The classy Nations Pride lived up to his advance billing with a flashy score in Sunday’s Grade 1 Arlington Million to top Colonial Downs’s biggest day.
Star jockey Frankie Dettori will ride morning line favorite Brilliant Berti in Sunday’s Grade 2 Secretariat Stakes at Colonial Downs.
Maryland-bred Fulmineo, cross-entered in the G2 Secretariat and G1 Saratoga Derby, will head north to the Spa, trained Arnaud Delacour said.
Graham Motion will saddle one runner in each Colonial Downs graded stake Sunday: Trikari, Mission of Joy, and Highland Chief.
Virginia-bred Secretariat Stakes winner Gigante is the product of multiple generations of Bill and Ann Backer’s breeding operation over more than 30 years.
The racing gods smiled on Colonial Downs Arlington Million day: The Secretariat statue and a Tweedy were there, and a Va-bred won the G2 Secretariat Stakes.
Nagirroc and Never Explain set Pimlico course records May 20. Repeat efforts would make them winners in the Secretariat and Arlington Million Saturday.
The Grand Slam of Grass once connected Colonial Downs and Arlington Park. With the Secretariat Stakes now moved to Colonial, the connection lives on.