TimeformBlog

European challengers Cape Blanco and Wigmore Hall feature among the ten declarations for the Grade 1 Arlington Million (due off 23:15 BST) in Chicago on Saturday night.


Aidan O'Brien's Cape Blanco (Timeform rated 124), returns to America in a bid to follow up his Man o'War win at Belmont Park last month. The Ballydoyle colt defeated top American horse Gio Ponti (123) by 2¼ lengths that day but will have to be at his very best to confirm that form, bearing in mind that Gio Ponti, who won the Arlington Million in 2009 and was beaten into second last year by John Gosden's Debussy, wasn't seen to best effect at Belmont having been held up off a steady pace.

Jamie Spencer is again likely to take the ride on Cape Blanco for O'Brien, while Hayley Turner will be making the trip to America to partner Wigmore Hall (125) for her boss Michael Bell.

Wigmore Hall has also run in the USA before, finishing runner-up to Paddy O'Prado in the Secretariat at the corresponding meeting last year. Wigmore Hall has improved again this year, winning the Jebel Hatta and third in the Dubai Duty Free at Meydan in March, but has still to win at the highest level and wasn't at his best in the Singapore International Airlines Cup at Kranji last time.

Gio Ponti will be attempting to become only the second ever horse to win the Arlington Million twice, along with John Henry (1981 & 1984), and is joined by other North American-based entries in the shape of Dean's Kitten, General Perfect, Mission Approved, Proceed Bee, Rahystrada and the ex-Sir Michael Stoute-trained Tajaaweed.

The entries are completed by French raider Zack Hall (119?), who finished fourth in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud last time.

Also on the Arlington card on Saturday night is the Beverley D. Stakes (due off 22:33), in which Mike de Kock's River Jetez (120) faces defending champion Éclair de Lune (119). The South African mare has added the Group 2 Balanchine in Dubai to her CV this year, and also finished a highly creditable second in the aforementioned Singapore Cup.

Jean-Claude Rouget's former inmate Stacelita (121) will be making her debut for US-based trainer Chad Brown, while Gerard Butler, who has a satellite yard in Chicago, will be represented by Pachattack (117), a Grade 3 winner at Arlington in May.

Willcox Inn, who beat subsequent Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom in a maiden last year, goes in the Secretariat (due off 21:52) as he bids to become the fourth ever horse to complete Arlington's mid-America Triple, having already landed the Arlington Classic and the American Derby.

He could face competition from the Aidan O'Brien pair Roderic O'Connor (119) and Treasure Beach (123), winners of this year's Irish Guineas and Derby respectively, though the latter is reportedly the more likely of the duo to stand his ground.

The post-position draw for all three Arlington races will be made on Tuesday


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