Arlington Million at Colonial does not have an obvious favorite

New Kent, Va.

Eleven horses were drawn into the itinerant Grade 1 Arlington Million, which will be run Saturday on the turf at Colonial Downs. But it was a horse who was not entered who stood out.

As expected, 2022 Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Rebel’s Romance was not included in the field for the feature race. His Godolphin team said Sunday it was rerouting the 5-year-old Dubawi gelding after he clipped heels and dismounted jockey Richard Mullen on July 30 in the Bowling Green (G2) at Saratoga.

Click here for Colonial Downs entries and results.

“(Rebel’s Romance) pulled up OK from it,” said Chris Connett, the assistant to trainer Charlie Appleby who traveled to Colonial Downs early Thursday with Secretariat Stakes (G2) colt Silver Knott. “Just a couple of niggly things unfortunately have come up. Otherwise he was meant to be here with us.”

The absence of the three-time Grade 1 and Group 1 winner, who does not yet have a new target, made the Arlington Million wanting for a standout. It fell to Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) winner Atone to be made the 7-2 morning-line favorite after Wednesday’s draw.

Stretching to 1 1/4 miles for the first time, the 6-year-old owned by the Wycoff Family’s Three Diamond Farms and trained by Mike Maker has raced only twice since his January victory at Gulfstream Park. The Into Mischief gelding finished last at Fair Grounds in the Muniz Memorial presented by Horse Racing Nation and set the pace before fading to fifth in the Dinner Party (G3) on the Preakness undercard. Kendrick Carmouche, Atone’s fourth different rider in as many races, will go from post 4.

Santin, the Godolphin homebred who won last year’s Million at its one-off stop at Churchill Downs, is 8-1 on the morning line. He drew widest in the field of 11.

“Shouldn’t be a problem,” trainer Brendan Walsh said in a text message Wednesday night. “Long run to the first bend.”

The 5-year-old Distorted Humor horse who is 6: 2-1-0 in Grade 1 races has lost all six of his races since last year’s Million. His regular jockey Tyler Gaffalione will have the ride again Saturday.

Chad Brown, who trained four of the last eight Million winners before the 2021 closing of Arlington Park, brings Rockemperor and Adhamo off his deep bench. Rockemperor, who won last year’s Bowling Green, finished a troubled ninth June 10 in the Manhattan (G1) and is the 5-1 second choice in the program with jockey John Velázquez. More than a year since his United Nations (G1) victory, Adhamo is 10-1 coming off a 10-month break and will be ridden by Flavien Prat.

Others in the Million include Dinner Party (G3) victor Never Explain, first-place finisher Set Piece from the Arlington (G3) at Churchill Downs, United Nations runner-up Catnip, 2022 Eddie Read (G2) victor Master Piece, two-time 2020 stakes victor Strong Tide and two-time 2023 allowance winners Strong Quality and Win for the Money.

After forecasting a wet Thursday, the National Weather Service predicted hot, sunny conditions Friday and Saturday. The high temperature is expected to be 94 degrees for the Million, which will be run Saturday at 6:40 p.m. EDT.