by Mike Curry

Jambalaya surged past multiple Grade 1 winner The Tin Man in the closing strides on Saturday to win the Arlington Million Stakes (G1) by three-quarters of a length, denying The Tin Man a repeat victory in Arlington Park’s signature race.

The Tin Man stalked pacesetter Sunriver into the final turn and surged to the lead entering the stretch. The nine-year-old Affirmed gelding quickly drew clear but a wall of challengers loomed just behind The Tin Man, led by fast-closing Jambalaya under jockey Robby Albarado.

"I thought it would be ideal to stay behind The Tin Man, and then at the eighth pole I let him go," Albarado said. "At every stage he let me know that he was there for me."

Jambalaya steadily reeled in The Tin Man with a determined rally and powered past him in the final sixteenth to earn his most lucrative career victory. Trained and owned by Catherine Day Phillips, Jambalaya completed 1 1/4 miles on turf rated as good in 2:04.76.

"When he was coming in the stretch we thought 'Oh we're going to get a piece of it' and then he dug in, dropped his head, and pinned his ears, and we thought we might just win it, and he did," Day Phillips said. "Being the first female trainer to win the Arlington Million is significant. It's good to have goals and milestones."

Sent off as the 2-to-1 favorite, The Tin Man was bidding to become the first to win consecutive editions of the Arlington Million and to join John Henry (1981, ‘84) as only the second two-time winner of that race. The Tin Man held on gamely to nip third-place finisher Doctor Dino (Fr) by a nose in the final strides.

Sunriver, who set a leisurely pace through a half-mile in :50.88 and six furlongs in 1:16.15, faded to finish in a dead heat for fourth with Stream Cat.

Jambalaya earned a berth in the John Deere Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) via the “Win and You’re In” Breeders’ Cup Challenge. Day Phillips’s only previous Breeders’ Cup starter was A Bit O’Gold, who finished last of 13 in the 2005 Breeders’ Cup Classic Powered by Dodge (G1).

Morning-line favorite After Market, who has performed best on firm turf was scratched early Saturday by trainer John Shirreffs and owners Marty and Pam Wygod due to unsuitable ground.

Jambalaya entered off consecutive third-place finishes in the King Edward Breeders’ Cup Stakes (Can-G2) on July 2 and the Northern Dancer Breeders’ Cup Turf Stakes (Can-G2) on July 22, both at Woodbine. The five-year-old Langfuhr gelding earned his only previous Grade 1 victory on February 24 in the Gulfstream Park Breeders’ Cup Turf Stakes (G1).

Purchased for $2,500 by Day Phillips at the 2003 Keeneland September yearling sale, Jambalaya improved to eights wins in 21 career starts and boosted his career earnings to $1,588,214 with the $594,000 winner’s share. Bred in Ontario by Gustav Shickedanz, Jambalaya is out of the winning Vice Regent mare Muskrat Suzie.

For an Equibase chart, click here.

Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times daily news editor