The Tin Man among 11 possible for Million

Arlington Park officials said Friday they are expecting a field of as many as 11 horses, including defending champion The Tin Man, for the Arlington Million, the highlight of the International Festival of Racing next Saturday, Aug. 11.

The 1 1/4-mile Million is one of three Grade 1 turf races to be run at the Arlington Heights, Ill., track. The others are the $750,000 Beverly D., for which eight fillies and mares are likely to enter, and the $400,000 Secretariat Stakes, which is expected to get nine 3-year-olds.

Besides The Tin Man, the venerable gelding who led throughout to win the 2006 Million, the 2007 running also is expected to get several of the leading turf runners in North America, as well as four foreign runners.

The likely Million favorite is After Market. He has won back-to-back Grade 1 races in California, the Eddie Read and Charlie Whittingham. Also expected to run are Cosmonaut, an easy winner of the local prep, the Arlington Handicap, and Sunriver, the Todd Pletcher-trained colt who is unbeaten in two turf attempts.

The foreign contingent is headed by Stage Gift, owned by the Godolphin powerhouse and trained by Saeed bin Suroor. Stage Gift won his last two starts, both group races, at Longchamp in France and York in England.

This is the list of prospects for the Million: After Market, Cosmonaut, Danak, Doctor Dino, Jambalaya, Pressing, Rob Roy, Stage Gift, Stream Cat, Sunriver, and The Tin Man.

This will be the 25th running of the Million. The race was inaugurated in 1981 as the world's first million-dollar race. It was not run in 1998 and 1999, when Arlington was shuttered.

In the Beverly D., Citronnade will be entered on a five-race win streak and is likely to be favored in the 1o3/16-mile race over Lady of Venice and Honey Ryder. Owned by Stronach Stables and trained by Bobby Frankel, Citronnade has accounted for four graded stakes during her recent tear, including a score as the odds-on favorite in the Grade 1 Gamely at Hollywood Park in May.

Lady of Venice is trained by Patrick Biancone, who won the Beverly D. last year with Gorella. Lady of Venice, based at Keeneland, has won her last three starts, capped by a rallying triumph in the Grade 2 Cash Call Mile at Hollywood last month.

Two foreign horses, Dalvina from England and Irridescence from South Africa, are expected in the Beverly D. lineup. This is the entire list of probables: Citronnade, Dalvina, Honey Ryder, Irridescence, Jennie R., Lady of Venice, Rosinka, and Royal Highness.

In the 1 1/4-mile Secretariat, Pletcher is scheduled to send out two 3-year-olds: Red Giant, the upset winner of the $1 million Virginia Derby, and Pleasant Strike, the beaten favorite in the American Derby at Arlington. The American Derby winner Lattice is part of a prospective lineup that includes four foreign runners: Admiralofthefleet (Ireland), Axxos (Germany), Fleeting Shadow (Ireland), and Shamdinan (France). Going Ballistic and Mostaccoli Mort round out the likely field.

Entries for all three Festival races will be drawn Wednesday.