Arlington Million again expected to have evenly matched field

The Arlington Million is one of three Grade 1 stakes Saturday at Arlington Park. Its place in racing history was cemented in 1981 as the first million dollar horse race.

It is the marquee race of a Turf Festival that attracts horses from all over the world. Four foreign horses are part of the 13-horse Million field, including the favorite, Tryster (7-2). The other Grade 1 stakes include the Secretariat and the Beverly D.

The Million has an evenly matched field, and as is often the case in turf racing, the trip could decide it all.

My pick in the Million is Wake Forest (5-1) from the deep New York barn of trainer Chad Brown. Wake Forest was third in the United Nations at Monmouth Park and won the Man o’ War at Belmont Park before that. As a dead late closer, he could be helped by a faster early pace in the Million.

The Beverly D has a strong favorite in Sea Calisi (7-5), also from the Chad Brown barn. I suggest using Al’s Gal (30-1) as a mare who could outrun her long-shot odds. She has tactical speed and Post 2, so she could get a favorable ground-saving trip.

In the Secretariat, I like the favorite, Beach Patrol (2-1). He got roughed up in a wide trip on both turns of the Belmont Derby last time out.

BET A LITTLE TO WIN A LOT

An old racetrack axiom is “bet a little to win a lot.” Last week at South Point, I made a $2 Pick 6 bet at Del Mar that almost paid $80,000. I built the bet by using four picks made on the Race Day Las Vegas radio show as well as the top choice off my own handicapping sheet in the other two races.

The Pick 6 results from Aug. 4 went like this: In Race 3, Patrick McQuiggan gave out Quorum of Joy ($11.80); in Race 4, my top choice, Holy Mosey, won ($5.40); in Race 5, my radio play, Lamontagne, won ($6); in Race 6, Jerry Jacovitz play Prime Issue ran fifth; in Race 7, Jon Lindo gave out Mo Knows ($15.20); and in Race 8, my top choice, Triple Crown, won ($9.20).

The five of six consolation in the Pick 6 paid $216. Not bad, but well short of the $80,469 for a 6-for-6 ticket. By the way, the horse that beat me, Spirit Rules, paid $8.80 as one of the Race 6 favorites.

STAUFFER TO CALL OAKLAWN

Vic Stauffer has been hired as the track announcer at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He was the announcer at Hollywood Park for 13 years before the track shut down in December 2013. He replaces Pete Aiello, who has returned to Gulfstream Park full time.

This is a good hire by Oaklawn. Terry Wallace had called there for 37 years before he retired in 2011. Management probably was looking for stability, as well as talent, for the position. For Stauffer, 57, I suspect Oaklawn is not a bridge job for him but a destination job.

Richard Eng’s horse racing column is published Friday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. You can buy his Del Mar picks at www.racedaylasvegas.com. You can email him at rich_eng@hotmail.com and follow him on Twitter @richeng4propick