NEWS
Arlington Million next stop on Cape Blanco’s U.S. invasion
Posted: Tuesday, August 09, 2011 6:51 PM
CAPE BLANCO
NYRA photo
by Tim Nichols
After winning the Man o’ War Stakes (G1) with ease in his U.S. debut, Irish classic winner Cape Blanco (Ire) moves his tour of America to the Midwest on Saturday for the Arlington Million Stakes (G1) at Arlington Park.
The Galileo (Ire) colt, the 9-to-5 morning-line favorite, had no problems in his U.S. debut, just 3 ½ weeks after finishing sixth in the Queen Anne Stakes (Eng-G1) at Royal Ascot.
Cape Blanco, the 2010 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby (Ire-G1) winner, tracked a strong pace set by Mission Approved in second before taking the lead in the stretch and surging to a 2 ½-length win in the 1 3/8-mile United Nations. Three-time champion Gio Ponti steadily accelerated from sixth to finish second, but was no match for trainer Aidan O’Brien’s star.
Cape Blanco, Gio Ponti, and Mission Approved are among the field of ten for the Arlington Million, a 1 ¼-mile turf race.
Multiple champion Gio Ponti, the 2-to-1 second choice on the morning line, is winless in three starts this season.
Prior to the Man o’ War, he finished third to Mission Approved in the Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap (G1) and opened his season with a fifth-place finish in the Emirates Airline Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1).
Cape Blanco headlines a three-horse European contingent for the race.
Wigmore Hall (Ire), a Group 2 winner in Dubai and third-place finisher in the Dubai Duty Free (UAE-G1) in March, already has quality experience at Arlington. The High Chaparral (Ire) gelding finished second to Paddy O’Prado in last year’s Secretariat Stakes (G1).
Zack Hall (Fr), a four-year-old Muhtathir (GB) colt, will be making his U.S. debut in the Arlington Million. The colt has a French stakes win under his belt but is still looking for his breakthrough group or graded stakes win. He most recently finished fourth, beaten by 2 ½ lengths by Sarafina, in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud (Fr-G1) on June 26.
Of the North American contenders, Rahystrada won last year’s Arlington Handicap (G3) at the Chicago track, a race Arlington Million contender Tajaaweek won this year. Rahystrada enters off a win in the Colonial Turf Cup Stakes at Colonial Downs.
Grade 2 winner Dean’s Kitten, Grade 3 winner Proceed Bee, and multiple stakes winner General Perfect round out the field.
Tim Nichols is internet content editor for Thoroughbred Times
READER COMMENTS
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Posted by: Handicapper, Inglewood, CA on August 12, 2011 at 07:58 PM
Cape Blanco was super impressive in the Man O' War and he was much the best winning over Gio Ponti, Gio is one tuff warrior and I would love to see him turn the table's on Cape, but he will have to run one of the best race's he has ever run to beat Cape who is all class and is back in form. Stay tuned on this one............. JMO <\_~
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Posted by: Al, San Jose, CA on August 09, 2011 at 08:41 PM
I expect to for the Arlington Million to be another Cape Blanco vs. Gio Ponti showdown. Although both will be facing a tougher field than either one faced in the Man O' War Stakes at Belmont. I'm hopeful that we'll get to see the best from Gio Ponti? But as a betting man, I'd have to give an ever so slight edge to Cape Blanco in the Million.
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