Pre-entries for the 2011
edition of the Grade I Arlington Million closed Friday with 10 older horses named to the 29th
running of the Arlington Park showcase.
To be run Aug. 13, the only
three Grade I races contested in Illinois
make up Arlington’s
one-day International Festival of Racing. Arlington Million XXIX gets
additional prestige once again with its “Win and You’re In” provision for the
Grade I Breeders’ Cup Turf, while the 21st renewal of the Beverly D. allows
that same provision for the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf for the
fourth straight year.
This year’s Breeders’ Cup
World Championships will be held Nov. 4-5 at Churchill Downs in Louisville,
Ky.
Post positions for all three
International Festival races will be drawn Tuesday at WGN Studios in Chicago
at Noon (CDT). WGN and WGN America will televise the Arlington Million
live Saturday 5-5:30 p.m. (CDT).
European invaders for
Arlington Million XXIX, in alphabetical order, are Mrs. Fitriani Hay, Derrick
Smith, Mrs. John Magnier and Michael Tabor’s Irish-bred
Cape Blanco, Mark
Hawtin’s Irish-bred Wigmore Hall, and Mathieu Offenstadt, Sylvain Fargeon,
Patrick Offenstadt and Mikel Delzangles’ French-bred Zack Hall.
North American-based Million
pre-entries are dominated by the star power of Castleton Lyons’ Gio Ponti,
winner of the 2009 Arlington Million and now in the position to become the
second horse in history – along with Dotsam Stable’s legendary John Henry – to
win the centerpiece race of Chicago Thoroughbred racing season twice.
Alphabetically, the other
North American-based Million pre-entries are Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s Dean’s
Kitten, Pasquale Vizzoni’s General Perfect, Naipaul and Terikchand
Chatterpaul’s Mission Approved, William Stiritz’ Proceed Bee, Robert Courtney
Jr.’s Rahystrada and Shadwell Farm’s Tajaaweed.