Nations Pride surges late for Arlington Million triumph

Trainer Charlie Appleby, at the behest of his patron, Mohamed al Maktoum’s Godolphin, decided to run a significant American string of turf horses from April through the Breeders’ Cup during 2024. This has worked very well for Godolphin and Appleby, less so for the American horse people forced to compete against them.

Appleby already had won three of the eight Grade 1 turf stakes this year in which he had an entrant. On Sunday he took a fourth as Nations Pride comfortably captured the Grade 1 Arlington Million, the pride of the late Arlington Park and a race Appleby never had won.

Swooping to the lead under William Buick with a furlong remaining in the 1 1/4-mile fixture, Nations Pride easily out-kicked the competition, coming home a 1 3/4-length winner over Integration.

“Look, he was the best horse in the race, and we knew that,” said Buick, an assertion his mount had just backed up out on the racecourse.

Buick won his second Million but first for Godolphin, for whom he rides first call. In 2010, Buick rode Debussy to victory at Arlington for trainer John Gosden. Godolphin won a third Million following victories in 2022 by Santin, trained by Brendan Walsh, and in 2003 by Sulamani, a Saeed bin Suroor trainee placed first when Storming Home was disqualified for interference just before the finish.

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Nothing controversial about Nations Pride, who didn’t feel the crop until after he’d passed Talk of the Nation at the furlong grounds to take the lead. The early and middle stages of the Million unfolded in relatively unusual fashion, Talk of the Nation, who on paper looked like a prime pace player, letting Sugoi steal off to a lead that reached seven lengths at the half-mile mark. Sugoi was not going fast, either, posting a half-mile split of 50.03, but the classier horses caught him before the homestretch.

Nations Pride raced third much of the trip, making his move – and doing so easily – about three paths off the rail around the second of two Million turns. Talk of the Nation got first run on the tiring pacesetter but could do nothing to contain Nations Pride, while Integration, the strong second choice at 6-5, did not come especially close to the winner, finishing second by a half-length over Ancient Rome.

Nations Pride paid $4 as the even-money favorite and, as Buick said, the best horse in the race.

“He's an exciting horse and he's won four Grade 1s now,” Buick said. “The leader was getting a lot of rope, and he was getting it cheap, so I just wanted to have everything covered as well as I could.”

Ancient Rome, breaking slowly, came from last and made an inside move through the final furlong and a half, briefly passing Integration before the latter came home slightly better on the outside. Nations Pride was timed in 2:01.96 over a firm outer turf course and earned a 103 Beyer Speed Figure. Talk of the Nation performed creditably, hanging in for a competitive fourth, with Sugoi fading to fifth and Highland Chief never reaching contention while bringing up the rear.

Nations Pride, a homebred by Teofilo out of Important Time, by Oasis Dream, now sports a sterling record of 10-3-2 from 18 starts. The Million marked his second Grade 1 win in America, the first coming two years ago in the Saratoga Derby Invitational, the others in Germany and Canada. Nations Pride in his two American starts this year finished third in the Man O’War, a race won by the Appleby-trained Silver Knott, and second in the Manhattan, won by Appleby-trained Measured Time. With no stablemate standing in his way, Nations Pride won the Million.

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