The Tin Man Wins Million

In two earlier trips to Arlington Park, The Tin Man didn’t fare very well. He was off the board in both the 2002 Breeders’ Cup Turf and the 2003 Arlington Million races.

The third trip to Illinois turned out to be the charm for the Affirmed gelding, who is better than ever at age 8.

Under a masterful ride by jockey Victor Espinoza, who slowed the pace to a crawl, The Tin Man, a 5-1 shot, led throughout to win the Arlington Million on Saturday.

Trained by Richard Mandella, who won the Grade I stakes race for the first time in his Hall of Fame career, for owner-breeders Ralph and Aury Todd, The Tin Man has won four of five since returning Dec. 28 after a layoff of nearly 15 months.

In winning for the 11th time in 26 starts, The Tin Man set 24.75, 50.37, 1:15.18, 1:38.64 fractions en route to a one-length victory in 2:01.35 for the 1 1/4 miles. This means The Tin Man ran his last quarter of a mile in under 23 seconds, which made it virtually impossible for any of those trying to make up ground. Cacique finished second and Soldier Hollow was third. English Channel, the 2-1 favorite, was fourth.

“It set up well for me,” Espinoza said. “We were able to slow the pace down and get the money. When he gets to go that slow early, he’s pretty hard to catch.”

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The tactics were much different for Gorella in the $750,000 Beverly D., but she had the same result as The Tin Man.

Making her first start beyond 1 1/8 miles, the 4-year-old, French-bred filly rallied from last with a powerful wide run to win the Grade I race by 1 3/4 lengths against a talented group of females.

This was the sixth win in 15 starts for Gorella, the 13-10 favorite, and she ran the 1 3/16 miles on turf in 1:53.71. Julien Leparoux rode Gorella for trainer Patrick Biancone and owner Martin Schwartz. Film Maker finished second and Live Life, who set the pace under Espinoza, was third.

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In the day’s other Grade I race at Arlington, 1-2 favorite Showing Up made it two for two on the turf with his wire-to-wire win in the $400,000 Secretariat. The 3-year-old Strategic Mission colt has won five of six for Roy and Gretchen Jackson’s Lael Stable and trainer Barclay Tagg.

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Todd Pletcher may have had to settle for fourth with English Channel in the Arlington Million, but the country’s leading trainer did win a Grade I race on the turf at Saratoga.

Go Deputy, a 6-1 shot who was also entered in the Million, won for the third time in as many starts on the grass in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., taking the $500,000 Sword Dancer by 1 3/4 lengths under jockey Eibar Coa.

Owned by the Wertheimer Brothers, the 6-year-old Deputy Minister horse ran the 1 1/2 miles in 2:26.78. Silver Whistle, a 10-1 shot, was second and Grand Coutourier was third. Relaxed Gesture, the 7-10 favorite, finished fifth.

Two races earlier, War Front, the 17-10 favorite, won the $208,200 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Breeders’ Cup Handicap by 2 1/2 lengths. The win was the fourth in 10 starts for the 4-year-old Danzig colt, who is owned by breeder Joseph Allen and trained by Jimmy Jerkens.

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A.P. Warrior, a 5-1 shot, edged 6-5 favorite Porto Santo to win the $150,000 La Jolla Handicap at Del Mar.

Making his grass debut, the 3-year-old A.P. Indy colt won the Grade II race while running the 1 1/16 miles in 1:40.71. David Flores rode A.P. Warrior to his fourth win in 12 starts for owner Stan Fulton and trainer John Shirreffs.