Lily Pond bids to strike for O'Brien on Churchill's Arlington Million card

Saturday: 11.25 Churchill Downs
Arlington Million Stakes (Grade 1)| 1m1f | 3yo+ | SKY

The Arlington Million, famously won by the Bill Watts-trained Teleprompter in 1985, will be staged at Churchill Downs with no international competitors for the first time since 1990 and for only the third time since John Henry took the inaugural race in 1981.

Its traditional home, Arlington Park, is in the process of being pulled down in preparation for a sale of the real estate to the Chicago Bears.

The loss of the storied venue – sold by Churchill Downs Incorporated which also sold off the now sadly defunct Hollywood Park and Calder racecourses – is deeply regretted by US racing professionals, and the future of the Arlington 'international festival of racing' appears uncertain.

Nine US-trained runners will face the starter on Saturday for the Grade 1 showpiece on turf, with the Brad Cox-trained Set Piece, Brendan Walsh’s Santin, and Smooth Like Strait, who is based with Michael McCarthy, dominating the market.

While the Secretariat Stakes has been dropped this year, the Beverly D Stakes (8.01) has also been rehomed to Churchill Downs and Aidan O’Brien sends Lily Pond, the mount of John Velazquez, to contest the Grade 1 for fillies and mares.

The three-year-old daughter of Galileo landed the Group 2 Kilboy Estate Stakes at the Curragh last month by half a length from Seisai, and could well start favourite in receipt of weight from four older rivals.

O’Brien said: "She seems to be in good form and it looks like she has travelled over well. She's a nice filly and we were delighted with what she did last time at the Curragh."

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