Older turf routers take the stage Saturday, August 9 in the Grade 1 Arlington Million at Colonial Downs. The world’s first million-dollar Thoroughbred horse race when it began in 1981 at Arlington Park, this jewel of the American turf racing season has outlasted its original home track, which hosted its last live racing season in 2021.
Its winners’ list features a host of top turf horses including the great John Henry, champion Gio Ponti, and 2019 Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar. A well-matched field of eight horses lines up for the 2025 edition of the race, meaning it will be an exciting horse racing betting opportunity in addition to being a thriller of a race.
Read on to find out the best horses in the Arlington Million, as well as the best sportsbooks for betting the 2025 Arlington Million online.
Arlington Million Field
This is the official field for the 2025 Arlington Million including post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning lines:
- Mystik Dan (Kenny McPeek/Brian Hernandez, Jr.) - 9/2
- Time Song (Jonathan Thomas/Luis Saez) - 30/1
- Vesting (Mike Maker/Javier Castellano) - 12/1
- Runaway Storm (Ethan West/Alex Achard) - 20/1
- Cairo (Alice Haynes/Ben Curtis) - 7/2
- Fort Washington (Shug McGaughey/Junior Alvarado) - 4/1
- Grand Sonata (Todd Pletcher/Tyler Gaffalione) - 8/1
- Integration (Shug McGaughey/John Velazquez) - 8/5
The morning line can be a good guide to which horses are expected to take money or not, but they are no guarantee of odds at post time if you bet on track. Your best bet is to play the Arlington Million online, since online sportsbooks offer fixed-odds wagering on the world’s biggest races. That means, when you see an overlay, you can go ahead and lock in that price, and then watch the race with full confidence of what you’ll get when you win.
These are the Arlington Million odds for horses at the top of the market:
Arlington Million Online Betting
There are a lot of options for online betting, but we are here to make it easy for you to get the best odds and the best betting experience. Our expert sportsbook reviews give you what you need to know about the best online sportsbooks, so you can find out which ones have the best features for you and your betting style.
Every recommended site has the basics: market-leading odds, trusted payouts, and a great user interface. Each site has great bonuses and incentives like sign-up and deposit bonuses, referral benefits, and horse racing rebates that pay you for every bet you make! Taking a few minutes now to find the best ones for your betting style can boost your bankroll by hundred or even thousands of dollars, so what are you waiting for?
These are the best places to bet the Arlington Million online:
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Arlington Million Handicapping
You have your betting account ready, so now it’s time to meet the field and find out the best bets for the 2025 Arlington Million!
Arlington Million Favorites
The likely favorite is Integration, one of two from the Shug McGaughey barn. He has been keeping the best company of any of the United States-based horses – running second to the likes of Deterministic, Spirit of St Louis, and Carl Spackler this year. He has yet to break through at the Grade 1 level but he should appreciate having some pace to run at in this, and won’t be facing any proven turf superstars like those horses who keep beating him.
Cairo comes out of the toughest last-out race, the Queen Anne (G1) at Royal Ascot, where he finished a shock third at 100-1 odds. Unlike Integration, who won the Red Smith (G2) last time he dropped out of Grade 1 company (and now faces a field that’s Grade 1 in name only), Cairo still tends to run underneath even when he gets a class drop. He could run on for a piece underneath again, but will be seriously underlaid in the win pool.
Arlington Million Best Bet
The best bet in the Arlington Million is Fort Washington. The second-stringer from the Shug McGaughey barn, he has some upside trying 1 ¼ miles for the first time. A well-proven 1 ⅛-mile horse, there is enough European turf stamina on his dam’s side to make him interesting at this trip.
The pace also gives Fort Washington appeal. With the likes of Time Song, Vesting, and Runaway Storm likely to create fireworks up front, Fort Washington will get a fast early pace to take advantage of late. He has won before without a pace collapse – but he does even better when he gets one.
He should also appreciate the footing; he can run on firm or less-firm ground, but there’s rain in the forecast and he looked very good winning the Dinner Party (G3) in May after a wet week at Pimlico.
Arlington Million Exotics Horses
Mystik Dan, the 2024 Kentucky Derby winner, went from his first-ever work on the turf to the entry box for the Arlington Million in a matter of days. And, why not? There aren’t any real world-beaters in this field, and his recent dirt form is good enough to fit here if he can transfer it to turf. He gets pace to chase, and with the rail draw, he has every chance to make his trademark inside bid.
Grand Sonata is usually better going longer than this, but the way this race sets up he could get a piece of the trifecta or superfecta. He comes off of a good second in the United Nations (G2) at Monmouth, where he rallied off a modest pace. He’ll get something sharper to close into this time, and on his best days he has run well into a sharp pace – like his win in the Kentucky Downs Turf Cup (G2) last year.
Free Arlington Million Picks
These are your free expert picks for the 2025 Arlington Million:
- $10 to win/place - #6 Fort Washington
- $1 exacta box - #6 Fort Washington with #1 Mystik Dan, #8 Integration
- $0.50 trifecta key - #6 Fort Washington with #1 Mystik Dan, #5 Cairo, #8 Integration
- $0.20 superfecta key - #6 Fort Washington with #1 Mystik Dan, #5 Cairo, #7 Grand Sonata, #8 Integration
