Arlington Million Diary

ARLINGTON MILLION DIARY

AUGUST 6, 2008

by Kellie Reilly

Archipenko, The Late Bloomer

Archipenko will attempt to capture another Grade 1 win on the international stage (Four Footed Fotos) ARCHIPENKO (Kingmambo), who was sold out of Aidan O’Brien’s yard last year, has come on in leaps and bounds for Mike de Kock. Early Wednesday morning in the Arlington Park paddock, I got my first view of the jet-setting star who has been installed as the 2-1 morning-line favorite for Saturday’s Arlington Million (G1). The winner of the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (HK-G1) in Hong Kong and most recently the Summer Mile (Eng-G2) at Ascot, Archipenko looked in excellent order. While he’s on the small side, the regally bred bay is elegantly made, and projects the appearance of a fine-tuned, perfectly fit racing machine. Following behind his lead horse as he circled the paddock, Archipenko was a model of deportment. I took special notice of his coat. Prior to the Summer Mile, trainer Mike de Kock had stated that Archipenko’s coat was not quite as good as it had been in Hong Kong. That didn’t stop him from winning, despite not being fully wound up for a race at a distance slightly short of his best, under 132 pounds, against a solid field.

Now, however, I was pleased to see that his coat has developed a lovely
luster, a golden sheen, as he strode beneath the Chicago sun. His cameo
appearance in the paddock was ample evidence of his well-being as his Arlington
Million date draws closer.

De Kock, a champion trainer in South Africa who has enjoyed great success on
the world stage, spoke of Archipenko’s ability to cope with the burdens of
travel.

“He gets on a plane, and he thinks he’s going on holiday,” he said. “His main
attribute is, he eats well. Horses that travel well tend to be good doers.”

Archipenko has brains to go along with his physical talent.

“He’s very intelligent,” de Kock beamed, with a glowing smile like that of a
proud father. “You can see by the way he behaves. It’s like he almost wants to
talk to you.”

De Kock described his charge as “really a late bloomer,” and that aptly sums
up his career so far. Since he was a late foal, born on May 30, 2004, it stands
to reason that he has taken some time to reach the peak of his powers.

Archipenko was initially trained by O’Brien in Ireland. He showed some
promise, capturing the 2007 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial (Ire-G2) in good style,
but he was not the stable’s first string for that event. Still, by virtue of his
victory in a usually key prep, he was sent off as the 13-2 third choice in the
Epsom Derby (Eng-G1), where he completely failed to handle the course and wound
up last.

After three more unplaced efforts, Archipenko was sold out of O’Brien’s
Ballydoyle yard last year to a partnership headed by Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa
al Maktoum. Transferred to de Kock, Archipenko has thrived for his new
connections, much like a marginal player who gets traded, only to improve
considerably for his new squad.

In his second start for de Kock in Dubai, Archipenko turned things around
with the addition of blinkers in the Al Fahidi Fort (UAE-G2), sweeping to a
resounding victory. He has been on an upward spiral ever since. Archipenko just
missed in the Dubai Duty Free (UAE-G1) on Dubai World Cup night, beaten all of a
half-length in third. It was a very strong performance, considering the depth
and quality of a field replete with Group 1 winners, and the fact that he may
well have won, if he hadn’t been a little too timid to plow through a gap at the
decisive moment.

In the Queen Elizabeth II Cup in Hong Kong, Archipenko had more than enough
room to maneuver with an outside trip, and he exploded through the stretch to
win handsomely over some highly accomplished rivals.

When Archipenko drew the inside post for the Arlington Million, I wondered
whether de Kock might have preferred an outside post, but he said that the draw
was “not a concern.”

Given his continued improvement, if Archipenko had the chance today to
revisit that Duty Free, would he go through that gap?

“I think he would,” de Kock responded without hesitation, adding that
Archipenko used to want to run around, get outside horses, but now he’s got a
much more straightforward running style.

In a fascinating subplot to the Million, Archipenko will square off against
his former stablemate, the O’Brien-trained MOUNT NELSON (GB) (Rock of Gibraltar
[Ire]). Hence the Million can be billed as a clash between the ex-Ballydoyle
horse made good, and the yard’s current representative. No shortage of intrigue
in that stand-off, and the late bloomer may end up having the upper hand.

Einstein Takes a Spin

Einstein practiced posing for his winner’s circle close-up (Four Footed Fotos) Multiple Grade 1 winner EINSTEIN (Brz) (Spend a Buck), widely regarded as the top American-based contender in Saturday’s Arlington Million (G1), sent all the right signals in his first gallop on the turf course. Although it was a hot and sunny Wednesday morning, the turf still had considerable moisture in it from Monday’s torrential rains. With trainer Helen Pitts in the saddle, the striking dark bay was more than happy to break away from his lead pony on the backstretch and stride out at his own speed. Einstein soon settled into a comfortable rhythm, covering the ground with an easy fluency. He was capable of doing much more than what Pitts prescribed for his exercise, but he appeared relaxed, kind and well in hand throughout. Back at the barn, Einstein struck a magnificent pose: tall, lengthy, but well-proportioned, he really fills the eye. Pitts jested that if they ever remake “The Black Stallion,” Einstein would be a great candidate for the title role. Einstein has a persona to match his movie-star looks. Pitts related that he is the “king of the barn” when home at Churchill Downs, but since shipping to Arlington on Monday, he’s been too busy soaking up his new environs to be his usual handful. According to Pitts, the “very curious” Einstein is “fascinated and mesmerized” by his unfamiliar surroundings at Arlington. It is remarkable how much he has physically changed since the only other time I’d seen him in person, way back on October 22, 2005, in his career debut at Keeneland. Bred in Brazil on Southern Hemisphere time, he was one day shy of his actual third birthday, and conceding a huge developmental advantage to his Northern Hemisphere-bred rivals in that maiden race. Even then, Einstein had a grand frame, but he needed to grow into it and strengthen up. While he wound up a non-threatening fifth in that about seven-furlong affair on Keeneland’s old dirt track, he caught my attention on the gallop-out. Einstein kept going at a good clip for a long way past the wire, and well into the backstretch, before he finally pulled up. He looked like a promising sort, but who could have imagined the outstanding career that was to follow?

A two-time winner of the Gulfstream Park Turf S. (G1), he has also captured
the 2007 Mervin H. Muniz Jr. Memorial H. (G2) at Fair Grounds, defeating Million
rival CLOUDY’S KNIGHT (Lord Avie), and the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic S. (G1)
at Churchill three starts back on Kentucky Derby Day. Einstein has finished an
honorable second in his past two outings. Tackling the dirt in the Stephen
Foster H. (G1), he beat everyone but Horse of the Year Curlin (Smart Strike) in
a commendable effort on the surface switch. Einstein returned to the grass for
the Firecracker H. (G2) last time out, and as discussed in my last Turf Diary,
he did well in trying circumstances.

With such a resume, Einstein has a solid chance of becoming the first
Southern Hemisphere-bred horse ever to win the Arlington Million. Two South
American-breds have come close – Algenib (Arg), who just missed by a head to
Tight Spot in 1991, and the flashy chestnut Sandpit (Brz), who placed three
straight years, coming closest when going down by a half-length to Marlin in
1997.