Robert Bruce wins Arlington Million, caps grand day for Brown

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Robert Bruce was a star in his native Chile and after winning the Arlington Million on Saturday is well on his way to becoming a star in America. But for both luminosity and magnitude the brightest star late Saturday afternoon at Arlington was Robert Bruce’s trainer, Chad Brown.

Robert Bruce proved a half-length better in the Million than Almanaar. Brown trains him, too. It was the second Million win in a row (Beach Patrol last year) and third overall for Brown. Forty-six minutes before the Million, Brown won the Grade 1, $600,000 Beverly D. Stakes for the fourth year in a row, this time with Sistercharlie. Horses he trains also finished second, third, and fifth in the Beverly D. And in the race before that, the Grade 1 Secretariat, Brown finished second by a neck with Analyze It.

Analyzing it is easy – this is getting ridiculous.

“I love it here at Arlington,” Brown said. “We circle these races and we’ve been blessed to have horses good enough for them.”

Those are very polite words, like the plundering general waving a pleasant goodbye on the way out of a sacked city.

Brown struck his final blow Saturday with a handsome South American import who might be unbeaten from nine starts had he found any luck June 7 in the Grade 1 Manhattan. After winning all six of his races in Chile by more than 28 combined lengths, and scoring four times at the Group 1 level, Robert Bruce was sent to the Northern Hemisphere by owner Carlos Lavin – sent north into the royal house of Brown.

A 4-year-old (newly turned on the Southern Hemisphere calendar under which he was bred), Robert Bruce already had a big reputation when he won the Fort Marcy Stakes on May 5 in his first start for Brown.

Then came the Manhattan – appropriately named for all the congestion Robert Bruce encountered.

“There were so many horses in the race and he just couldn’t get out to the clear,” jockey Irad Ortiz said. “It wasn’t easy for him; there was a lot of traffic.”

With Divisidero an early scratch and Spring Quality scratched Saturday morning after shipping poorly from Maryland, the Million went with a field of nine, Robert Bruce moving in from post 10 to post 8 because of the defections. Ortiz let him drop to the back of the pack while Joel Rosario on Almanaar dealt with his mount’s typical early over-exuberance, Almanaar trying to run off when he saw daylight into the first turn. Rosario got Almanaar back after a quarter-mile, but Ortiz didn’t have to work to settle his mount, who was professional all the way around.

“He does everything you want,” Ortiz said.

Up front, there was a surprise leader. Oscar Performance appeared to be the speed of the race, but he broke outward from his far outside gate – not surprising given the gate’s position at the end of the far turn – got stuck briefly behind Robert Bruce and took up a tracking position as the English shipper Century Dream went to the front.

“I thought there was a chance everyone would be looking at each other and nobody would go to the lead,” jockey William Buick said. “We were kind of an underdog in the race. I thought, ‘Let’s try our best and try to make something of it.’ ”

Century Dream, going a legitimate pace of 23.66, 48.28, and 1:12.96, tried to pull off a wire job, but had no answer when Brown’s pair picked up their pace. Almanaar, pulled wide and following Oscar Performance around the far turn, made the first big move, but as Almanaar gained stride, Ortiz had Robert Bruce on the move behind him. Almanaar got to Century Dream at the eighth pole, but was quickly attacked from the outside by Robert Bruce, who had the momentum – and the win.

“I asked him on the turn, he started to pick it up, and he was really good,” Ortiz said.

Robert Bruce, winning for the eighth time in nine starts, was timed in 2:02.29 for 1 1/4 miles over turf officially labeled firm. The course started the day as “good” before being upgraded to firm for the Beverly D., and even in the Million the horses kicked up plenty of turf, suggesting a course more good than actually firm. The Secretariat Stakes two races before the Million went in 2:01.04 for 1 1/4 miles.

Robert Bruce, the second choice, paid $7.20 to win. The Million is a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Win and You’re In race for the BC Turf and Robert Bruce earned automatic entry into the race, plus travel expenses. However, neither Chilean-bred Robert Bruce nor his sire, Fast Company, is Breeders’ Cup nominated. Robert Bruce can be made BC eligible with a $50,000 payment before July 15, a $200,000 payment after that date.

Century Dream finished third, two lengths behind Almanaar, but was disqualified to fourth for coming out and, in the opinion of the stewards, fouling Catcho En Die. Then came Money Multiplier, Deauville, Twenty Four Seven, and Circus Couture.

Oscar Performance, the 19-10 favorite, was pulled up in the final furlong after taking two bad steps, jockey Jose Ortiz said, at the eighth pole. Oscar Performance walked into the horse ambulance without appearing lame to Arlington’s track vet, and trainer Brian Lynch said there was no immediate evidence of injury.

“We watched him cool out here at the barn and everything seems intact,” Lynch said. “Obviously tomorrow morning will be the tell-tale, but as of right now it looks good.”

Also looking good – Chad Brown in every American turf division beyond sprints. Both Almanaar and Robert Bruce are fresh horses for this time of year. Brown said he must decide whether to attempt to stretch them to 1 1/2 miles for major races through late summer and fall.

Even if his top two Million finishers need something shorter than 12 furlongs, there is little chance Brown’s stable of top-class turf horses will be coming up short any time soon.