Cape Blanco: wins Man o'War Stakes under Jamie Spencer at Belmont
PICTURE: EquiSport Photos/Jessie HolmesTreasure and Roderic entered for Chicago card
USA: Aidan O'Brien, set to saddle the Arlington Million favourite in Cape Blanco, could be represented by as many as three Irish Classic winners in Chicago next weekend.
The Ballydoyle trainer is eyeing the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes with Roderic O'Connor and Treasure Beach, winners respectively of this year's Irish Guineas and Derby.
O'Brien, who took the Million in 2005 with Powerscourt, landed the Secretariat five years earlier with Ciro.
Speaking at The Curragh on Sunday, O'Brien suggested Treasure Beach was the more probable runner of the pair, with Colm O'Donoghue set to retain the ride.
A total of ten horses have been engaged in the Arlington Million, where Cape Blanco is 2-1 favourite with bookmakers Blue Square ahead of 3-1 shot Gio Ponti, the dual US turf champ whom he beat decisively last month in the Man o'War at Belmont.
Gio Ponti, who won the Million in 2009, was beaten into second at odds on last year by the John Gosden-trained Debussy.
British contender Wigmore Hall, the mount of Hayley Turner, is rated a 7-1 chance by Blue Square.
Although the Secretariat Stakes is usually the weakest of the three Grade 1 events at Arlington's signature event, this year's race is coming up stronger than usual - even if both Ballydoyle horses don't cross the Atlantic.
Twelve initial entries for the $400,000 event also include the Aga Khan's Ziyarid, a Group 3 winner at Longchamp on his most recent start, plus three of America's best turf three-year-olds in the Virginia Derby one-two Air Support and Banned, plus Willcox Inn.
The last-named has already won the Arlington Classic and the Grade 2 American Derby at the Chicago track, putting him in line for a clean sweep of the Mid-America Triple.
Entries for the $750,000 Beverly D include Dubai Duty Free runner-up River Jetez and multiple Group 1 winner Stacelita, who will be making her debut for US-based trainer Chad Brown.
Gerard Butler's Chicago-based string will be represented by Pachattack, a Grade 3 winner over 1m1f at Arlington in May. She was only sixth in last year's Beverly D behind Éclair De Lune, who is set to defend her title.
The post-position draw for all three Arlingtonraces will be made on Tuesday.
Arlington Million
Blue Square: 2 Cape Blanco, 3 Gio Ponti, 7 Mission Approved, Tajaaweed, Wigmore Hall, 8 Rahystrada, 12 ZackHall, 16 Dean's Kitten
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