Turf Classic winner Santin likely will stay put at Churchill for the Arlington Million

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Arlington Million that will be run over the Churchill Downs turf course this summer is the next likely major target for Santin, with maybe one race in between, trainer Brendan Walsh said Wednesday.

Santin rose into the elite ranks of the male turf division by winning the Grade 1 Old Forester Turf Classic on the Kentucky Derby undercard Saturday at Churchill. The 4-year-old Distorted Humor colt “likes it here, likes the course, so in the long term you’d have to think about the Arlington Million,” said Walsh.

The Arlington Million, inaugurated in 1981 at Arlington Park, will be held at Churchill for the first time on Aug. 13. Arlington in suburban Chicago was shuttered for racing by Churchill Downs Inc. last August, shortly after the Million (renamed the Mister D. Stakes) was run.

Santin, a Godolphin homebred, could go next in either the June 4 Arlington Stakes – another stakes Churchill is repatriating from its former home – or maybe the Grade 1 Manhattan on the June 11 Belmont Stakes undercard, “although he’d have to come out of this race unbelievable,” said Walsh. “Sending him up there wouldn’t be outside the realm of possibility. We actually still have to discuss what we’re doing next. We may want to wait a bit longer to run back.”

The Old Forester capped a terrific Derby weekend for Walsh when giving him his sixth stakes victory in a 36-day span. Walsh, who will turn 49 on Sunday, also won the Grade 2 Edgewood on the Kentucky Oaks undercard with New Year’s Eve, who delivered an absolutely explosive turn of foot in going last to first. Marc Detampel owns the 3-year-old Kitten’s Joy filly.

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“The way she ran the other day, she looks like she could be anything,” said Walsh. “We won’t get in any rush with her by making any immediate plans.”

Prevalence, virtually eased when last of seven in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs on Derby Day after winning the Grade 3 Commonwealth last month at Keeneland for Godolphin, “came out of the race 100 percent fine,” said Walsh. “I don’t know if he just doesn’t handle this track or what. It was a drying-out track. He didn’t run well in the Pat Day Mile here last year, either,” when finishing eighth by 20 lengths.

Walsh’s latest hot streak began April 2, when he won three stakes on the Florida Derby card at Gulfstream Park. The Irish-born trainer had been wondering about filling the sizable void created by the retirement of Maxfield, who passed the $2 million earnings mark for Godolphin in winning the Grade 1 Clark here in November in his career finale.

“Losing Maxfield and some nice stakes fillies to the breeding shed, I was a little worried,” he said. “But some of these younger horses are really stepping up, and the older horses, too. It’s nice. We’ve got a good team of horses and a good team of people, so we’re very happy.”

Oaklawn horses ship in

With a number of horses shipping out post-Derby, some stalls are being replenished by horses that recently competed at Oaklawn Park, which closed its meet Sunday.

Rene Amescua, with six stalls at the nearby Trackside training center, traveled here from Oaklawn after having spent more than 35 years at California tracks. “I’ve visited a couple times but never trained here,” he said. “We’re eager to see how it goes. It’s pretty exciting.”