Even as the Grade 1 Arlington Million Stakes gradually settles into a new identity, 800 miles and four years removed from its defunct home, trainers around the world look at the historic race and see a profound opportunity. The nature of that opportunity at Colonial Downs this Saturday is a complex blend of pragmatic and optimistic reasoning. It would be needlessly cynical to dismiss the sentimental importance of the Arlington Million to those who have entered this year’s running, but it also would be foolish to overlook the absence of trainer Charles Appleby and Nations Pride. Last year’s Arlington Million winner will run in the Grade 1 Sword Dancer at Saratoga this weekend, and several trainers mentioned the horse by name when they explained their decision to ship to Colonial. When trainer Todd Pletcher cross-entered Grand Sonata between the Arlington Million and Sword Dancer, it is fairly clear that he was looking to avoid a tough field. After finishing second in the Grade 2 United Nations at Monmouth last month, the 6-year-old will travel to Colonial for his seventh try at a Grade 1 victory. :: Access morning workout reports straight from the tracks and get an edge with DRF Clocker Reports “Looks like a better spot at Colonial to me,” Pletcher said. “The race came up pretty deep at Saratoga, and we just felt like that was a better fit for him. Like the idea of getting another race between the United Nations and the [Grade 2 Kentucky Turf Cup] that he won last year, so we felt like the timing could set us up well for that.” Not only is the field of nine slightly more forgiving in this year’s Arlington Million, but the pace scenario also should be ideal for Grand Sonata. Toward the inside, speedy geldings Time Song and Runaway Storm are among a tightly packed group of potential front-runners and should ensure an honest early pace. Trainers Jonathan Thomas and Ethan West both said that they will not yield to other pacesetting rivals early on. “I can tell you, we’re not going to concede the lead to anybody,” Thomas said of Time Song. “We’re not going to give it to anybody. If someone’s faster than us, that’s fine. The plan is to not be conservative about that.” Mystik Dan, the 2024 Kentucky Derby winner making his turf debut, could be forwardly placed but will likely assume an early stalking position on the rail. Trainer Kenny McPeek said that he has always considered him a potential turf runner but never found the chance to test his versatility. He will take the chance after the 4-year-old colt finished fourth behind Mindframe and Sierra Leone in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster. “I don’t think that switching surfaces is going to be a big deal,” McPeek said. “He’s obviously very talented, and as a matter of fact, I think he may even like it more than dirt. We’ll see.” Cairo, the only European shipper in this year’s field, also has flashed early speed in races in Great Britain and the United Arab Emirates. In a straight mile in the Group 1 Queen Anne at Royal Ascot last time out, the 5-year-old closed from last to finish third at 100-1 odds. “Charlie Appleby did send over Nations Pride, and he was actually on the same flight as Cairo,” trainer Alice Haynes said. “They chose to stay in New York, so that was great that he didn’t come down this way.” Cairo may have closed from well back at Ascot last time out, but the trainer said that the race’s configuration had more to do with the trip than a change in style. Cairo, still looking for his first victory since March 2023, should be more prominent in the Arlington Million, pressing the pace without challenging for it directly. With so many horses on or near the early lead, if Grand Sonata successfully sits behind a hotly contested pace, a pair entered by Shug McGaughey could be his only competition in the stretch. Integration, the 8-5 morning-line favorite, finished second behind Nations Pride in the Arlington Million last year and missed by a head in the Grade 1 Manhattan at Saratoga in June. McGaughey’s three-time graded stakes winner is still looking for his first Grade 1, but he’s quickly closing in. McGaughey also will send out Fort Washington, a two-time winner in Grade 3 stakes company this year who will stretch out to 1 1/4 miles for the first time. The 6-year-old dragged on his left lead while finishing in a dead heat for fourth in the Grade 2 Wise Dan last time out. The path to an improved effort is clear for the fifth-place finisher in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational in January. The Arlington Million is the feature on a 12-race card that also includes the Grade 2 Secretariat, Grade 2 Beverly D., and four listed stakes races. The seven stakes races offer $2.5 million in combined purses. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.