Arlington Million day stakes picking up more contenders

Grade 3 American Derby winner Real Story and Grade 3 Stars and Stripes winner Catcho En Die are both likely to return to Arlington International Racecourse to run Aug. 11 on Arlington Million day, according to their connections.

Naipaul Chatterpaul – trainer and co-owner of Stars and Stripes winner Catcho En Die – stated that the Argentinian Group 1 winner could race in the Grade 1 Arlington Million. Like Real Story, Catcho En Die also won his Saturday stakes going wire-to-wire.

Owned by Chatterpaul in partnership with Sotirios Sakatis, the 6-year-old son of Catcher In The Rye was claimed by his trainer for $30,000 four starts back on April 21 at Aqueduct, where he won by three-quarters of a length as the lukewarm favorite. The Stars and Stripes was Chatterpaul’s second graded stakes victory as a trainer. In 2011, he took the Grade 1 Manhattan Handicap at Belmont Park with Mission Approved. 

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Meanwhile, owned by Jeffery Amling and Merriebelle Stable, Real Story set the pace in the American Derby on an uncontested lead and wired the field to victory under jockey Joe Bravo. Trainer Ignacio Correas IV indicated that he would run back in the Grade 1, $400,000 Secretariat Stakes.

The 3-year-old son of Fast Bullet is a perfect 2-for-2 over the grass at Arlington. Prior to the American Derby, he defeated winners in a first level allowance event on June 15 in similar front running fashion.

Correas also has Dona Bruja, winner of the 2017 Modesty Handicap, under consideration for the Grade 1, $600,000 Beverly D. on the same day. The 6-year-old daughter of Storm Embrujado (ARG) settled for runner-up in the Beverly D. last season.

While Real Story and Catcho En Die could return to Arlington, trainer Graham Motion has other plans for Hatoof Stakes winner Colonia, who is likely to ship to Del Mar to race in the Grade 1, $300,000 Del Mar Oaks on August 18.

Motion, however, is likely to be represented in the Grade 3, $100,000 Pucker Up Stakes by stakes-placed Secret Message who most recently ran fourth in the Grade III Regret Stakes behind Beyond Blame. The 3-year-old daughter of Hat Trick was second in Pimlico Race Course’s Hilltop Stakes on May 18 behind Souper Striking.

In other Arlington Million news, Team Valor CEO Barry Irwin reported that 2015 Polish Triple Crown winner Va Bank will not make the trip to the United States for the Arlington Million following his runner-up finish in the Group 3 Hamburg Trophy in Germany for trainer Andreas Wohler. Instead, Va Bank will remain in Germany for the Group 1 Grosser Mercedes-Benz Preis Bayerisches Zuchtrennen in Munich on July 29.