Irish-based trainer Aidan O'Brien, who sent Mrs. John Magnier's Powerscourt to Chicago to win last summer's Arlington Million (gr. IT), is likely to send highly regarded candidates to all three of Arlington Park's International Festival of Racing grade I races on Aug. 12.Likely for Arlington Million XXIV from the O'Brien yard is Mrs. Magnier's Ace, an Irish-bred 5-year-old son of Danehill familiar to American racing fans as the runner-up in last fall's John Deere Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT) at Belmont Park Oct. 29. Previously, Ace was a gutsy third, beaten three-quarters of a length for all of it in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational (gr. IT) over the same course.In his last trip to the post July 15, Ace was second by a head in the Ladbrokes International Stakes (Eng-III). Before that he was beaten 4 1/4 lengths in the Prince of Wales's Stakes (Eng-I) June 21 during the Royal Ascot meeting.
O'Brien, 36, who has vaulted onto the top tier of internationally renowned conditioners over the last decade, is likely to bring Mrs. Magnier's 3-year-old filly Queen Cleopatra to Arlington for the Beverly D. (gr. IT), the Arlington Million's $750,000 sister race that is restricted to fillies and mares. In her last start July 1 at the Curragh, Queen Cleopatra was fifth in the Audi Pretty Polly Stakes (Ire-I). She was a close third in the Prix de Diane Hermes (French) Oaks (Fr-I) before that on June 11 and also third in the Boylesports Irish One Thousand Guineas (Ire- I) May 28.For Arlington's Secretariat Stakes (gr. IT), restricted to 3-year-olds of international caliber as final leg of Chicago's Mid-America Triple, O'Brien is expected to be represented by Ivan Denisovich, owned by Mrs. Magnier, Michael Tabor and Irving and Marjorie Cowan. The sophomore son of Danehill was eighth in the Prix Jean Prat (Fr-I) at Chantilly July 9 at last asking but third in the St. James Palace Stakes (Eng-I) during the Royal Ascot session on June 20.