Tom Pedulla presents five key takeaways from Saturday’s Arlington Million Stakes and Beverly D. Stakes, both run for the first time at Churchill Downs, and other major weekend developments:
As arguably the most well-known and successful practitioner of sports talk radio, Mike Francesa has covered or discussed every major sporting event in the United States. Maybe the world.
Yet there’s something about a winning horse race, especially a Grade 1 stakes, that brings out the kind of smile he would flash whenever his beloved New York Yankees won the World Series.
When all was said and done, the Arlington Million Stakes, despite lacking any overseas entries, still had a touch of international flair thanks to Santin, a Godolphin homebred colt who lifted the trophy Aug. 13 as the race moved to Churchill Downs.
Just a point separates the top two horses on the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings as European standout Baaeed with a 128 rating leads U.S. star Flightline (127) by the slimmest of margins.
1:35 1/2. It may not seem like much today, but for 28 years the time of 1:35 1/2 stood alone as an untouchable, unbreakable record of American racing; a veritable speed limit for the distance of one mile; a limit that no horse could surpass.
