Arlington Million 2012 Live Blog

It's Million Day at Arlington Park featuring the Grade 1 Arlington Million, Grade 1 Beverly D. and Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes, along with the debut of the American St. Leger. Currently at Arlington Park, the turf is listed as GOOD, and the Polytrack is, as usual, FAST. Post time for the Arlington Million is 5:44pm Central time with television coverage by HRTV and WGN.

Other top stakes action on Saturday takes place at Saratoga and Del Mar. Out at the Spa, the G1-Sword Dancer and G1-Alabama top the card, while Del Mar features the G1-Del Mar Oaks.

Scratches and Changes for Saturday, August 18th

Arlington Park
Del Mar
Saratoga

10:25am: 4-Francois and Jefferey Sanchez take the win in the first at Arlington with a late move in between horses. Even money favorite 8-Hammers Terror fades to fourth under Ramon Dominguez.

10:52am: The first turf race of the day goes to 4-Ice Climber, his second consecutive win over the Arlington turf course. Favorite 9-Cool C Note has to settle for third. The Early Double pays $77.60 for $2.

11:20am: Bombs away in the third at Arlington! 9-Magic Case gets a clear early lead and then holds off 5-Toast With Honey in the final furlong to win at boxcar odds of 40/1. Early Pick 3 pays... wait for it: $3,645.60 for $1.

11:55am: Another good price at Arlington Park, a track where favorites have been shut out through four races. 11-Ruler of Love wins the fourth under Francisco Torres and pays $20 for a $2 win bet.

12:25pm: A wide-open affair in the first division of the Hatoof goes to 7-Julia's Star, another $20+ winner, making it five consecutive races to start the Arlington card where the winner paid more than $10.

12:42pm: One more race (#6) until the American St. Leger and the start of the major stakes action on the card. It's an all-turf-stakes $0.50 Pick 5 at AP today.

12:55pm: The run of big prices at Arlington Park ends in the sixth race as 6-Prince of Speed, a first-off-the-claim runner for trainer Wayne Catalano, pulls away to win by three at the wire.

The Early $0.50 Pick 4 pays $16,530.75. That's a nice chunk of iron.

1:25pm: The first running of the American St. Leger goes to 8-Jakkalberry (IRE) after he overtook the pacesetter, 11-Ioya Bigtime, in mid-stretch. A great run from Ioya Bigtime to hold a clear second after setting very solid fractions considering the lengths of the race. 10-Zuider Zee (GER) rounded out the trifecta.

2:30pm: With the second division of the Hatoof in the books (won by 6-Lady Micaela), we move on to the final two Grade 1 races on Million Day. The Beverly D. is up first.

2:40pm: A big run by Point of Entry in a dominating win in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga.

2:50pm: Questing (GB) just blew the doors off the field in the Alabama after clicking off very fast fractions, including a six furlong split of 1:09+. She ran Grace Hall into the ground. However, just like her CCA Oaks win, Questing weaved all over the place when hit with the stick... which the jock didn't even need to do.

3:04pm: An interesting side not to Bayrir's win in the Secretariat: Bayrir was the only horse in the field to race Lasix-free.

3:14pm: 2-I'm A Dreamer (IRE), set off at odds of 6/1, holds off Marketing Mix in the final furlong to win the Grade 1 Beverly D. setting up a possible European sweep if another foreigner wins the Arlington Million.

4:10pm: In a run that evoked memories of The Tin Man and Spirit One (FR), Little Mike take the Arlington Million in gate to wire fashion over a late closing Asfare (GB).

The win by Little Mike breaks a six race streak in the stakes races on Million day dating back to last year (if we include this year's American St. Leger).

Below are the running results from Arlington Park today. Clink on the winner's name for the Instant Chart from Brisnet.