Trainer Brown looks to repeat last year's big double win
Can he do it again?
Last August, Chad Brown became the first trainer to win the two biggest races at Arlington Park in the same year, scoring victories in the Arlington Million and Beverly D.
When the post positions were drawn Tuesday for Saturday's 36th Arlington Million and 29th Beverly D, Brown had a combined seven starters in the Grade I turf events.
"I think Chad Brown needs to send more horses," joked Howard Sudberry, Arlington's senior director of marketing and communications.
Brown will saddle English-bred Alamnaar (post No. 3), Money Multiplier (8) and Chilean-bred Robert Bruce (9) in the Million, while he sends out Irish-bred Sistercharlie (3), French-bred Thais (5), Fourstar Crook (7) and Inflexibilty (8) in the Beverly D.
Last summer, Brown's only horse in the Million, Beach Patrol, won ($11.80). He had three horses in the Beverly D, winning with Dacita ($15.80) with Grand Jete in third.
"Yes, he can do it again," Sudberry said about Brown's chances of repeating the Million-Beverly double. "He is a phenomenal trainer. He's loaded. He loves coming here."
The 11-horse field for the Million from the rail out is: Irish-bred Circus Couture, Spring Quailty, Almanaar, Divisidero, Irish-bred Century Dream, Argentina-bred Catcho En Die, Twenty Four Seven, Money Multiplier, Irish-bred Deauville, Robert Bruce and Oscar Performance, who is trying to become the second straight Secretariat champ to win the Million the next year.
Oscar Performance is trying to be the first Million winner from the 11 post. Beach Patrol won from the 9 slot last year.
"You hear every year at the Kentucky Derby that there's never been a winner from this hole or that hole, but there's always a first time," Sudberry said. "Maybe the right horse just hasn't had that post before.
"You've got a mile and a quarter. They have plenty of time to get their position, so I don't think it's (11 post) a deal breaker."
Oscar Performance won the Secretariat by 2ΒΌ lengths as the 3-2 favorite last year under jockey Jose Ortiz, who also will ride the 4-year-old trained by Brian Lynch in the Million.
"You never know what kind of horse is going to come out of the Secretariat," Sudberry added. "(Trainer) Adrian O'Brien's Highland Reel won the race a few years ago and then became one of the best turf horses in the world for a while."
Nine of the best turf fillies and mares will compete in the Beverly D. From the rail out, that field includes Daddy's Lil Darling, Irish-bred Nyaleti, Sistercharlie, Argentina-bred Dona Bruja, Thais, Oh So Terrible, Fourstar Crook, Inflexibility and Irish-bred Athena.
In the 13-horse field for the Secretariat, from the rail out it will be Real Story, Irish-bred Platinum Warrior, Bandua, Carrick, Pont Du Gard, Irish-bred Ming, Captivating Moon, Untamed Domain, Analyze It, Sniper Kitten, Dubby Dubbie, Irish-bred Lucius Tiberius and Irish-bred Hunting Horn.
"I think the pick of the Europeans may be Hunting Horn, and he is on the outside with another Irish bred (Lucius Tiberius)," said Alastair Donald, managing director for the International Racing Bureau. "So maybe those wide posts are ideal in the big field."
In all, Donald said the Europeans have 10 traveling here.
"That's pretty good representation," he said. "Five in the Secretariat, three in the Million and two in the Beverly D."
"I think the fields are competitive in all three races. I'm not sure there are any standouts. I think Chad Brown has some serious contenders in the Million and we have some Europeans that can do well. It's unusual to have five from Ireland in the Secretariat. And they're all nice colts."
Irish-bred Deauville returns to the Million after finishing third last year. "If he puts his best foot forward, he (Deauville) could be competitive again," Donald added.
Arlington officials are hoping everything goes right with the weather. "We are looking for good weather, and the turf course is in phenomenal shape," Sudberry said.
"It going to be a spectacular day of racing," said Arlington Park general manager Tony Petrillo. "It looks like just a little bit of rain the rest of the week which makes the course very even for the domestic horses and the foreign horses.
"It's rained only twice the last month in Europe, so they're used to running on a firm course. It should be a level playing field. You don't see any big favorites in any races right now, so it seems wide open."
There will be some great entertainment, too.
"We have lot of live entertainment," Petrillo said. "We wanted to bring in some new people, so we have up-and-coming country artist Eric Paslay. We'll have a number of performances to celebrate each race individually."
Paslay will take the stage in the winner's circle at 3:30 p.m. and perform before the Secretariat and Beverly D. He will present the trophy to the winning Million owners.
NBCSN will broadcast live with coverage beginning at 5 p.m. The 12-race card begins with a first post of 12:15 p.m.
The Arlington Million is the penultimate race on the card, with an approximate post time of 6:10 p.m.