by K. T. Donovan

A big day of Grade/Group 1 races would not be complete without an appearance from the mighty Coolmore stable, which is absolutely on fire with trainer Aidan O’Brien having won 17 Group 1 races so far this year.

Arlington Park’s presentation of turf races on Saturday is no exception as O’Brien sent Mount Nelson (GB) to take on former stablemate Archipenko in the Arlington Million Stakes (G1) and Plan to contest the Secretariat Stakes (G1).

Both horses enter off significant victories that indicate that their seasons are, in a sense, just beginning.

“They are coming around at the right time,” noted Pat Keating, O’Brien’s traveling head lad.

Mount Nelson has continued to blossom since his Criterium International (Fr-G1) victory as a juvenile. He missed most of his sophomore year to a hoof injury.

This year, he has learned to rate and honed his ability to accelerate out of tight company, culminating in a nose victory in the Coral-Eclipse Stakes (Eng-G1) at the Million distance of 1 ¼ miles in his previous start on July 5.
 
Plan, a son of Storm Cat, has the body type of his dam, Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) winner Spain, but with a bit more size. His appearance in Chicago has been on the stable’s agenda for some time, and he enters off a one-length victory in the Keeneland International Stakes (Ire-G3) over 1 1/8 miles at the Curragh on July 12.

Bred by Dromoland Farm in Kentucky, Plan has won two of his five starts and earned $106,438.

K. T. Donovan is a Lexington-based Thoroughbred Times contributing writer