An all-American field for the Million didn`t stop a throng of bettors from wagering a record amount Sunday at Arlington.
An intertrack crowd of 41,179, second only to the 46,995 for the 1985
”Miracle Million,” bet $4,590,351 for the 10-race card.
The Million, usually an event that attracts an international field of thoroughbreds, accounted for $1,030,261 of the handle.
Still, it was the least wagered on the Million since intertrack bets first were taken on the race in 1985.
That low figure may have been due to the smallest field in the race`s seven years, eight horses.
Sunday`s amount wagered topped the state record set at Sportsman`s this spring on Kentucky Derby day, when an intertrack crowd of 26,048 fans bet $4,534,879.
Dance Of Life was scratched from the Million field because of tenderness in his left front ankle.
”He must have done something to himself (on the track) Friday,” said Rick Thomas, stable foreman for trainer Mack Miller.
”It swelled up a bit, and we decided it would be best to not take a chance. He tries awfully hard, and there`s no telling what could happen if he hurt himself worse.”
Explosive Darling, Illinois Horse of the Year for 1986, thrilled the hometown crowd and trainer Lou Goldine with his fourth-place finish, the best ever in a Million by a locally based horse.
”For him to run that way against what I consider to be the best horses in the world, it`s tremendous,” Goldfine said of his top charge, the only Illinois-bred to run in the state`s richest race.
Explosive Darling`s effort quieted some critics who said the gelding started the Million simply because he is owned by Arlington boss Dick Duchossois.
”At the 3/8-mile pole, I`d say I was 4 to 5 lengths back,” said jockey Earlie Fires.
”I thought if he had any kind of a kick, we`d get there. But I guess it looked like Manila had a little bit better kick than us.”
The strong showing was worth $60,000 and put pressure to win 1987 Illinois Horse of the Year honors squarely on Fortunate Moment, a state-bred 3-year-old.
Fires also will have something to say about Fortunate Moment`s showing in the balloting.
He`ll ride trainer Harvey Vanier`s horse in the Stroh`s Prelude Handicap stakes Monday at Louisiana Downs.
If Fortunate Moment wins, he will earn a starting position in the $1 million-guaranteed Super Derby this month at Louisiana Downs.
Jockey Randy Romero may have lost his Million mount on Dance of Life, but he didn`t let that cancel his trip to Chicago.
He came anyway with wife Cricket and son Randy to spend the day with friends who came up from his home state of Louisiana to see him.
British gambling and racing magnate Robert Sangster`s financial empire may be on the brink of ruin, according to sources at the Million and a story published in England`s Business Magazine.
Sangster`s much-publicized bidding wars with Arab princes at Keeneland`s yearling sales have taken their toll on his company, Vernons.
Public accounts of Vernons showed an increase in borrowing from 11.4 million pounds to 50.6 million pounds from 1983 to 1985.
Meanwhile, profits plunged from 17 million pounds in 1981 to 9.7 million pounds in 1985.
Some expect a growth of new bloodstock agencies in Europe as Sangster unloads horses to cut his losses.
One of the new agencies is run in part by Martin Pierce of the International Racing Bureau.
