All-American Arlington Million Set at Colonial Downs

An all-American field of 11 is set for the Aug. 12 Arlington Million (G1T) at Colonial Downs including last year's winner, Santin , and the winner of this year's Arlington Stakes (G3T) at Churchill Downs, Set Piece .

The field is rich with graded stakes winners. Atone , a 6-year-old Into Mischief   gelding, won the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1T) at Gulfstream Park in January. Rockemperor  accounted for the 2021 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes (G1T) at Belmont Park. Adhamo  scored in the 2022 United Nations Stakes (G1T) at Monmouth Park. Three others have won at the grade 2 or grade 3 level.

The race does not, however, have the international flavor it sported through its long tenure at Arlington International Racecourse. There, the Million and its two attendant grade 1 events consistently attracted top horses and connections from Europe and boosted trans-Atlantic interest in the global racing scene.

The International Racing Bureau, which coordinated the European participation, calculated there were foreign contenders in all but two of the editions run at Arlington between 1981 and 2021.

The 2023 renewal does have Set Piece, a Juddmonte homebred trained by Brad Cox, who started his career in England, and the Chad Brown-trained duo of Rockemperor and Adhamo, both of whom kicked things off in France. Master Piece  first raced in his native South America. All of those, however, now are based in the United States.

The change in focus traces to the decision by Churchill Downs Inc., which owns Colonial Downs, to close Arlington after the 2021 season. That year, the race was renamed the Mr. D. Stakes after long-time Arlington owner Richard L. Duchossois, and the purse downgraded to $600,000. The money and title were restored in 2022 at CDI's flagship track but without a dedicated push to attract overseas competition.

CDI has not announced long-range plans for the race.

In the short term, the 2023 renewal looks like a scramble. Only one of the 11 was a last-race winner and several, including Brown's two, seek big-time turnarounds.

Adhamo, a 5-year-old son of Intello , was on a roll in 2022, finishing second in the Fair Grounds Stakes (G3T) in February, third in the Turf Classic Stakes (G1T) at Churchill Downs in May and second in the Manhattan Stakes (G1T) at Belmont Park in June before winning the United Nations. He then reported eighth in the Sword Dancer Stakes (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course and sixth in the Turf Classic at the Belmont at the Big A meeting Oct. 8 and has not raced since.

Rockemperor, a 7-year-old Holy Roman Emperor  gelding, last won at the 2022 Saratoga meeting and has missed the top three slots in four straight starts, albeit all in graded company.

Atone also hit a slump after winning the Pegasus in January. The Mike Maker trainee was ninth in the Muniz Memorial Classic Stakes (G2T) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots and fifth in the Dinner Party Stakes (G3T) at Pimlico Race Course in his last outing, nearly three months ago. Atone won the Pegasus off a 2 1/2-month layoff and Maker said at the time a freshening might be a key for him.

"I thought it did him a world of good," Maker said. "He runs well fresh and that was no exception."

Santin has not won, or even hit the board, in six starts since his 2022 Million victory and was last seen finishing fourth in the Hanshin Stakes at Ellis Park July 2. Ironically, the Hanshin is another former Arlington fixture transplanted by CDI, which also owns Ellis.

Set Piece, after winning the Arlington Stakes, was a late-running third in the Wise Dan Stakes (G2T) at Ellis Park July 1.

Oddly, only one of the entrants comes to the Million off a victory. Win for the Money , a 4-year-old gelding by Mohaymen  , won a second-level allowance race in his last start July 20 at Colonial.

Win for the Money and fellow 4-year-old Catnip  also are the only horses in the race who have experience over the Secretariat Turf Course at the Virginia track, billed as the widest grass racing surface in North America.

The race has been restored to its traditional 1 1/4 miles after being contested in 2022 at 1 1/8 miles as Churchill Downs officials struggled to get their turf course in top shape. As it did at Arlington, the race will start from a short chute at the top of the stretch.