The Arlington Million is a Grade I Thoroughbred race held annually at Colonial Downs in New Kent County, Virginia. Contested at 1¼ miles on the turf for horses aged three and older, it is one of the most historic and prestigious turf races in North American racing history and a Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win, and You're In" qualifier, with the winner receiving an automatic, fees-paid starting position in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland in October. The Arlington Million holds a permanent place in racing history as the first Thoroughbred race in the world to offer a purse of $1,000,000, inaugurated on August 30, 1981 at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Illinois, when the legendary John Henry edged The Bart by a nose under jockey Willie Shoemaker — making Shoemaker the first jockey to win a $1 million Thoroughbred race. John Henry won the race again in 1984, and the Arlington Million attracted some of the greatest turf horses in the world for four decades at Arlington Park before the track's permanent closure in 2021. Following a one-year stint at Churchill Downs in 2022, the race moved permanently to Colonial Downs in Virginia in 2023, where it has found a new home as the centerpiece of the Festival of Racing. Chad Brown holds the modern training record with four wins between 2013 and 2019. The stakes record of 1:58.19 at Colonial Downs was set by Set Piece (GB) in 2023.
The 2026 Arlington Million is scheduled for Saturday, August 1st at Colonial Downs in New Kent County, Virginia, as the centerpiece of the Festival of Racing. Contested at 1¼ miles on the turf with a purse of $1,000,000, the race is the richest summer turf race in North America and the key Breeders' Cup Turf prep of the season.
The Arlington Million has produced some of the most celebrated turf performances in American racing across five decades. Fort Washington gave trainer Claude McGaughey III and jockey Junior Alvarado a 2025 victory in 1:59.58 for Magic Cap Stables, the veteran six-year-old prevailing in a tight finish on the Colonial Downs turf. Nations Pride (IRE) gave trainer Charlie Appleby and jockey William Buick a 2024 win in 2:01.96 for Godolphin, giving the powerful operation its third Arlington Million victory. Set Piece (GB) delivered the most dominant performance in the Colonial Downs era of the race in 2023, setting the stakes record of 1:58.19 under Florent Geroux for trainer Brad Cox and Juddmonte Farms — giving Juddmonte its third Arlington Million title. Santin gave trainer Brendan Walsh and jockey Tyler Gaffalione a 2022 score at Churchill Downs in 1:46.88 at the shortened distance of 1⅛ miles — the race's only running away from its 40-year home or current Colonial Downs venue. Two Emmys gave trainer Hugh Robertson and jockey James Graham an emotional 2021 victory in the final Arlington Million at historic Arlington Park, running as the Mister D. Stakes in honor of longtime Arlington benefactor Richard Duchossois.
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Fort Washington | Junior Alvarado | 1:59.58 |
| 2024 | Nations Pride (IRE) | William Buick | 2:01.96 |
| 2023 | Set Piece (GB) | Florent Geroux | 1:58.19* |
| 2022 | Santin | Tyler Gaffalione | 1:46.88** |
| 2021 | Two Emmys | James Graham | 2:03.34*** |
* Stakes record at Colonial Downs. ** Run at 1⅛ miles at Churchill Downs. *** Run as the Mister D. Stakes at Arlington Park.
The Arlington Million is one of the most storied races in American turf history and the most important summer turf event in North America each August at Colonial Downs.
