O'Brien treasures another Arlington Million

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Arlington Heights, IL (Sports Network) - Coming up on Saturday, Aug. 18 will be the 30th running of the Arlington Million at Arlington Park. Only one of the trainers involved with this year's running of the 1 1/4 mile turf stakes can repeat off last year's win in the Million.

Aidan O'Brien saddled Cape Blanco to victory in the 2011 Arlington Million and can become the first trainer to notch consecutive wins in the prestigious stakes. The victory helped propel Cape Blanco to the Eclipse Award as last year's champion male turf runner.

O'Brien is expected to saddle Treasure Beach in this year's Million for owners Mrs. Fitriani Hay, Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier and Michael Tabor. Not only would O'Brien become the first trainer to capture back-to-back renewals of the Million, he would join Hall of Fame trainers Charlie Whittingham and Ron McAnally with three wins of Arlington's premier event.

O'Brien won his first Million with Powerscourt in 2005 one year after the horse was disqualified from first in the race.

Treasure Beach, who won last year's Secretariat Stakes for three-year-olds on the Arlington Million undercard, will have his final prep race this week in Ireland. The four-year-old is entered in the Ballyroan Stakes at Leopardstown Thursday evening.

Only two horses, Marlin and Kicken Kris, have won the Secretariat and Million in successive years. Kicken Kris won his Million after Powerscourt was disqualified in 2004. Awad won the 1995 Arlington Million two years after claiming victory in the Secretariat.

The trainer also won the Secretariat in 2000 with Ciro.

Another added benefit of winning the Million is the victorious horse gains automatic entry into the Breeders' Cup Turf which will be conducted on Nov. 3 at Santa Anita.