PartialLogo
International

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

Curragh Sun 17 July 2022Lily Pond with Aidan OâBrien and Ryan Moore after winning The Kilboy Estate StakesPhoto.carolinenorris.ie
Lily Pond looks to land her first Group 1 for Aidan O'BrienCredit: Caroline Norris (racingpost.com/photos)

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."


The Front Runner is our latest email newsletter available exclusively to Members' Club Ultimate subscribers. Chris Cook, a four-time Racing Reporter of the Year award winner, provides his take on the day's biggest stories and tips for the upcoming racing every morning from Monday to Friday. Not a Members' Club Ultimate subscriber? Click here to join today and also receive our Ultimate Daily emails plus our full range of fantastic website and newspaper content


Published on 12 August 2022inInternational

Last updated 17:36, 12 August 2022

iconCopy