Arlington Million draw includes Ky. Derby winner Mystik Dan

Fifteen months after his Kentucky Derby victory, Mystik Dan will make his turf debut next Saturday at Colonial Downs after being supplemented for $10,000 into the 42nd running of the Grade 1 Arlington Million.

A winner two starts back in the 1 1/8-mile Blame (G3) at Churchill Downs, the 4-year-old who has earned $4,467,120 drew post 1 in the field of eight older horses entered for the 1 1/4-mile race.

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“This is a horse that has done everything we’ve asked him to do,” McPeek told the Colonial Downs media team Saturday. “Being a Grade 1 going 1 1/4 miles, the Arlington Million seems like a perfect spot for our Derby winner.”

McPeek signaled his intent to make the surface switch Friday, when he worked Mystik Dan five furlongs in 1:02.17 on the Oklahoma turf training track at Saratoga.

“I always wanted to try him on the turf, and in his work on Friday, it looked like he loved it” McPeek said. “The move was so good, and the horse is doing so good, I was like yeah, let’s run. I always wanted to try him on the turf, and he looked like he loved it. I think he’ll relish it.”

Brian Hernandez Jr. will have the ride as usual on Mystik Dan. The Goldencents colt owned by his breeders Lance Gasaway, 4G Racing and Daniel Hamby as well as Valley View Farm finished fourth June 28 in the 1 1/8-mile Stephen Foster (G1) at Churchill Downs. He drew the inside post and was made the 9-2 fourth choice on the morning line.

Last year’s Arlington Million runner-up Integration, a 5-year-old Quality Road entire owned by West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing, is a three-time winner at Colonial Downs, most notably scoring in the 2023 Virginia Derby (G3) covering 1 1/8 miles on the turf. He returns as the 8-5 program favorite after a head loss to Deterministic on June 8 in the 1 1/8-mile Manhattan (G1) at Saratoga. Trained by Shug McGaughey, he earned his most recent victory Nov. 9 in the 1 3/8-mile Red Smith (G2) at Aqueduct. Integration also finished second in both the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) in January at Gulfstream Park and the Maker’s Mark Mile (G1) in April at Keeneland. He drew widest with John Velázquez riding.

Cairo, a Group 3 victor in 2022 but winless in his last 16 starts, makes the trip from England for trainer Alice Haynes. The 5-year-old Quality Road horse owned by Refai Alghraiban of Kuwait finished third last out in the one-mile Queen Anne (G1) on June 17 at Royal Ascot. Colonial Downs’ leading jockey Ben Curtis will break with Cairo from post 5 carrying 7-2 morning-line odds.

Fort Washington, a 6-year-old stablemate of Integration, is a two-time Grade 3 winner this year, scoring in both the 1 1/16-mile Canadian Turf at Gulfstream Park and the 1 1/8-mile Dinner Party at Pimlico. Owned by Allen Stable and Magic Cap Stables, he finished a close fourth June 28 in the 1 1/16-mile Wise Dan (G2) at Churchill Downs. Júnior Alvarado will ride from post 6. Fort Washington is 4-1 in the program.

Two-time graded-stakes winner Grand Sonata is coming off a second-place finish by 1 1/2 lengths to Redistricting in the 1 3/8-mile United Nations (G2) on July 19 at Monmouth Park. Todd Pletcher trains Mandy Pope’s homebred 6-year-old horse by Medaglia d’Oro. Grand Sonata has not won since September, when he finished a half-length ahead of Highway Robber in the 1 1/2-mile Kentucky Turf Cup (G2) at Kentucky Downs. Tyler Gaffalione will be aboard from post 7. Grand Sonata was made an 8-1 choice.

Lightly raced 5-year-old Runaway Storm, a Robert Hunt homebred gelding by Midnight Storm, finished second July 5 in the listed, 1 1/16-mile Jonathan B. Schuster Memorial at Horseshoe Indianapolis. It was only his third start since his last win in the 2023 Bryan Station (G3) going one mile at Keeneland. Trained by Ethan West, Runaway Storm has had one previous start at Colonial Downs, finishing third to Integration in the 2023 Virginia Derby. He carries 20-1 odds and jockey Alex Achard from post 4.

Allowance-winning 4-year-old Vesting (12-1) with Javier Castellano riding for Mike Maker from post 3 and Grade 3-placed 4-year-old Time Song (30-1) with Luis Sáez up for Jonathan Thomas in post 2 also were entered.

The Arlington Million is carded as the 11th race next Saturday at 5:54 p.m. EDT. The first post is at noon.