Original Seven-Figure Race Exceeded Expectations

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL–They are a dime a dozen nowadays, but back in 1981, the idea that a track would offer a $1-million purse for a Thoroughbred horse race was about as far-fetched as civilians building their own rockets for space travel.

As president and chief executive officer of Arlington Park, the late Joe Joyce conceived of and brought to fruition a race that would be called the Arlington Million, an event aimed at drawing the best horses to race over the renowned Arlington turf course not just those based domestically, but also from Europe. A race that would attract not only the best equine athletes, but also the most gifted jockeys and the most successful trainers.

“The concept of having a million-dollar race and making it international, that germinated and it was done in a short period of time,” Arlington's Richard L. Duchossois told ESPN's Thoroughbred Classics program. “Joe Joyce traveled around the world, Nick Clarke from the International Racing Bureau, everyone combined their thoughts and ideas and it became an instant success and immediately put Arlington back on the map.”

On Aug. 30, 1981, the dream became a reality. The inaugural Million drew the sort of field its creators could only have dreamt about. Representing the United States was 6-year-old John Henry from the California barn of Ron McAnally, who had won the first of his five divisional Eclipse Awards as this country's top grass horse with four Grade I victories in 1980. The former claimer had picked up in 1981 where he left off the previous season, winning his first four starts, including the GI Santa Anita H. on the dirt and the GI San Luis Rey S. and GI Hollywood Invitational H. on the grass. He was the pin-up horse that could help put the Million on the map, the one the organizers would have wanted most. Bill Shoemaker, who'd ridden him only once prior–a victory in that year's GIII Sword Dancer S., then run at Belmont Park–was in for the ride.

The domestic challenge also included the Rokeby Stable-owned Virginia-bred Key to Content, who earned his way into the Million courtesy of a narrow defeat of Canada's Ben Fab in that year's GI United Nations S. at Atlantic City Racecourse. George Martens had the riding assignment for MacK Miller. Leslie Combs' Rossi Gold was the local hero, having won the GII Stars and Stripes H. and Swoon's Son H. prior to the Million, for which he was the 19-5 second choice in the wagering with Pat Day at the controls.

Four horses were lured from Europe for the Million, the best-backed of which was French-based Argument (Fr), that country's reigning champion 3-year-old, whose first trip to the States yielded a narrow victory in the 1980 GI Washington D.C. International S. at Laurel with Lester Piggott up. Winner of the 1981 G2 Prix d'Harcourt and G1 Prix Ganay, Argument was a 7-1 chance with Angel Cordero, Jr. in the irons.

Piggott had the call in the Million atop 3-year-old filly Madam Gay, one of three females in the field, who had won the 1981 G1 Prix de Diane ahead of a runner-up effort behind Shergar in the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond S. at Ascot.

In addition to the world-class riders already mentioned, the 1981 Million also featured jockeys named Delahoussaye, Samyn, Brumfield, Toro, Pincay Jr., Cauthen and Hawley. The stars had come to play, as hoped. And, as it turns out, the stars were aligned for a truly memorable two minutes and change of theater.

 

WATCH: John Henry noses out The Bart in Arlington Million I

 

A History-Making Day…

Broadcast by NBC to a worldwide audience in 27 countries, the Million was run on turf heavily affected by week-long rains. McAnally expressed some concern about the underfoot conditions, but John Sullivan, the trainer of 40-1 The Bart liked the way his charge had galloped over the track in the days leading up to the race.

Legendary track announcer Phil Georgeff exclaimed, “The flag is up,” as was his custom, and the inaugural Million field was sent on their way. Key to Content was kicked straight into the lead by Martens, but Eddie Delahoussaye asked The Bart to keep close to that one early and the duo had things mostly to themselves over the soggy going through a half-mile in :50 1/5. Shoemaker had John Henry positioned in about eighth spot with some cover as they turned up the backstretch. By the time they had reached the midway point, John Henry had found his way down to the inside as The Bart continued to hound Key to Content from the outside. Delahoussaye could wait no more and allowed The Bart to claim the pacesetter with a little more than 2 1/2 furlongs from home and set sail for the wire.

With Georgeff's trademark, “Here they come spinning out of the turn!” ringing through the grandstand, John Henry was finding his best stride and came out and around Madam Gay at the three-sixteenths pole with every chance if good enough. The Bart carried a clear advantage into the final eighth of a mile, boxed on gamely and looked to have the race won to the naked eye as John Henry came with one desperate final lunge. Georgeff was unwilling to call a winner, but NBC rolled the dice, declaring that The Bart had gotten the better of the photo. The picture told a different story and the Arlington Million was off to a flying start.

 

The 'Against All Odds' statue overlooking the Arlington paddock | Coady

 

“Right when we got about six jumps before the wire, I could see it was John Henry,” Delahoussaye told Thoroughbred Classics. “I looked out the corner of my eye, I knew who it was. I had a feeling if any horse was going to beat him, it was going to be him. I was right, unfortunately.”

For his part, Shoemaker wasn't convinced John Henry had gotten the better of the bob.

“Eddie was galloping out, I was trying to catch up with him, I was going to try to save $20,000 [of the purse money],” 'The Shoe' told Thoroughbred Classics. “I couldn't catch him.”

Shoemaker told the Associated Press after the win: “This is the greatest race I've ever ridden in. He's a great horse and this was a great field.” The finish of the inaugural Million is memorialized in the 'Against All Odds' statue that overlooks the Arlington paddock.

John Henry was upset in the 1983 Million by Tolomeo (Ire), but became the only two-time winner of the race with a more decisive victory in 1984.

The name has changed. The purse is now six figures, not seven. It figures to be the final renewal, sadly, at least at Arlington. But the memories of those 10 furlongs on that final Sunday of August now 40 years in the rear view will never be torn down.

 

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Ron McAnally Could Win His First Derby..as a Breeder

Twenty-four years after he last started a horse in the race, Ron McAnally could achieve as a breeder what he was never accomplished as a trainer–win the GI Kentucky Derby. Along with his wife Deborah, McAnally is the breeder of the GI Santa Anita Derby winner Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}), who will be among the favorites come Derby day.

It is the latest chapter in a Hall of Fame career that has included wins with superstars like John Henry, Paseana and Bayakoa and three Eclipse Awards as the nation's top trainer but has fizzled out as McAnally has tried to deal with the prejudice owners seem to have when it comes to aging trainers. He is 88 and has been a part of the Southern California circuit since 1948. He has just six horses in his stable, five of which he owns. Since 2012, the most winners he has had in any single year is seven.

“The older you get, people don't want you,” he said. “They want a young trainer even if they don't have any experience. They won't choose an older trainer that has a lot of experience.”

But McAnally has not grown bitter. He is happy to still be training and says he enjoys every minute of it.

“I love being out here,” McAnally said last year. “It put me where I am, and I tell everybody, 'If you love something you're doing, it's not a job. People sit on the freeway five days a week and they can't wait till the weekend comes to get a couple of days off.”

And in Rock Your World he has a horse to follow and root for in this year's Triple Crown races, knowing that his fingerprints are all over this success story. He trained Rock Your World's sire, Candy Ride (Arg) and was the owner, breeder and trainer of his dam, Charm The Maker (Empire Maker). He also trained, owned and bred the colt's second and third dam.

“I give all the credit to the mare, Charm The Maker,” he said. “She has produced nothing but stakes horses and winners.”

McAnally's small stable includes She's Our Charm, the 5-year-old full sister to Rock Your World and the third-place finisher in the 2020 GIII Robert J. Frankel S. With Rock Your World, McAnally let him go through the ring at the 2019 Keeneland September sale, where he was bought for $650,000 and is now owned by the partnership of Hronis Racing LLC and Talla Racing LLC and trained by John Sadler.

“I thought the world of this colt,” McAnally said of Rock Your World. “I was in the stall with him before he sold.”

Looking back, McAnally wishes the horse didn't meet his reserve, which would have meant that he would still be his owner and trainer and, most likely, on his way back to Churchill Downs with a serious Derby contender.

“We didn't get to keep him. That's just the way life goes,” he said.

But he's happy with the way the story turned out.

“I have no regrets,” he said. “I've known John Sadler since he started off here many years ago working for a veterinarian. I've been friends with John for a long time. A couple of days after the Santa Anita Derby he came over to me at Clocker's Corner and I congratulated him and said he deserves a lot of credit because he has done a great job with this horse.”

McAnally's specialty was never young colts. Most of his major wins came with older horses and grass horses, but he did win the Arkansas Derby twice when it was a Grade II race. He won it in 1990 with Silver Ending and the following year with Olympio. He's also had a pair of winners in the GI Hollywood Futurity, with Valiant Nature in 1993 and with Matty G. in 1995. Starting with Super Moment in 1980, he has run 10 horses in the Kentucky Derby, the latest being Hello (Ire) in 1997. None have finished in the top three.

The problem, he says, is that he never came to Churchill Downs with the right horse.

“As I've told Bob Baffert a number of times, 'Just give me the horse.'” he said. “You are supposed to win when you have a horse like John Henry. A hotwalker could train a good horse. Everyone wants to get the credit when they win a big race. But I truly believe and will say for the rest of my life, you will never succeed if you don't have the right horse. If you don't have any good horses, you'll never do well.”

He hopes his next star is already in his barn. He owns and trains Rock Your World's full brother, a 2-year-old colt named He's Our Maker. He's not going to let this one get away and he's not going anywhere. Can he win the 2022 Derby as a trainer? You never know.

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United Seeks Rebound In Saturday’s John Henry Turf Championship

A winner of three out of his last four starts and no worse than third in his last nine, Richard Mandella's classy United heads up a field of eight 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/4 miles over the Santa Anita Turf in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 John Henry Turf Championship.

Most recently second, beaten a diminishing head at 3-5 in the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap, United will again use the John Henry as a springboard to the Grade 1, 1 1/2-mile Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland, a race in which he was a close second to eventual Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar last year at Santa Anita.

The Richard Baltas-trained Next Shares, a late running Grade 1 stakes winner, BG Stables' Originaire, who charged from far back to be a close third in the Del Mar Handicap and fellow Irish-bred Oscar Dominguez, a close fifth in the same race, lend considerable depth to the John Henry field.

The John Henry is named in honor of the legendary gelding who garnered seven Eclipse Awards and was voted America's Horse of the Year in 1981 and 1984. A Kentucky-bred gelding by Ole Bob Bowers, John Henry was trained by Hall of Famer Ron McAnally and was retired at age nine in 1984.

UNITED

Owner: LNJ Foxwoods

Trainer: Richard Mandella

Third in last year's John Henry, this 5-year-old Giant's Causeway gelding was subsequently a massive second, beaten a head by Bricks and Mortar at odds of 51-1 in the 2019 Breeders' Cup Turf, a race that he's once again prepping for. Although he was flying at the finish of the Aug. 22 Del Mar Handicap, the winner, Red King, had made an early run and was able to just prevail. A winner of three out of his four starts this year, United is in top form with an overall mark of 15-6-4-1 and earnings of $1,293,549.

NEXT SHARES

Owner: Richard & Debby Baltas and Michael Iavarone

Trainer: Richard Baltas

Back from Kentucky following a pair of unplaced starts in one mile turf stakes, including a 10th place finish two races back in the Grade I Makers Mark Mile at Keeneland July 10, Next Shares is a classy 7-year-old gelding that would appreciate a fast early pace. A solid second, beaten 2 ¼ lengths three starts back in the Grade I Shoemaker Mile (turf) here on May 25, he rallied well to be third, beaten a neck four starts back in the Grade I Frank E. Kilroe Mile (turf) on March 7. Although winless in five starts this year and “o-fer” in two tries at the mile and one quarter distance, Next Shares will hope to rebound on his home ground and will be ridden for the first time by top eastern rider Luis Saez. The leading money earner in the field with $1,808,571, he'll be making his 35th career start.

ORIGINAIRE

Owner: BG Stables

Trainer: Jeff Mullins

In what will be his fourth consecutive confrontation with United, this 4-year-old Irish-bred colt rates a legitimate upset chance. Most recently a fast finishing third, beaten a half length by United in the Del Mar Handicap, he was much closer to the pace in both the Grade II Eddie Read on July 26 and the Grade II Charles Whittingham Stakes here on May 23, races in which he was beaten 2 ¼ lengths and a half length by United, respectively. With Abel Cedillo set to ride him back for the second time, it would seem that Originaire's best chance for victory would be if he could again lag far off of a fast early pace.

OSCAR DOMINGUEZ

Owner: Nancy Messineo & Bruce Sands

Trainer: Richard Baltas

Another deep closer, “Oscar” was most recently a fast finishing fifth from far off the pace in the Del Mar Handicap Aug. 22, this 7-year-old Irish-bred gelding is winless in four graded starts this year, with his last win coming five races back in the Grade II, mile and one half Hollywood Turf Cup on Dec. 1, 2019. A winner of six out of his 41 career starts, he'll be ridden for the first time Jose Valdivia, Jr.

THE GRADE II JOHN HENRY WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS ON POST POSITION ORDER

Race 9 of 11 Approximate post time 4:30 p.m. PT

1. Proud Pedro—Juan Hernandez—122
2. Originaire—Abel Cedillo—122
3. United—Flavien Prat—126
4. Another Mystery—Drayden Van Dyke—122
5. Salvator Mundi—Umberto Rispoli—122
6. Kazan—Tiago Pereira—122
7. Next Shares—Luis Saez—124
8. Oscar Dominguez—Jose Valdivia, Jr.—124

First post time for an 11-race card on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m. Although there is no public admittance, fans can follow a live video stream, free of charge, at santaanita.com

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Golden Chance Farm Offered for Sale

Golden Chance Farm, an historic 600+ acre property in Bourbon County, is currently being offered for sale through Kirkpatrick & Co. The farm was home to 1970 GI Kentucky Derby winner Dust Commander, who was campaigned by Robert and Verna Lehmann and who began his stud career at the Lehmanns’ Golden Chance Farm. The farm was also the birthplace of the great John Henry, as well as 1977 Derby runner-up Run Dusty Run.

In addition to a main residence and guest house, the property includes five barns with one-hundred stalls, a HydroHorse aqua-

tread, and six-horse Kraft hotwalker. The farm’s neighbors include Claiborne Farm, Coolmore America’s Creekview Farm, Godolphin’s Stonerside Farm, Stone Farm, and Xalapa.

“Kirkpatrick & Co. is deeply honored by the confidence of our client,” said the agency’s president and principal broker Zach Davis, who has the listing. “It’s always a pleasure to offer a farm with such provenance, but because this year is the 50th anniversary of its Derby victory, it’s doubly-special.”

The farm has been listed at $3,725,000.

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