History

Arlington Million History

A million dollars. In 1981, the number turned racing on its ear. Arlington announced that thoroughbred racing would have a million-dollar turf race, ideally placed in the summer so that European horses would be attracted to it before their year-end championship events in the fall.
But money alone could not secure the success of the race that was known as the Arlington Million. John Henry took care of the rest.

The race received instant creditability when John Henry entered and then won the inaugural Million. The race has grown in stature from that day, still attracting the best grass runners in the world, still having a pivotal outcome on the Eclipse Awards.

The Million has been graced by winners such as John Henry, Manila, Tight Spot, Estrapade, Perrault, Steinlen, and Paradise Creek, champions all. Hall of Fame trainers Charlie Whittingham and Ron McAnally have each won the race three times. It truly is one of America's premier events.

The Million has had to overcome several hurdles to reach its present status. There initially had to be the daring and bravado to put on a million-dollar race. That, however, was the easy part.

The Million could have been interrupted in 1985, when, just 25 days before the race, a fire burned the original Arlington to the ground. But a dedicated team worked around the clock, and 35,651 fans turned out to watch the race in tents and temporary facilities. The "Miracle Million" endures as a triumph of people overcoming enormous odds.

Three years later, while Arlington was being rebuilt, the race was moved to Woodbine Race Course, near Toronto, Canada, underscoring yet again the race's international flavor.

A two-year hiatus in live racing at Arlington meant that there was no Million held in either 1998 or 1999. When the race returned in the year 2000 as a part of the Emirates World Series Racing Championship, it had a $2 million purse, ensuring its premier status among North American turf races.

John Henry's thrilling victory over The Bart in the inaugural Million remains one of the greatest races in the history of the North American turf. Over a soggy turf he did not like, John Henry appeared beaten a quarter-mile from the finish.

Yet the gallant gelding, under the world's winningest rider, Bill Shoemaker, somehow summoned enough strength to rally in the final furlong and nail the Bart right on the wire. That never-to-be-forgotten finish is immortalized in a bronze overlooking the Arlington paddock.

John Henry was back for the 1983 Million but he was stunned by Tolomeo, who slipped through the rail to beat John Henry by a neck and provide Europe with its first Million triumph.

At age nine, John Henry should have been marking time in a retirement home. But the summerof 1984 provided another chapter in the storied history of both John Henry and the Million. John Henry-en route to an unprecedented Horse-of-the-Year title at age nine-motored past the champion filly Royal Heroine to win the Million for the second time. The roar from the crowd when John Henry returned after the race was deafening, and McAnally, his trainer, was left practically speechless.

With John Henry out of the way in 1985, the Europeans struck again, this time with Teleprompter. Teleprompter, also a gelding, streaked to the front right out of the gate and led every step of the way over a tiring, yielding course. Greinton, who encountered traffic trouble at a critical stage in the race, was an unlucky runner-up.

Whittingham, Greinton's trainer, may have been grumbling after the 1985 Million, but he wore a devilish smile in 1986 when the mare Estrapade outran the boys for a five-length win under Fernando Toro.

Manila, the Eclipse Award-winning turf horse of 1986 confirmed his position as one of the best turf runners in history with his victory in the 1987 Million. Manila carried Angel Cordero Jr., to career win No. 6,032, equaling the former record held by John Longden.

Mill Native provided the biggest Millionshocker in the 1988 running, when he returned an $83.20 mutuel for his upset win at Woodbine. His victory was the third for the Europeans in the Million.

No one thought Steinlen, a tried-and-true miler, could carry his speed 10 furlongs. No one, that is, except trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who sent out Steinlen to a win in the 1989 Million, the first run at the newly-rebuilt Arlington Park. Steinlen would go on to win an Eclipse Award that year as the best male grass runner in North America.

The man with the golden touch, Bruce McNall, and hockey star Wayne Gretzky were at the Million in 1990 to watch their Golden Pheasant defeat an outstanding field that included With Approval and Steinlen.The win was the third for Whittingham.

The 1991 Million featured a four-horse photo finish, with Tight Spot prevailing under an aggressive ride from Pincay.Tight Spot gave McAnally his third win in the Million-tying him with Whittingham-and both Tight Spot and McAnally were honored at year's end with Eclipse Awards.

The 1992 Million was no less thrilling.In fact, many consider the race year's most exciting. Sky Classic, the heavy favorite, looked the sure winner until Dear Doctor charged up the rail to nip him at the wire as Golden Pheasant flew through the stretch on the outside.

Sky Classic wasn't good enough to win that day, but he was voted champion male turf horse at year's end.

Nothing could stand in the way of the 1993 Million. Not an outbreak of EVA. Not even the weatherman.

When the dreaded equine disease was reported on the backside in July, it seemed the Million would be threatened. But Arlington officials' swift and decisive action, which curbed the spread of the disease and established an industry-wide standard for dealing with the epidemic, saved the race and encouraged the participation of archrival turf stars Lure and Star of Cozzene.

Who would prove best? The answer was never found, for the rains came on Million eve and turned the turf course soft. Lure, who had expressed a preference for firm going, was scratched on Million Day morning.

Star of Cozzene was left alone to shine, and that's exactly what he did.

Prior to the 14th running of the Million in 1994, Hall of Fame rider Pat Day had gone winless in nine previous tries. But Paradise Creek was talented enough to end Day's dry spell, and he did so in convincing fashion. The Bill Mott trainee would go on to win the Eclipse Award as the nation's top turf performer of 1994.

Awad became the first horse to win both the Secretariat Stakes and the Arlington Million when the 1993 Secretariat hero burst through in the stretch to annex the 1995 Million, giving trainer David Donk and jockey Eddie Maple their first Million triumphs.

Awad attempted to become the first back-to-back winner of the Million in 1996 but had his repeat bid thwarted by the Florida-based Mecke, who won the race for trainer Manny Tortora and jockey Robbie Davis.

Hall-of-Famers jockey Gary Stevens and trainer D. Wayne Lukas earned their second Million triumphs with a front-stepping victory by Marlin, who became the first horse to win the Secretariat and Million in consecutive years.

Facts And Figures

** Powerscourt (GB) finished first, but was disqualified and placed fourth for interference in the stretch.
* Storming Home (GB) finished first, but was disqualified and placed fourth for interference in the stretch.
Run at Woodbine Racecourse in 1988; not run in 1998 and 1999.