Foreign entries add heft to Arlington card

Arlington Park will take center stage Saturday with the Arlington Million, the biggest day on the Chicago horse racing calendar. It features three Grade 1 stakes - the Arlington Million, Beverly D and Secretariat – plus a new race, the American St. Leger.

One way of measuring the success of Arlington Million day is by the number of foreign horses shipped in. This year there are 13, which bodes well for the large-sized fields.

I admittedly have a soft spot for Arlington Park, having worked there for racetrack owner Richard L. Duchossois. Arlington Park burned to the ground in 1985. He then rebuilt the track, using his own money, and reopened for the 1989 season. It is a magnificent facility, and the place is genuinely fan-friendly. That all has to do with Duchossois’ vision of how the sport should be presented.

As for the races, here are my picks in the four turf stakes.

The inaugural American St. Leger will be run at the unusual distance, at least for American racing, of 1 11/16th miles. In the 12-horse field, there are five long shots at 30-1 odds.

My top choice is Lake Drop (8-1) in his U.S. debut for Barry Irwin, owner of Team Valor. Ramon Dominguez rides for trainer Graham Motion. He is a marathon specialist based in Italy. Next I like the favorite, Jakkalberry (9-5), who is another long-winded sort.

Trainer Dale Romans has three of the eight starters in the Secretariat – Silver Max, Finnegans Wake and Cozetti. Silver Max (9-5) will be heavily favored as a possible lone early speed.

But I like two shippers instead in Daddy Long Legs (6-1) and Bayrir (6-1). Daddy Long Legs has run poorly twice in the U.S. in the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, both on Churchill Downs dirt. He is a true grass horse who has run well against top overseas competition. Bayrir has been carefully nurtured and appears ready for his toughest test to date.

In the Beverly D, I like Joviality (9-2) from trainer John Gosden. Her price will hold as she ran last at Newmarket last time out. She shows good tactical speed from an outside post and will be racing on the diuretic Lasix for the first time. My second choice is the rail filly Kapitale (12-1) from Germany. She also will race with Lasix for the first time.

The Arlington Million might be the hardest race on the card, because there is no standout. Crackerjack King (5-1) has won seven of nine races on turf, losing twice in group 1 races. But those fields were a lot harder than what he faces in the Million. Treasure Beach (6-1) is long overdue to run a good race for trainer Aidan O’Brien.

Richard Eng’s horse racing column is published Friday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He can be reached at rich_eng@hotmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @richeng4propick.