Handicapping: Grade 1 Arlington Million XXXVI

By Rick Francis —-

An accomplished group of turf runners from around the racing globe head to the starting gate for the 36th edition of the Grade 1 Arlington Million. Along with the prestige of winning the world’s first million dollar horse race, a “Win and You’re In” starting berth in the 2018 Breeders’Cup Turf is also on the line; let’s take a look at the starting field.

Arlington Park

Race 11) Grade 1 Arlington Million 1&1/4 Miles Turf Post Time 6:08 CDT

1) Circus Couture (Chapple-Hyam/Egan); Irish-bred 6-year-old gets first time lasix, and though he’s had success at the distance (7 2-3-1), this level of competition has done him in.

2) Spring Quality (Motion/Prado); rebounded from a near miss two back in the G3 Ft Marcy to take the Grade 1 Manhattan by a neck, a contest run at today’s distance. 6-year-old is in a good spot here and with value.

3) Almanaar (Brown/Rosario); following his G1 Gulfstream Park Turf score, Dubawi 6-year-old was shelved for for nearly a year-and-a-half but never missed a beat in his return besting Belmont OC’s there in June. Chad Brown with a last out winner, 27 percent.

4) Divisdero (Rubley/Toledo); winner of the Grade Arlington Handicap last month is cross-entered in the G1 Fourstardave at Saratoga where he would face only six rivals; look for him to land there.

5) Century Dream (Crisford/Buick); Irish-bred colt makes his North American debut with first time lasix following a pair of solid Ascot starts including a less than a length back efort in the Group 1 Queen Anne; jockey knows how to get it done in this race.

6) Catch En Die (Chatterpaul/Valdivia); enters off a gate-to-wire win in the G3 Stars N Stripes, however when facing Grade 1 company in both the Man O’War and Manhattan, he came up empty; pass.

7) Twenty Four Seven (Brueggermann/Emigh); after opening 2018 with three straight wins City Zip 5-year-old was stuck inside to finish a couple lengths back in the G3 Arlington Handicap. He’ll continue to move forward, but this is a big step-up.

8) Money Multiplier (Brown/Velazquez); since his return from Qatar, Lookin At Luck ridgling is rounding into the best form of his career. Winning the G2 Monmouth and missing by a half-length in the Grade 1 United Nations; the strongest of the Brown trio.

9) Deauville (O’Brien/Moore); top connections are pursuing the same path for this 5-year-old out of Galileo as they did a year ago when he was caught late to finish third less than a length back; a must with all plays.

10) Robert Bruce (Brown/Ortiz, I); was bumped around pretty good last out in the Manhattan and never could recover snapping his win streak at seven; jock change a plus and you know Brown will have him ready, don’t think this post does him any favors.

11) Oscar Performance (Lynch/Ortiz, J); 2017 Secretariat winner tuned up nicely for this last out taking the Grade 3 Poker at Belmont in clearing fashion. Kitten’s Joy colt wants to be forwardly placed and course layout will provide that; my pick.

Selections: 11, 5, 8, 2