Arlington Million international scouting report: Fanciful Angel

If you believe in older dogs trying new tricks, Fanciful Angel is the Arlington Million (G1) longshot for you. A miler for most of his career, the British-based five-year-old recently discovered that 1 1/4 miles is within his compass, but his aptitude in top company remains unproven.

Fanciful Angel is an auction veteran, touring the sales ring as a weanling, yearling, two-year-old in training, and as a battle-hardened campaigner at last summer’s Tattersalls July. Consigned by trainer Marco Botti for Scuderia Blueberry that day, he brought easily the highest price of his life when going for 135,000 guineas. His new ownership, the Dubai-based Touch Gold Racing syndicate, wisely kept him in Botti’s yard.

Botti has won major races elsewhere in North America, but his horses are particularly on target at Arlington. He won the 2014 Beverly D (G1) with Euro Charline, as well as the first two editions of the American St Leger with Jakkalberry (2012) and Dandino (2013), who was second as the defending champion the following year.

As a son of the speedy and precocious Dark Angel, sire of such top sprinters as Mecca’s Angel and now Harry Angel and Battaash, Fanciful Angel logically started out going shorter. The gray won second time out at two, and proved himself up to stakes quality with a troubled fourth in the Sirenia (G3) over Kempton’s Polytrack and a third in York’s Rockingham.

Fanciful Angel earned his only stakes win in the 2015 International Trial on Lingfield’s Polytrack early in his three-year-old season, his first attempt at what became his usual trip of a mile. That served as a tune-up for a classic try on the Continent, where he finished second in the German 2000 Guineas (G2). But after failing to land a blow in the Jersey (G3), Superior Mile (G3), and Premio Vittorio di Capua (G1), he was gelded and lowered sights into handicap company.

Right off the bat, Fanciful Angel scored in a mile handicap at the 2016 Dubai Carnival, despite traffic trouble. Watch him in the green silks of his former owner. Obviously with a ton up his sleeve, he had to stay on hold until able to angle out. He flashed home in time to beat Meydan-loving Dark Emerald, but would have been more emphatic with clear sailing:

 

Over the same course and distance, but at a higher grade, Fanciful Angel was not as effective when seventh in the Zabeel Mile (G2).