of right now, for me, the decision that I'll be sleeping on is how to attack the card, blunt force drama (River Jetez / Gio DD which would be paying about $24) or to play the multi-races around it these races.

If it rains, I'm 100% against Gio. I agree with you on that I need to figure how to structure around River Jetez.

From what I've seen over the last couple of days, they're calling for rain Friday, into Saturday.

I like River Jetez as well but I'm wondering why you think she's so much faster than Stacelita early. River Jetez ran really well in the Singapore International Cup but the pace in that race was glacial. The pace in the Dubai Duty Free was a bit stronger but the 3/4s was :14 and 4/5. She is hardly some kind of blazing speed horse.

Stacelita received an embarassingly bad ride in the UN last time. She has now been with Chad Brown for a month and is certainly going to have a bit more speed with an American training regimen. Her workout two back was not the type a horse who will be out-paced puts up. If Stacelita is beaten it will likely have more to do with her regressing in her 2nd start in America or River Jetez simply being better, but I don't know if I'd assume it will be because Stacelita is some plodder who will be outrun early.

I think you're too exact in extrapolating the European running lines of these horses with the way they will likely run here in an American-style race.

Look at the form and running styles of previous Million winners Debussy and Powerscourt. In Europe, both liked to sit up on or near the lead and tended to be one-paced in the latter stages, seemingly without significant "turn of foot". However, in the States, both horses settled off the early pace and made dramatic moves to finish strongly. I expect more of the same, at least from Treasure Beach. Jamie Spencer rode Powerscourt, so he ought to know his way around, but at the same time, he seems brain dead, so it wouldn't be a shock to see him botch the ride on Cape Blanco, with his past success on the lead. Settled off the pace, Cape Blanco would probably be more a terror in this field than he is now.

Another point, whereas Treasure Beach may perhaps prefer 12f (he was handy enough to win at 7f twice as a 2yo though), what American hope really wants the 10f? Don't really see any in the Secretariat. In a cleanly run race, he probably only has the French horse to worry about.

Is second off the plane ever a good spot

She gets the rail, and the shortest way around is a good thing. G1 looms large.

The horse I'm most impressed with, having seen every waking moment of his trip outside of the quarantine stable, is Wigmore Hall. This horse couldn't be doing any better, especially compared to what I've heard about his exploits in Singapore.

God I love that old guy.

Couldn't be any easier here... Wigmore Hall and River Jetez.

She needs to behave and go in the gate and that will be that, as they say.

edit...

Oh that's good to know! (I hadn't read this before I posted but yeah... he likes the track and has Haley, etc., so this just adds to it!).

While I am more impressed with River Jetez, I'll agree with you in that he seems to be really doing well.

Alot of action this morning.

River Jetez was by far the most impressive as she jogged once around and then 'blew out' on the lawn. I caught the last 1/4 in 25 with the dogs out and rider completely still. She looks great.

Wigmore Hall was feeling great this morning and also galloped strong on the lawn with the dogs out.

Newsdad looked unbelievable on the poly today. Galloped without the blinkers (which will be added race day). He is gonna be an auto use on Saturday.

Pachattack's morning was unorthodox as she came on the track with the pony, galloped 9 furlongs on the poly and then went on to the turf course to gallop another 9 furlongs. She is obviously pretty quirky but doing unbelievable. Being here for the whole summer is gonna prove beneficial on Saturday (at least for 2nd place honors)

Gio Ponti came onto the track around 7:15 and stood for about 10 minutes. Jogged once around and was bucking and playing before he left out the mile pole horsepath.

Thought Check the Label and Dubawi Heights looked average at best

Mission Approved jogged around the turf course with good steady energy

I thought Check The Label came by making a bunch of noise and after some discussion, really have no interest in Cheetah or Dubawi Heights.

River Jetez is a big time use for me as well.

I am with you on Newsdad. I can't use him on my primary tickets, but he'll a backup use and also a key in placings on intra-race plays. They didn't expect him to be that far back and suffered a ton of ground loss at Colonial.

I just wanted to add something if you don't mind..

The Equus Awards are handed out tonight and MDK"s filly and champion, Igugu, is pretty much a shoo-in for Horse of the Year.

It's not like there was nothing better to do had he stayed home... ;) :)

(edit - She won).

FYI revised weather reports have changed locally and it seems likely the lawn will be less than firm. Showers after midnight tonight and showers/t-storms predicted tomorrow.

For anyone interested...

The journey.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0eeiAdJ0rc

what was last night like rain wise in Arlington?

Nada Kev, today is the problem with 50% afternoon showers. Good luck!

Thx Gus for that - rain changes a lot of the dynamics of the race - hope you do well.. Ill be looking for a Ziyarid - River Jetez - Zack Hall big race treble but would settle for Gio winning the big one too..

I hope u hit the P3 cold! :D:$:

Neither will win.

love blocks horse in the bev d pp 11

I like that one too.

Ziyarid / River Jetez / Wigmore Hall

Good luck!

Pouring buckets now at Arlington.

I'll be betting Zack Hall in the AM.