Arlington Million Betting Guide

The biggest race day at Arlington International Racecourse takes place on August 14th in 2021, as the Arlington Million takes place. The race will be called the Mister D. Stakes in 2021, as there will be a reduced purse of $600,000. It promises to be yet another exciting renewal of the race.

Arlington Million Event Details

The Arlington Million, or Mister D. Stakes in 2021, takes place annually at Arlington International Racecourse. Horses that are aged three and older can compete in the prestigious Grade 1 race. Unlike many of the other big races of the season, this Grade 1 takes place on the turf and covers a distance of 1 ¼ miles. Meanwhile, there is a purse of $600,000 available for the best-performing horses in 2021.

Arlington Million Preview

The 2021 renewal of the Arlington Million doesn’t take place until August 14th, which means the nominations that will be lining up will not be announced until the beginning of August at the earliest. However, we can assess some of the previous winners of the race to look at the trends that could help find a winner in 2021. Below are the five most recent winners of the Arlington Million:

• Bricks and Mortar (2019)

• Robert Bruce (2018)

• Beach Patrol (2017)

• Mondialiste (2016)

• The Pizza Man (2015)

The record of Chad Brown in this race shouldn’t be something that is overlooked by gamblers. Brown has trained the winner in each of the last three renewals. He wasn’t able to claim a fourth successive winner in 2020, as the race was canceled due to COVID-19. Brown’s record is excellent, as he has won four Arlington Millions since 2013. His victory with Bricks and Mortar in 2019 made him the outright leading trainer for this race. The same horse was also the first winner of the race in under 2 minutes since Awad in 1995.

The Arlington Million attracts entries from around the world, with Irish trainer Aiden O’Brien having won the race on two previous occasions. His most recent winner was with Cape Blanco in 2011.

The age of the horse is another trend that gamblers should look into. Out of the most recent five winners, Bricks and Mortar, Robert Bruce, and Beach Patrol were all four years old. In total, eleven four-year-olds have won the race since 2000. Victories for older horses have been more difficult, as The Tin Man was the oldest winner since the turn of the millennium as he won aged eight. Two six-year-olds have won the Arlington Million, while Little Mike in 2012 was the most recent of six five-year-old winners.

Graded form is also an important consideration. All three previous winners of the race have won at least a Grade 3 before claiming success in the Arlington Million. Robert Bruce won the Grade 3 Fort Marcy Stakes on his first run in America before winning the Arlington Million three months later. Meanwhile, Beach Patrol won the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes the season before winning the featured race in 2017. Bricks and Mortar won three Grade 1s and a Grade 2 before winning the Arlington Million.

Arlington Million Event Information/History

The Arlington Million has been competed since 1981. It was the richest race on the American calendar briefly, as it became the first race to offer a purse of $1 million. The winning horse in the race also gains automatic qualification for the Breeders’ Cup Turf later in the season. Meanwhile, the race very quickly became a Grade 1 affair, as the highest Grade was awarded by the running of the third Arlington Million. The first horse to win the $1 million was John Henry, as he was led home by jockey Willie Shoemaker in 1981.

It hasn’t always taken place at Arlington, as it was moved to Woodbine, Toronto, in 1988 for the race that calendar year as repairs needed to be made at Arlington after a fire. There was also no ran in 1998 and 1999 as Arlington Park was shut down.

John Henry is the only horse to have won this famous race on two occasions. Meanwhile, Awad’s victory in 1995 in a time of 1:58.69 remains the record. Bricks and Mortar was the shortest-priced winner, while Hill Native’s victory in 1988 was the biggest-priced winner, as he won at odds of 40/1.

Arlington Million Betting Information

The race promises to make for compelling viewing once again in 2021 despite the reduction in prize money available. Gamblers looking to make a bet on the Mister D. Stakes in 2021 can do so on the following markets:

• Win: The most straightforward way to make a bet is to place a wager on the horse that you think will win the Grade 1.

• Place: Place betting is also an extremely popular market due to the quality of horses involved. Selections must finish in the first two to get the returns.

• Exacta: Exacta bets can also be placed. However, the selections must finish in the correct order to get the returns from this market.