By Ray Paulick

Spirit One took the early lead when Einstein broke poorly, then led all the way to win the Arlington Million under jockey Ioritz Mendizabal, holding off favored Archipenko to by three-quarters of a length, with Mount Nelson third, giving Europeans a sweep of the top three positions in the $1-million race.

Spirit One, owned and bred in France by Kamel Chehboub, is a 4-year-old by Anabaa Blue. He is trained by veteran Philippe Demercastel, and was making his first career start outside of France. The Million was his fifth win from 18 starts.The win gives Spirit One an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf because the Million is a Breeders’ Cup Challenge "Win and You’re In" race, but Chehboub would have to pay a supplement ary fee to get his horse into the race. He would not commit to supplementing in a post-race interview on ESPN.

Time of the race for 1 1/4 miles on firm turf was 2:02.17 after fractions of :24.66, :48.57, 1:12.40 and 1:37.40. Spirit One paid $29.40 for the win on a $2 bet.

Archipenko might have been the best horse in the MIllion, but he was pinned down on the inside for most of the stretch run and unable to get free until late under jockey Kevin Shea.

Following the top three across the finish were Silverfoot, Einstein, Stream Cat and Cloudy’s Knight.

EARLIER IN THE DAY, Robert Scarborough’s French-bred Mauralakana closed down the stretch to win the 1 3/16-mile Beverly D, a Grade 1 race with a $750,000 purse, by 1 ¼ lengths. Communique finished a fast-closing second, with Toque de Queda third and pacesetter dreaming of Anna fourth in the field of nine fillies and mares.

 

Time of the race was 1:55.18, more than two seconds slower than the track record. Fractions were :24.27, :48.64, 1:12.71, and 1:37.04.

 

Mauralakana, a  5-year-old by Muhtathir, has been trained by Christophe Clemente since Scarborough bought her out of the Keeneland November breeding stock sale last year for $900,000. Prior to that, Mauralakana was trained by Patrick Biancone, who has been suspended since last fall when investigators found the prohibited painkiller Cobra venom is in barn at Keeneland.

 

 “The Breeders’ Cup is her destiny,” Scarborough told ESPN after the race. Mauralakana finished seventh in the 2006 Filly and Mare Turf, but on the strength of five wins and one second from six starts this year she will be among the favorites for that race in 2008. She came into the Beverly D off three consecutive wins in the Mairzy Doates at Calder in April, the Sheepshead Bay Handicap in May and the New York in June, the latter two races Grade 2 events at Belmont Park. Mauralakana $6.80 on a $2 wager.

 

MR. AND MRS. BERTRAM FIRESTONE’S WINCHESTER blasted his 3-year-old rivals in the $400,000 Secretariat Stakes, getting a ground-saving ride from Rene Douglas, taking the advantage from pacesetter Tizdejavu just before turning for home, then drawing off to win the Grade 1 race easily by 7 ¼ lengths.  The Theatrical colt covered the 1 ¼ miles on firm turf in 2:01.76.

 

Trained by the globe-trotting Irish conditioner Dermot Weld, Winchester paid $17 for the win, his second in six lifetime starts – all in Ireland. He was coming of a seventh-place finish in the Irish Derby June 29. Another colt making his U.S. debut, the Aidan O’Brien-trained Plan, finished second as the second choice, with favored Tizdejavu hanging on for third after setting fractions of :25.38, :49.64, 1:13.84, and 1:37.39.