MDK HAS FAV FOR ARLINGTON MILLION!

Go Mike Go!


USA: ARCHIPENKO, already a winner in Britain, Ireland, Dubai and Hong Kong, has been installed 9-4 favourite with Blue Square to deny Aidan O'Brien an 18th Group 1 victory of the season in Saturday's Arlington Million.

The South African star triumphed for trainer Mike de Kock in Ascot's Group 2 Summer Mile in July and will again be partnered by Kevin Shea when seeking to defeat O'Brien's Coral-Eclipse winner Mount Nelson in the Chicago showpiece.

Shea heads to America in fine form having secured a Group 1 success plus there Group 2 victories in South Africa in recent days.

ARLINGTON MILLION
Blue Square: 9-4 Archipenko, 5-2 Mount Nelson, 6 Einstein, 9 Cloudy's Knight, 10 Stream Cat, 12 Spirit One, Sudan, 14 Out Of Control, 16 Silverfoot, 25 Cosmonaut.

ARCHIPENKO, on Wednesday installed the 5-2 joint-favourite with Ladbrokes for Saturday's Arlington Million, pleased connections in a seven-furlong workout at the Chicago track.

Regular jockeyKevin Shea, who rode the horse on Thursday, reported the four-year-old worked well in blinkers despite soft conditions.

"Everything was good this morning," the South African told American racing website bloodhorse.com. "He's not the greatest worker, and this morning I think having the blinkers on gave him a little more.

"The turf was riding soft this morning but I could feel his well being as he moved over it. I was very pleased with the way he felt under me. He's a different horse on race day. he always shows up then.''

Bidding for his second Group 1 success after victory in the QE II Cup at Sha Tin in April, Mike De Kock's raider was inserted as 5-2 joint favourite with Ladbrokes on the back of his Group 2 win at Ascot last month in the SummerMile. He is joined at the head of the market by the Aidan O'Brien-trained Mount Nelson who will be bidding to give the trainer his 18th Group 1 success of the season.

The Brazilian bred and American trained Einstein is considered the hostnation's best chance for success in Saturday's 1m2f contest and Helen Pitt's six-year-old is made clear second favourite at 5-1 with the same firm.

Having worked over five furlongs at the local polytrack, Pitts told American sports website ESPN: ''He's as honest as they come. I've never been around a horse who loves the game as much as he does Whether you're breezing or racing he's ready to go.''

Arlington Million
Ladbrokes: 5-2 Archipenko, Mount Nelson, 5 Einstein, 7 Stream Cat, 10 Cloudy Knight, 12 Sudan, 14 Silverfoot, Spirit One

USA: GLOBETROTTER Archipenko will race from stall one when he faces seven rivals in Saturday's Arlington Million.

The Mike de Kock-trained four-year-old, Ladbrokes' 5-2 joint favourite,was handed the far rail, two places inside of the likely front-runner Spirit One.

Coral-Eclipse winner Mount Nelson, the other 5-2 market leader with Ladbrokes, will race from stall seven under Johnny Murtagh.

Leading US challenger Einstein has been drawn upsides Mount Nelson in stall six, and trainer Helen Pitts is pleased with the way the year has gone so far for the six-year-old, who won the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day in May, and the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap in February.

“This year everything's just kind of fallen in place," she said.

Einstein will be bidding to get back to winning ways after finishing second in his last two starts.
Mount Nelson's stablemate Plan, winner of the Group 3 Keeneland International Stakes at the Curragh on his most recent outing, has been installed as 2-1 favourite by Coral for tomorrow's Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes.

Arlington Million
Ladbrokes: 5-2 Archipenko, Mount Nelson, 5 Einstein, 7 Stream Cat, 10 Cloudy Knight, 12 Sudan, 14 Spirit One, Silverfoot

Secretariat Stakes
Coral: 2 Plan, 9-4 Tizdejavu, 9-2 Winchester, 8 Your Round, 11 Secret Getaway, 14 Prime Realestate, 20 Snoose Goose, 25 Sr Henry, 33 Strait Of Mewsina

Beverly D Stakes
Coral: 13-8 Precious Kitten, 7-2 Dreaming Of Anna, 5 Mauralakana, Rosinka, 8 Cicerole, 14 Communique, 25 Toque de Queda, 33 Meribel, 40 Ciao

Which horse will give Aidan O'Brien his next Group/Grade 1 winner?
Blue Square: 2 Duke Of Marmalade, 5-2 Plan, 3 Mount Nelson, 4 none of those three, 8 US Ranger, 20 Moonstone

MIKE DE KOCK will attempt to halt the Aidan O'Brien bandwagon in Chicago on Saturday when his Archipenko locks horns with Mount Nelson in the Arlington Million.

O'Brien has carried all before him this season and will hope to add to his mammoth total of 17 top-level victories, one of which was claimed by Mount Nelson in the Eclipse.

Victory for Archipenko, a recent Group 2 winner at Ascot, wouldbe an Interesting coincidence as he was trained at Ballydoyle when younger.

"Aidan's Mount Nelson is a top horse in his own right, a (Group) 1 winner in Europe," said De Kock.

"When drawing collateral form between him and Archipenko they appear exactly on a par, so this most definitely won't be a walk in the park for either.

"Aidan and Johnny Murtagh are in devastating form. They've won 17 Group 1 races this season alone. "It's bound to be an exciting finish as Kevin Shea and Johnny also renew the rivalry and sportsmanship they shared in Dubai.

"Arlington is similar to Sha Tin in Hong Kong, except it goes the other way round.

"But we have the inside draw and we're looking forward to the race."

French challenger Spirit One is also fancied to run well along with big local hope Einstein, who was second to Curlin two starts ago.

Helen Pitts trains Einstein and expects the six-year-old to put up a big performance.

"I think Einstein is ready," said the trainer. "He ran a huge race in the Woodford Reserve (Grade 1 at Churchill Downs). If he can run the way he ran in the Woodford, he's going to be tough."

Glad to see Tellytrack are crossing over.

Year Horse Owner Trainer Jockey Time
2007 Jambalaya Todd Phillips Catherine Day Phillips Robby Albarado 2:04.76
2006 The Tin Man Ralph and Aury Todd Richard Mandella Victor Espinoza 2:01.35
2005 Powerscourt Mrs. John Magnier Aidan O'Brien Kieren Fallon 2:03.38
2004 Kicken Kris** Brushwood Stable Michael Matz Kent Desormeaux 2:00.08
2003 Sulamani (IRE)* Godolphin Racing Inc. Saeed bin Suroor David Flores 2:02.29
2002 Beat Hollow Juddmonte Farm Bobby Frankel Jerry Bailey 2:02.94
2001 Silvano Stiftung Gestut Fahrhof Andreas Wohler Andreas Suborics 2:02.64
2000 Chester House Juddmonte Farms Inc. Robert Frankel Jerry Bailey 2:01.37
1997 Marlin Michael Tabor D. Wayne Lukas Gary Stevens 2:02.54
1996 Mecke J. Lewis Jr. Manny Tortora Robbie Davis 2:00.49
1995 Awad Ryehill Farm David Donk Eddie Maple 1:58.69
1994 Paradise Creek M. Nishiyama William Mott Pat Day 1:59.78
1993 Star of Cozzene Team Valor Stable Mark Hennig Jose Santos 2:07.50
1992 Dear Doctor-Fr H. Chaloub John Hammond Cash Asmussen 1:59.84
1991 Tight Spot R. Corrodini, V. Winchell, F. Anderson & F. Whitham Ron McAnally Laffit Pincay, Jr. 1:59.55
1990 Golden Pheasant Summa Stable & Wayne Gretzky Charles Whittingham Gary Stevens 1:59 (3/5)
1989 Steinlen Wildenstein Stable D. Wayne Lukas Jose Santos 2:03 (3/5)
1988 Mill Native C.N. Ray Andre Fabre Cash Asmussen 2:00
1987 Manila B.M. Shannon Leroy Jolley Angel Cordero 2:02 (2/5)
1986 Estrapade Allan E. Paulson Charles Whittingham Fernando Toro 2:00 (4/5)
1985 Teleprompter Lord Derby J. Watts T. Ives 2:03 (2/5)
1984 John Henry Dotsam Stable Ron McAnally Chris McCarron 2:01 (2/5)
1983 Tolomeo C. d'Alessio Luca Cumani Pat Eddery 2:04 (2/5)
1982 Perrault Fradkoff & Baron Von Zuylen Charles Whittingham Laffit Pincay, Jr. 1:58 (4/5)
1981 John Henry Dotsam Stable Ron McAnally William Shoemaker 2:07 (3/5)

Guys have had a nice bet on "ARCHIE" it can beat the Yanks.

If anyone wants to watch the race again go to www.arlingtonpark.com/million/videos to check it out.

De Kock is moaning about Murtagh and his riding tactics, I think his argument has some merit but its not the first time Shea has been boxed in for De Kock. Shea got cleaned out by the jocks on Sun Classique in Dubai before Sun Classique rallied again to save his ass. Only this time there wasnt enough time left.

Interesting that De Kock was asked before the race if he was concerned that Archipenko could get boxed in from the 1 draw and whether Archipenko would go a gap as he failed to do in the Duty Free. MDK said he wasn't concerned. I think Archie will travel on the outside for a clear run in future races.

I reckon Shea and MDK were outhought and outridden, unsurprisingly by the Ballydoyle team of race script writers, they do it all the time!

Saksy how could they be "outthought and outridden" by Murtagh and O'brien if Archipenkp beat Mount Nelson?

Archie an unlucky loser, just got the gap a bit too late, would beat the winner next time imvho

Kevin involved in a wrestling match. I hope the other jock faces some sort of penalty,

thats racing ,no use making excuses every time you get beat.accept it and move on like a sportsman