Good Things Could Come in Threes at Arlington

Southern California-based horses could sweep three grass races worth more than $2 million today at Arlington Park.

The richest of the Grade I races in suburban Chicago is the Arlington Million, a 13-horse stake that has drawn Sweet Return and Vangelis from Del Mar and Sabiango and Hatif from Hollywood Park. Ron McAnally, a three-time winner of the Million -- twice with John Henry -- trains Sweet Return, who was third in the Eddie Read Handicap at Del Mar in his last start and is a modest 7-2 favorite on the morning line. Next on the line, at 4-1, is Powerscourt, who races for Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien.

Sabiango, who has been a project for Tim Yakteen, Bob Baffert’s assistant, won the Charlie Whittingham Handicap at Hollywood in his only U.S. start. Tyler Baze, who rode him in the Whittingham, is staying at Del Mar to ride and will be replaced by Victor Espinoza at Arlington.

“We’ve got only one horse to beat,” quipped Monty Roberts, the owner of the German-bred Sabiango. “That’s the horse who finishes second.”

The Baffert barn will also be represented by the Churchill Downs-based Senor Swinger, who won the Arlington Handicap, at the same 1 1/4 -mile distance as the Million.

Jerry Bailey, who has won two of the last four Millions, will ride Sweet Return. The 4-year-old colt has lost three in a row, after a three-race winning streak that included his last win, in the Jimmy Kilroe Handicap at Santa Anita in March.

Gary Tanaka, who owns the German-bred Epalo, an 8-1 shot in the Million, is positioned for a big weekend. Another of Tanaka’s horses, Aubonne, has beaten males twice this year in France and will try to spring a surprise in the $750,000 Beverly D. for fillies and mares at Arlington. The 2-1 favorite is Musical Chimes, winner of the John Mabee Handicap at Del Mar in her last start. Also shipping in from Del Mar is Noches De Rosa, whose only win this year came in the Grade I Gamely Handicap at Hollywood Park. Noches De Rosa is listed at 3-1. Another factor in the 11-horse field could be Commercante, who has been with trainer Bobby Frankel in New York after winning one of seven starts in France.

In Arlington’s $400,000 Secretariat for 3-year-olds, Frankel will saddle the undefeated Greek Sun, who’s 3-1 on the morning line. Kitten’s Joy, the Virginia Derby winner, is favored in a field of seven.

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Although 15 horses have been nominated for the $1-million Pacific Classic, there’s a prospective field of between six and eight at Del Mar on Aug. 22. Probable are Choctaw Nation, Pleasantly Perfect and During, the first three finishers in the San Diego Handicap; Total Impact, the Hollywood Gold Cup winner; and the Midwest shipper Colonial Colony, winner of the Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs. Among several possibles is Perfect Drift, who might be on the plane that brings Colonial Colony to California.

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The trustees of the Racing Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., have changed the voting rules. Now the 150 or so voters will vote for three of five horsemen or horses in each category, with 75% mention needed to be elected. If more than one nominee gets to the 75% level, the candidate with the highest percentage will be elected. Previously, the racing electorate voted for only one candidate in the jockey, trainer, contemporary male and female horse categories, with total votes determining a mandatory designee in each group. Starting in 2006, jockeys will need to have ridden 20 years, instead of 15, to be eligible.... Rock Hard Ten, who came out of the Haskell at Monmouth Park with a lung infection, is not expected to run in the Travers at Saratoga on Aug. 28.... Christopher Quinn, who died Tuesday in a hospital in Lincoln, Neb., was the second jockey fatality this year and the 146th since 1940. Quinn, 42, was involved in a spill July 19 at Fairmount Park in Collinsville, Ill.