Hardest Core gets his shot at big time in Million

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – The 43-year-old Pennsylvania-based trainer Eddie Graham never has started a horse in a graded stakes race, but Graham is jumping into the deep end. He said Monday that Hardest Core will make his next start in the Arlington Million on Saturday.

The Million pre-entrants include Magician, the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Turf winner, and Real Solution, who finished second but was placed first in last year’s Arlington Million. There are just seven pre-entries in the Million and 11 in the 1 11/16-mile American St. Leger on the same card. The Beverly D. and the Secretariat Stakes, both Grade 1’s, also will be run Saturday.

Hardest Core was pre-entered in both the Million and American St. Leger and had been considered for the Sword Dancer at Saratoga.

“It’s a big step up, but I just went with my gut,” Graham said. “All three races are very, very tough, and our horse I think is going to be 30-1 in any of the three races.”

Hardest Core, a grand-looking, gelded 4-year-old son of Hard Spun, was a sharp winner of the 1 1/2-mile Cape Henlopen on July 12, a $50,000 stakes race at Delaware Park. It was his second start of the year and his second for Graham after owner Andrew Bentley bought the horse for $210,000 at auction last November. Racing for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin in 2013, Hardest Core won 3 of 8 starts and was a close second in his only stakes try, the $100,000 Stroll at Saratoga.

Graham, whose six-horse string includes four steeplechasers, sent Hardest Core to the Fair Hill Training Center to work a half-mile on dirt in 49.80 seconds Monday morning. Hardest Core worked by himself and went well, Graham said, in what merely was a maintenance move.

Hardest Core will ship by van to Arlington, leaving Fair Hill on Wednesday and arriving here Thursday. Graham said jockey Eriluis Vaz, who rode Hardest Core to victory in the Cape Henlopen and in an allowance race June 28 at Parx, will retain the mount for the Million.

“I rode him three times this year, and he won all three,” said Graham. “No way I’m changing anything.”

Euro shippers arrive

Eight European shippers arrived Saturday night at Arlington but weren’t scheduled to get out of their 42-hour quarantine period in time to train before Tuesday morning.

The Saturday night arrivals include Smoking Sun and Side Glance for the Million; Just the Judge, Euro Charline, and Sparkling Beam for the Beverly D.; and Dandino, Moment in Time, and Havana Beat for the American St. Leger.

As per his usual strategy, trainer Aidan O’Brien is sending his international shippers as close to their races as possible, with the four O’Brien charges set to arrive here Tuesday night. Those horses are likely Million favorite Magician; Adelaide and Belisarius for the Secretariat; and Eye of the Storm for the American St. Leger.