ARLINGTON MILLION

(GRADE 1)

IT was a first time win for the ‘home crowd’ when Illinois-bred The Pizza Man galloped to victory in his home state’s top race, the Grade 1 Arlington Million for owner/breeder Midwest Thoroughbreds.

The homebred six-year-old gelding by English Channel was sent off at 5/1 in a field of 13 runners.

Racing mid-pack in the early stages behind pacesetter Shining Copper, he gave jockey Florent Geroux a few anxious moments on the turf course that earlier in the day had been softened by rain.

“I’m always confident when I ride him, he loves to win and knows where the wire is,” Geroux said.

“But I had no horse the whole way. It looked like he was struggling over the very soft track.

“But when I put him outside he started to hold up and grabbed the bit again and I was thinking ‘Oh boy, he’s going for a big one here!’ He is a local horse and even going to the track there was a lot of people cheering for us, and I’d like to thank them.”

The Pizza Man made a strong closing move and took over to take the mile and a quarter test over yielding turf for trainer Roger Brueggemann.

Multiple Grade 1 winner Big Blue Kitten rallied five wide but missed by just a neck, while early leader Shining Copper held on three-quarters of a length back in third. David Marnane’s Elleval was the best of the Europeans under Pat Smullen.

The Pizza Man improved his record to 15 wins from 23 starts, with earnings of $1,458,537. The Arlington Million win gives an automatic entry to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland.

Last year, Midwest Thoroughbreds claimed their first Breeders’ Cup victory with eventual Champion Male Sprinter Work All Week, who was also ridden by Geroux, to win in the Xpressbet Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint.

“I can’t describe how happy I am. That was more emotional than the Breeders’ Cup for us because of what it means.

“I know it’s tough times right now in Illinois, so I hope we can help turn the tide,” said Richard Papiese, principal of Midwest Thoroughbreds.