2011 Arlington Million: Potential Entries & Horse Racing Tips

Written by Roger Mayflower
Tuesday, 09 August 2011 15:43

It’s time to preview the potential entries in the 2011 Arlington Million while giving out early tips on the horses.

Although much can still change before the August 13th running of the 2011 Arlington Million at Arlington Park, it currently appears that the list of potential entries is limited to 10 horses that are likely to be in the gate for the 5:00 PM ET post time.  The 1 ¼-mile turf race is just one of the great races this weekend at Arlington Park, and the $1,000,000 purse has attracted some of the best 3-and-older horses in the business.

You never really know what way the horse racing morning line odds will swing, but it appears likely that Gio Ponti will be the race favorite after winning the Arlington Million in 2009 before coming up in 2nd last year.  Although he’s the best known of the potential entries, there are plenty of other horses in the field that could grab the top prize.  We’ll go over the Arlington Million horses that I consider likely to make up the list of entries and give out a bit of information on each of them.  Make sure to bookmark our website and check back later in the week for an article on the 2011 Arlington Million horse racing odds, post positions, and picks.

2011 Arlington Million Potential Entries:

Gio Ponti – Former Arlington Million winner has vast amounts of experience but has finished no better than 2nd over his last 4 races.  Gio Ponti lost to fellow Arlington Million horse Cape Blanco last time out but has the late leg kick to pass up these horses on the backstretch if he gets positioned correctly.

Cape Blanco – The Irish invader is coming off a 1st place finish in the Man O’ War, but inconsistency has been an issue in the past.  Cape Blanco finished no better than 4th in his 4 starts previously but has also been facing some of the best turf horses in the world during that span.  He’s an extremely talented horse that shouldn’t have any problem getting the distance.  He’ll likely be up front or close behind the pacesetters before getting into first around the midstretch.

Rahystrada – He’s coming off a win in the Colonial Turf Cup and has won twice on this track previously, including the 2010 Arlington Handicap.  Rahystrada tried his luck in the 2010 Arlington Million but ended up finishing 4th.  He’ll be likely making his move at the top of the stretch and should be in the mix.

Dean’s Kitten – Sired by 2005 Arlington Million runner-up Kitten’s Joy, Dean’s Kitten has finished on the board in his last 3 straight.  Although he’s consistently near the top, this horse hasn’t won over his last 9 career races and is coming off a 3rd place finish in the 2011 Arlington Handicap to fellow contender Tajaaweed.

Tajaaweed – This might be the sleeper of the field after taking home a win in the Arlington Handicap last time out.  Tajaaweed tried his hand at the 2010 Arlington Million before a horrible trip had him finishing in 6th.  I’ve seen improvement recently and am hoping we get some nice horse racing odds on this potential spoiler.

Proceed Bee – His last two races have come here (6th in the Arlington Handicap, 3rd in the Stars and Stripes) and the 2011 Arlington Million will mark Proceed Bee’s 7th race at Arlington Park.  He’s won twice on this track previously, but hasn’t looked in form in 2011 after finishing 2010 with 3 straight wins.

Mission Approved – He took out Gio Ponti in the Manhattan Handicap but could only muster a 4th in the Man O’ War last time out.  This frontrunner could lead for a portion of the race but I’m thinking that he’ll tire down the stretch against this field.

Zack Hall – This French horse will be taking a big step up in competition at the Arlington Million, but he’s proven he’s capable of winning with 3 victories over 7 career races.  That being said, the class of potential entries here might be too much to handle.

General Perfect – He’s already raced 4 times since the end of May and is coming off of two straight 5th place finishes against lesser competition.  General Perfect has seen most of his career success in sprints and hasn’t finished better than 5th in 3 career races at over a mile.  The light at the end of the tunnel is that those poor finishes were largely the result of poorly-timed late moves and not necessarily because of exhaustion at the distance.

Wigmore Hall – Another European invader, Wigmore Hall finished 2nd at Arlington Park in the 2010 Secretariat.  He’s been hit or miss in 2011 and is coming off an 11th place finish in the QE II Cup at Sha Tin in Japan.  Wigmore Hall has raced all over the world and we know that the distance won’t be a problem.