Canadian runner Jambalaya claimed a landmark success in the Arlington Million as the trio of European raiders failed to land a blow in the Grade One event.
French runner Doctor Dino fared best of the three in finishing third while the Michael Jarvis-trained Pressing and John Oxx's Danak were out of the frame. Sunriver set a slow early pace in the 10-furlong event and last year's winner The Tin Man looked set for another win as he kicked on at the top of the straight.
However, Robby Albarado conjured a telling late spurt from Jambalaya to pass The Tin Man and make handler Catherine Day Phillips the first woman to train a Million winner. The Tin Man just held on for second by a nose in a blanket finish that also saw Sunriver and Stream Cat dead-heat in fourth.
Richard Gibson, trainer of Doctor Dino, said: "’ou can't be disappointed when a horse runs well which he has done. There are no excuses but when it's that close, you find it a bit upsetting. I don't want to make excuses, we have been beaten by better horses.’
Danak finished sixth under Mick Kinane while Pressing was last of the seven runners, with After Eight a late non-starter.
Oxx said: ‘He started a little slowly and he just got into a position there with the slow pace. It would have been better if he had been on the outside rather than on the rail. There was no pace at all and he was held in by the horse on the outside. He never really got a good crack at it. He ran well and proved that he can run in this company.’
Kinane added: ‘I started a little tardy from the outside and there wasn't much pace.’
Doctor Dino's rider Johnny Murtagh was suffering a second near-miss at the meeting after just being edged out aboard South African runner Irridescence in a thrilling finish to the Beverley D Stakes.
The Mike de Kock-trained mare settled in second behind the pace-setting Jennie R and Murtagh looked to have made a winning move when pushing on at the top of the straight. Irridescence was still in front half a furlong from home but Royal Highness was flying down the outside and she just shaded it at the line.
Murtagh said: ‘I thought in the straight that I was going to win, even when the other one came to me.She stayed on really strongly and it was disappointing she just got beat but I thought she ran a great race.
‘Her (Royal Highness) head was down and mine was up in the last stride.’
De Kock added: ‘It would probably have been better if the other filly had taken her on earlier. Johnny acquitted himself very well and has ridden a good race. In fact, she has never been so calm as she was under him here.
‘It was a fantastic run to come all this way and do everything but win. We have come all this way and just been beaten a short head. Obviously the trip (to America) might have made that bit of difference.
‘I don't know where she will go next. I will have to discuss it with the owners because the Breeders' Cup and those races are too expensive for us.’
Irish runners Admiralofthefleet and Fleeting Shadow failed in their bid for glory as ex-French runner Shamdinan claimed the Secretariat Stakes. The pair, handled by Aidan O'Brien and Dermot Weld respectively, were both prominent early on but started to feel the pinch turning into the straight as Red Giant kicked for home.
Julien Leparoux was just getting into top gear aboard Shamdinan though, and the Doug O'Neill-trained runner sailed down the outside to to collar Red Giant by half a length. The three-year-old was last seen when finishing ninth of 11 runners in the Irish Derby for Alain de Royer-Dupre but Leparoux was always confident of victory.
He said: ‘He won more easily than you can see on the television. He's a very nice horse and a very good horse.’
Kinane felt Admiralofthefleet could have gone a place better than his eventual fourth.
He said: ‘I got collared a bit when I needed to get going - I would have been third. It was just a bit disappointing that he didn't pick up in the straight.’
Dermot Weld, trainer of unplaced Fleeting Shadow, added: ‘It was a good race and the horse ran a bit keen. He ran a bit free, he's not settled and if they don't settle, they won't win.’
Rider Pat Smullen added: 'He was too keen today with the blinkers. He just didn't finish.'
