ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., Aug. 17 (UPI) -- Beat Hollow found a hole between the leaders in the final furlong Saturday to win in a blanket finish at the 20th running of the $1 million Arlington Million at Arlington Park.
The British-bred 5-year-old horse, never more than 1 ½ lengths off the lead, covered the 1 ¼-mile turf classic, a prep for the Breeders' Cup Turf in October, in 2:02.94.
Sarafan raced second by a head and Forbidden Apple was third by a nose. Ulundi, who had been running hurdle races in England, finished fourth, another head back.
Beat Hollow paid $3.40, $2.40 and $2.20; Sarafan, $3.40 and $2.80, and Forbidden Apple, $2.80. The $600,000 winners' share of the purse pushed Beat Hollow's lifetime winnings to $1.85 million, confirming the son of Sadler's Wells status as the leading turf horse in the country.
Winning jockey Jerry Bailey said he spent the race concentrating on Forbidden Apple.
"On paper it looked well. I knew I could beat the speed," Bailey said. The win was Bailey's second in six tries.
This was trainer Bobby Frankel's second Million win in 15 tries.
"We thought we'd be in the lead but the other horse (Forbidden Apple) broke so good on the inside," he said. "If you watched Jerry, he really didn't move on him until inside the sixteenth pole."
Frankel said rather than send Beat Hollow to the 1 ½-mile Breeders' Cup Turf, he may run in the Mile instead.
"I think he'd be super going a mile," Frankiel said, later adding running the longer race was a stretch.
"When you see him run a mile, you're going to see a really good horse run a mile."
Bailey agreed.
"He's a handy horse to ride," Bailey said.
Beat Hollow, owned by Juddmonte Farms, the stable name for Saudi Prince Khalid Abdullah, began his career as a 2-year-old in Great Britain. He was sent to the United States by trainer Bobby Frankel during 2001 but did not make his U.S. debut until an optional claiming allowance at Santa Anita.
The Million was the marquee event in Arlington's International Festival of Racing -- three grass races with total purses of $2.1 million.
In the Beverly D., Irish-bred Golden Apples poured on the speed in the stretch to best five rivals in the 1 3/16 mile, $700,000 warm-up for the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf. The 4-year-old daughter of Pivotal hung behind the leaders until jockey Pat Valenzuela moved her to the outside at the top of the stretch and let her run.
Astra finished second by ¾ of a length and England's Legend, who led from the gate but was unable to hold firm, ran third by a neck. Volga finished fourth, another half-length back.
Golden Apples paid $6.80, $3 and $2.20; Astra paid $2.60, $2.20, and England's Legend, $2.60. The $2 Exacta paid $17.
Golden Apples, trained by Ben Cecil, covered the course in 1:54.86.
She began her career in Ireland and was sent to the United States after she was purchased by Gary Tanaka. Saturday's win, worth $420,000 to the winner, pushed the lifetime earnings for the $31,000 yearling past the $1 million mark
Cecil said he thinks the race proved he has the best turf filly in the country.
"I've always thought we had the best filly in the barn. She'd been unlucky in a few races but today she proved it," Cecil said. "I think there's more improvement in her still to come."
He added: "She's a tough filly. Last year she won three races in six weeks -- and that was just after coming over from Europe."
He expects her next stop to be the Yellow Ribbon in California "and back here" for the Breeder's Cup Filly and Mare Turf.
In the final feature, the Secretariat Stakes for 3-year-olds, Chiselling waited until the last sixteenth to make his move, nipping Jazz Beat at the wire. Chiselling, a son of Woodman, covered the 1 ¼-mile turf course in 2:04.16 to win a $240,000 share of the $400,000 purse.
Extra Check, who led from the gate, was third by 1 ¼ lengths. Major Rhythm was fourth.
Chisleling paid $9.20, $4.60 and $3.60; Jazz Beat, $5.60and $3.80; Extra Check, $5.40.
Chiselling came wide in the stretch to make his move around the leaders in the seven-horse field. The win was the second for Frankel and Juddmonte on the day. It brought Chiselling's lifetime earnings to $383,760.
Winning jockey Kent Desormeaux said Chiselling is just a talented horse.
"I have all the confidence in his family. His mother (Toussaud) has been good to me. This guy today, I pretty much just lived by Bobby Frankel's words, 'Wherever you're comfortable. He was just cantering and then he exploded."
Attendance was 27,431.
