Arlington Million & Arlington Beverly D. Stakes Odds & Contenders
by Patricia Woo | Aug 16 2010
Get ready for Arlington's International Festival of Racing with a look at some of the top contenders for the Arlington Million and the Beverly D. Stakes.
The highlight of the International Festival of Racing is the $1M Gr. 1 Arlington Million, a 1 ¼ mile race for turf runners 3 years old and up taking place this year on Aug. 21. Confirmed for the race is last year's choice for top male turf runner, Gio Ponti. The 5-year-old son of Tale of the Cat won this race last year – capping off a five-race win streak – with a gritty performance: after stumbling at the start of the race, he recovered and rallied to win. This year has been more challenging for Christophe Clement's trainee: Of four starts in 2010, he has won just one race, the Gr. 1 Man O' War Stakes at Belmont Park in July. Still, Gio Ponti has proven he is among the best turf runners in action today and will be among the frontrunners on Saturday.
2010's Arlington Million runner up, Just As Well, is also scheduled to contest the race. He, also, had a challenging start to last year's race but rallied well to capture second. Though not as accomplished as Gio Ponti, the 7-year-old Jonathan Sheppard trainee already has a race under his belt this year at Arlington Park – runner-up in the Gr. 3 Arlington Handicap on July 17 – and will look to put that experience to good use on Saturday.
Among the European invaders to keep an eye on is Debussy, a 4-year-old colt trained by John Gosden. Improving all season, Debussy recently came in fourth in the Group II Sky Bet York Stakes at York in July. Gosden has a second runner in Tazeez, a 6-year-old gelding, whose last race was the Group I Prince of Wales's Stakes in June in which he finished fourth.
General Quarters, Rahystrada and Summit Surge are also among the nominated.
Without Tuscan Evening, the highly regarded 5-year-old who passed away recently while in training, the 1 3/16 mile Beverly D. Stakes has lost a bit of its luster. But the $750,000 Gr. 1 turf race has attracted a talented group of fillies and mares 3 years old and up, including Hot Cha Cha, Éclair de Lune and Rainbow View.
Lightly raced this year, Hot Cha Cha is a 4-year-old daughter of Cactus Ridge trained by Philip Sims. She has won one of three races in her 2010 campaign so far, the Gr. 3 Mint Julep Stakes at Churchill Downs on June 5; she lost to Tuscan Evening and fellow Beverly D. Stakes rival Éclair de Lune in the Gr. 2 Modesty Stakes at Arlington Park on July 17. Éclair de Lune is trained by Ronald McAnally and had raced in France prior to 2010. Rainbow View is a 4-year-old Dynaformer filly who enjoyed success earlier this year first in an allowance race at Keeneland in April and then at Pimlico Race Course in the Gr. 3 Gallorette Handicap in May. She was fourth in the Modesty Handicap behind Éclair de Lune and Hot Cha Cha but has valuable Grade 1 experience, having come in fifth in the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic in 2009.
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