The 2016 running of the Arlington Million at Chicago’s Arlington Park was very closely contested. The entire 11 horse field was separated by less than five lengths but at the end it came down to a pair of ‘imports’ as jockey Daniel Tudhope guided the bay colored horse Mondialiste through a three-wide finish to edge Kasaqui with jockey Florent Geroux by a neck. Mondialiste was the 4-1 third choice in betting. He won the Woodbine Mile last year and finished second in the Breeders’ Mile.

Jockey Tudhope was excited about the win and even more excited about a return to the Breeders’ Cup: “We couldn’t have worked out [more] perfect to be honest. We went over the race so many times beforehand, but you just don’t know how it’s going to go, but we couldn’t have asked for a better run really it was perfect. He always [looks like he gets worked up before the start], that’s him though. He’s not used to it, and that doesn’t help. But he seems to love it over here and he thrives over here. It’s amazing for [David O’Meara and I, to get a “Win and You’re In” to the Breeders’ Cup Turf], even everyone back home in the yard, we all work hard and they deserve this just as much as we do. Hats off to everyone in the yard. It’s an amazing feeling.”

Trainer David O’Meara added: “We stepped him up to a mile and a quarter at York and he ran a really good race behind Time Test and once we saw he handled the trip this race was in the back of our minds. Once he ran so well over that, the fact he ran so well when we traveled him last year, we were always going to come. He won at Woodbine last year and that was a win and you’re in for the Breeders’ Cup and he was second in the Mile so I don’t so a reason we won’t come back again. The owner will have the final say.”

Giroux said that he was beaten by a better horse: “I was right there into the first turn. When they picked it up, he just spit the bit and couldn’t keep up.”