Looking back at Arlington Million history in wake of Beach Patrol's win

Although the Arlington Million is no longer the world's richest race as it was when it came into the racing world in 1981, it remains a treasure chest of tradition.

Million Day, at what has been acclaimed the world's most beautiful racetrack, is a unique happening in Chicago sports, the only event that lures an international cast of star athletes to compete against some of America's finest year in and year out.

The Europeans came up short in Saturday's 35th running of the Million, but they came close in a thrilling race that saw less than 1½ lengths separate the first five finishers in the 12-horse field. Fanciful Angel, a 73-1 long shot from England who'd raced in Dubai during the winter, came in second and Deauville, the 9-5 favorite from Aidan O'Brien's world-renowned yard in Ireland, was third.

Like Million winner Beach Patrol, the winners of Saturday's other two Grade I races were New Yorkers: Dacita in the $600,000 Beverly D. for fillies and mares, and Oscar Performance in the $400,000 Secretariat for 3-year-olds.

However, there was an international element to the 28th running of the Beverly D. Chilean-born Dacita, who starred in her homeland before moving to New York last year, had the distinction of being the first winner bred in South America. Dead-heating for second were Dona Bruja, a stalwart in her native Argentina who emigrated this year, and Grand Jete, who was foaled in Great Britain and raced in France for her Saudi Arabian owner Khalid Abdullah before joining stablemate Dacita in New York this year.

Another making history was Chad Brown, trainer of Beach Patrol, Dacita and Grand Jete. Dacita's victory made him the only trainer to win the Beverly D. four times. Brown also has made an impact in the Million and Secretariat in recent years: He won the Million for the first time with Real Solution in 2013 and Beach Patrol prefaced Saturday's triumph in the main event with a victory in last year's Secretariat.

Starting with John Henry in the inaugural running and continuing for the next 20 years, California-based horses were dominant in the Million, especially those trained by Ron McAnally and Charlie Whittingham, the only three-time winners of the race. But for the last 11 years, Californians have been conspicuous by their absence from the winner's circle after the Million. It's a similar story in the Beverly D. and Secretariat with only one California winner in each of the races during this span.

When the Million was inaugurated it was a stand-alone event, and in its early years it wasn't uncommon to see fillies and mares and 3-year-olds parading postward and kicking back payoffs at the betting windows.

In 1983, Tolomeo came from England to upset John Henry in becoming the first European winner and, as it turned out, the only 3-year-old winner. Three years later, Estrapade, a 6-year-old mare from California, became the only female winner. Other notables were the 3-year-old filly Madam Gay, third in the inaugural; the 3-year-old colt Be My Native, second in 1982; the 3-year-old colt Sunshine Forever, third in 1988; and the 3-year-old filly Lady In Silver, second in 1989.

The advent of the Beverly D. and the Secretariat as world class races changed the Million dynamic. The Beverly D. and Secretariat had relatively big purses and the competition wasn't as keen for the members of the sophomore class and the filly and mare sorority sisters. The slight diminution in Million field strength was offset by the fact that European trainers now had three races to choose from, making it more inviting to send more than one horse.

For several years after the races became a threesome, they were run on separate days over the Labor Day weekend - the Beverly D. on Saturday, the Million on Sunday and the Secretariat on Monday.

In 1997, the hierarchy decided to put all three golden eggs in one basket, making Million Day a mega event. Then, the races were stashed in the closet the next two summers because Arlington shut down. When the track reopened in 2000, Million Day was moved to mid-August and the triple-headers resumed.

The popularity of the Breeders' Cup, which made its debut in 1984 with seven races with purses ranging from $1 million to $3 million, started the trend of putting multiple major races on the same program, and full-card simulcasting accelerated the trend. Big racing days bring out the big bettors.

At Arlington, Saturday's Grade III $250,000 American St. Leger for distance specialists was added to the Million Day program in 2012, and the Grade III $100,000 Pucker Up for 3-year-old fillies in 2015.

But the pots of the Million and Saturday's three graded stakes are dwarfed by those of mega days at other tracks. Headlined by the $6 million Classic, the Breeders' Cup is now a two-day event offering a total of $26.5 million in purses for its 13 races. Breeders' Cup Ltd. foots the bill, deriving its revenue primarily from nomination fees.

Even more extravagant is Dubai World Cup Day, which flaunts $30 million in prize money for eight thoroughbred races and one race for Arabians. Although the World Cup has a purse of $10 million it isn't the world's richest race.

That distinction is held by Gulfstream Park's Pegasus World Cup Invitational, which was inaugurated in January with a $12 million purse that will escalate to $16 million in 2018. This race introduced a new concept for producing prize money: Twelve shareholders each pay $1 million for the right to race or lease their starting slot to another individual or entity.

In contrast, funding for the Million Day races at Arlington comes from the purse account (generated by betting during the meeting), nomination fees and entry fees. Therefore, Arlington is competing on an uneven playing field when its Million Day purses are contrasted with those on Pegasus Day, Dubai World Cup Day and the two days of the Breeders' Cup.

At last count there were 40 races in the U.S. worth $1 million or more. So, the Arlington Million is one of many. But for Chicagoland sports fans, it's still one of a kind - and Million Day remains a priceless gem.

•Neil Milbert has covered sports in Chicago for more than 40 years, and has never missed an Arlington Million race. In 1985, he received the Walter Haight Award from the National Turf Writers Association for lifetime excellence in turf writing.

Arlington Million milestones and minutia

1981: Million-dollar baby

John Henry wins the world's first million-dollar race by a nose, smallest ever winning margin.

1983: Youth is served

The English colt Tolomeo upsets John Henry to become the only 3-year-old to win the Million.

1984: Horse for the ages

At age 9, John Henry becomes the Million's oldest winner.

1985: The miracle Million

England's Teleprompter wins the Million 25 days after the grandstand and clubhouse go up in flames.

1986: Ladies first

Estrapade becomes the Million's only female winner and does it by a record margin of 5 lengths.

1988: The Arlington Canadian Million

The race is moved to Woodbine while the track is being rebuilt and Mill Native pays $83.20 to win.

2000: The Arlington Two Million

For the only time in its history, the Million purse is $2 million and the winner's share is $1.2 million.

2015: Home cookin'

The Pizza Man becomes the Million's only Illinois-bred winner.

- Neil Milbert