Magician heads seven-horse field for Arlington Million

CHICAGO – There were no surprises when final fields and post positions for the Arlington Million and $1.65 million worth of supporting turf stakes were revealed here Wednesday at WGN studios.

The Million drew seven horses, equal to the smallest field in the race’s 32-year-history if all start. Seven also ran in 2000, 2007, and 2008. The compact group, though, includes Magician, the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Turf winner, and Real Solution, placed first in the 2013 Million when The Apache was disqualified.

Eleven horses were entered in the $750,000 Beverly D., nine in the $500,000 Secretariat, and 11 in the $400,000 American St. Leger. All but the St. Leger are Grade 1’s.

Hardest Core was entered in both the Million and the American St. Leger, but trainer Eddie Graham said Monday the gelding’s connections intended to run in the Million.

The official post-position draw was conducted Wednesday morning at Arlington, but the draw was revealed during a noon news show on WGN, which will broadcast the Million from 5-6 p.m. Central.

From the rail out, the Million field consists of Hardest Core, Smoking Sun, Magician, Finnegan’s Wake, Up With the Birds, Real Solution, and Side Glance.

Magician, trained by Aidan O’Brien, could become the first horse since Manila in 1987 to win the Million the summer after capturing the BC Turf. The 7-5 morning-line favorite, Magician has only a Group 3 win from six starts since his 12-1 upset in the BC Turf, but the 4-year-old displayed a particular fondness for American-style turf racing last fall.

Real Solution, trained by Chad Brown, comes off a win the Manhattan Handicap. Alan Garcia rode him in the 2013 Million, but Javier Castellano has been aboard the last two starts and rides Saturday.

“Javier is very confident in him and he’ll put him in whatever position he needs to be,” Brown said.

There’s little pace in the Million. A short field lacking speed can turn muddled, coming down to racing luck and a strong late burst.

Smoking Sun, a French horse, and Side Glance, an England-based world traveler who was third in the 2013 Million, are the other overseas runners. Up With the Birds ships from Canada. Finnegan’s Wake narrowly won the Arlington Handicap here last month.

The Beverly D. field, from the rail out, is Just the Judge, Euro Charline, Street of Gold, Emollient, Stephanie’s Kitten, Tannery, La Tia, I’m Already Sexy, Alterite, Sparkling Beam, and Somali Lemonade.

There’s a long run to the first turn, but post 11 is not ideal for Grade 1 Diana winner Somali Lemonade, who held off the hard-closing Stephanie’s Kitten last month at Saratoga.

The 5-year-old Stephanie’s Kitten, the 7-2 morning-line choice and one of two, along with Alterite, trained by Brown, makes her first Arlington start since her 2-year-old season, when Wayne Catalano trained her. Catalano sends out longshot I’m Already Sexy, the winner of the Modesty here last month. The Europeans – Just the Judge, Euro Charline, and Sparkling Beam – look less talented than last year’s brilliant winner, Dank.

O’Brien has the morning-line favorite, 8-5 Adelaide, for the Secretariat. Adelaide drew post 6 and makes his second trip to the United States following a good second in the Belmont Derby. Tourist, trained by Bill Mott, is the second choice at 5-2 and breaks from post 9 as the likely pacesetter.

The 1 11/16-mile American St. Leger includes the one-two finishers from the 2013 edition, Dandino and Suntracer. Dandino, the 3-1 morning-line favorite, drew post 2 and, thanks to front-running California shipper Big Kick, should find a more truly run race than in last year’s slow-paced affair.

The Arlington turf as of Wednesday was quite firm. There’s no precipitation in the forecast until Friday night and Saturday, when the National Weather Service calls for a 30 percent to 40 percent chance of rain.