From his first step out of the gate to his last stride across the finish line, Marlin owned the Arlington Million.
"It was pretty easy. You really don't expect a trip like that for $1 million," jockey Gary Stevens said Sunday of the wire-to-wire victory by his favored 4-year-old. The winner's take of $600,000 boosted Marlin's career earnings to nearly $2.5 million for owner Michael Tabor, who bought the horse for $360,000.
Marlin completed the 1"-mile turf race in 2:022 / 5, the sixth-slowest in the Million's 17-year history and second-slowest this decade.
Sandpit, who finished second and third as the favorite the previous two years, was the fourth choice this time but fell just short again. Percutant, a 30-1 longshot who threw rider Michael Kinane during the post parade, was third, and 1995 champion Awad was fourth.
