Horse racing schedule in US is busy on run-in to Breeders’ Cup

Magician and Joseph O'Brien are one of seven contesting the Arlington Million. Steve Davies / Racingfotos.com

America has a glut of Grade 1 action this weekend as the lead-in to the Breeders’ Cup gathers pace, and last year’s Dubai World Cup-winning trainer Graham Motion will have runners in three events.

The Arlington Million card tonight at Arlington Racecourse headlines proceedings across the Atlantic with the Million, the Beverely D. and the Secretariat Stakes forming a Grade 1 triptych worthy of Chicago’s Art Institute.

Both the Million and the Beverley D. are win-and-you-are-in events for the Breeders’ Cup, staged again this year at Santa Anita in November.

Saratoga also stages top-level action with the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes in the small hours of tomorrow and the Sword Dancer taking place on Sunday.

Motion has been in fine form at Saratoga, where he has had seven winners from 41 runners and almost half of his runners have finished in the first three.

It is a huge improvement on last year, when he saddled 34 runners for just three winners.

Like all the highest-achieving people involved in sport, the trainer takes no pleasure in his statistics and wants better.

“It’s a little frustrating,” said Motion, who won at Meydan Racecourse with Animal Kingdom last season.

“We’ve had a lot of seconds, which mostly have run very well. It’s frustrating not to come away with more.”

Can’thelpbelieving will represent Motion in the Secretariat at Arlington, but the trainer is at Saratoga for Fortune Pearl’s run in the Alabama Stakes and the effort of Main Sequence, an import from England, who lines up in the Sword Dancer. Motion’s skill as a trainer was for all to see when Main Sequence shrugged off indifferent form in Britain to win the Grade 1 United Nations Stakes last month, beating Twilight Eclipse, who was 12th in the Dubai Sheema Classic, and Side Glance, who has been fourth in the past two Dubai World Cups.

It was his first run since running down the field in Farhh’s Champion Stakes at Ascot Racecourse in October and Motion revealed that the horse picked up pneumonia during his travels from England.

Motion conceded he has concerns about a possible lacklustre run after such a huge performance last time out, which is why he decided to skip a run in the tougher Million with his charge.

“I would like to think he’s had plenty of time to get over the United Nations – he has really done well since then,” he said.

Without Main Sequence there are only seven runners in the 32nd Arlington Million.

Magician bids to hand Aidan O’Brien a third win in the 2,000-metre turf contest and will be ridden by the trainer’s son, Joseph.

Magician is joined in the European raiding party by Side Glance, who will again be ridden by Jamie Spencer, and the dangerous Smoking Sun for French trainer Pascal Bary and jockey Stephane Pasquier.

European rider Ryan Moore teams up with Finnegans Wake, who will represent owners Donegal Racing and former Dubai World Cup-winning handler Dale Romans.

The home defence is led by Real Solution, who won the race last season in the stewards’ room.

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