Arlington Million 2013 Day Wagering

The signature event of the racing season is the Grade I Arlington Million at a mile and a quarter on the turf that attracts the best grass runners from around the world. The 31st edition of the Million anchors the International Festival of Racing that also includes the Grade I $750,000 Beverly D., the sister race to the Million at a mile and three-sixteenths on the turf, the Grade I $500,000 Secretariat Stakes for 3-year-olds at a mile and a quarter on the turf and the 2nd edition of the $400,000 American St. Leger at a mile and eleven-sixteenths on the turf.

A superb field of classy turf runners will converge on the biggest day on the Arlington Park calendar on Saturday in the $1 million Arlington Million (G1). This 1 ¼ miles turf test has drawn some quality European invaders and fine U. S. based runners alike, and this could be one of the better runnings of the race in recent years.

Trainer Michael de Kock will send out South African star The Apache, who was a fine second in the Dubai Duty Free (UAE-G1) most recently. The six-year-old has a ton of back class and ahs finished first or second in five of his last six races in advance of this for expert connections. Grandeur bagged a pair of Grade 2 races from three starts in the U. S. in 2012 and could be very live in his 2013 debut for Jeremy Noseda. The four-year-old son of Verglas has a ton of room for improvement and we never take this barn lightly. Marco Botti’s Guest of Honour, Godolphin’s Group 1 hero Hunter’s Light, multiple Group winner Mull of Killough and the Andrew Balding-trained Side Glance, adds to the depth of the invaders.

Multiple Grade 1 victor Little Mike leads the U. S. contingent and will be the one to catch in hopes of a repeat in this contest. The Dale Romans trainee was just a shell of himself in Dubai this spring, and we expect huge improvement back on an oval he thrives upon. Rahystrada was third in this race a year ago and rates a chance as this old timer seemingly always fires. Chad Brown’s Real Solution and 2012 Argentine Horse of the Year Indy Point, a smashing winner in his U. S. bow for Richard Mandella, all get a lot of consideration in this field.

Also on Saturday on this fine day of racing is the $750,000 Beverly D. S. (G1). The sensational Marketing Mix missed by just a head in this event last campaign and comes in with a pair of wins in 2013 for conditioner Tom Proctor. The consistently great daughter of Medaglia d’Oro should thrive at this trip and we envision her winning this race with her top showing.

Sir Michael Stoute’s Dank comes off a Group 3 win most recently, and this barn rarely ships unless they have a live one. Also from the Euro contingent listed as possible for this lucrative affair is Group 2 heroine Duntle, a fine second to Elusive Kate in the Prix Rothschild (Fr-G1) in advance of this one. Gifted Girl and Sarkiyla are also very live imports heading this direction.

The $500,000 Secretariat S. (G1) is for sophomores on the turf and four Euro shippers will be testing the class of the U. S. contingent. UAE Derby (UAE-G2) star Lines of Battle, runner-up Elleval, Irish Group 2 star First Cornerstone and the highly touted French invader Visayani, lead the imports.

Gary Contessa’s Rydilluc, the Bill Mott-conditioned Tattenham, multiple stakes hero Jack Milton, Grade 1 victor Java’s War and American Derby (G3) winner Infinite Magic, tops the local hopefuls.
In the $400,000 American St. Leger S., Dark Cove looms as the one to beat and will be joined by Cavalero, Code of Conduct, Dandino, Harrods Creek, Suntracer and Najjaar.

Closing out the stakes action on Saturday will be the $75,000 Hatoof S.
 

Post time - 12:15 p.m

Arlington Million Day Wagering

Fans of multi-race wagers, particularly those involving high-quality turf stakes races, will find plenty of opportunity to partake in such bets on Arlington Million Day on Saturday, August 17. Arlington International Racecourse will play host to three Grade I turf stakes, a $400,000 marathon turf event, a $75,000 turf stakes race and an overnight stakes race that will comprise the bulk of the 12-race card that starts at 12:45 p.m. Central time.

Arlington will offer a $200,000 guaranteed pool on a special 50-cent All Turf Stakes Pick 4 wager covering races 7 through 10 that will conclude with 31st running of the Arlington Million, which will be the 10th race of the day. The wager will start with the $500,000 Secretariat Stakes as race 7, continue with the second running of the $400,000 American St. Leger as race 8 and the $750,000 Beverly D. Stakes, the sister race to the Arlington Million as race 9.

In addition, the track’s popular 50-cent Pick 5 which carries a low 15% takeout rate, will offer a guaranteed pool of $100,000 and cover races 8 through 12 – the St. Leger, the Beverly D., the Million, a division of the $75,000 Hatoof Stakes and a race to be determined at draw time on Wednesday, Aug. 14.

The day’s $1 Pick 6, which will cover races 6-11, will have at five turf races in the sequence. The Pick 6 also has a low takeout of just 15%.

All of Arlington’s races on Million Day will offer standard win, place, show, exacta, trifecta and superfecta races subject to Illinois Racing Board rules.  In addition, the 10-cent JackPOT Pick 9 will cover the final nine races on the card (races 4 through 12), a brisnet.com 50-cent Pick 4 wager covering races 3 through 6 and a twinspires.com Late Pick 4 on the final four races on the card including the Beverly D., Million and a division of the Hatoof stakes.

On the division of the Hatoof that goes as the 11th race, Arlington will offer a $1 JackPOT High 5 wager.  The JackPOT High-5 is a twist on the Super High-5 in that the entire net pool will only be paid out when there is one and only one winning ticket sold that correctly selects the first five finishers in exact order.  If there are multiple tickets sold that correctly select the first five finishers in exact order, then 50% of the daily Jackpot High-5 pool will be distributed among those ticket holders and 50% of the daily pool will be carried over to the next day.  Of course if nobody selects the first five finishers in exact order, the entire daily pool will be carried over to the next day.   Last season, thanks in part to a 23-day jackpot carryover, one lucky patron cashed for more than $1.1 million.

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