Real Solution has claimed the Arlington Million on protest with the relegation of The Apache who bumped him more than once in the final stages.
Ridden by Alan Garcia, Real Solution was on the outside of The Apache as they came down the straight in the American showpiece.
The Mike de Kock-trained The Apache, ridden by Cristophe Soumillon, was on the rail but moved out about four lanes, bumping Real Solution in the process with the margin a head.
Garcia and trainer Chad Brown fired in an objection which was upheld.
“At the top of the stretch I had plenty of horse to go by, and the other horse bumped us more than four times,” Garcia said.
“Made me lose my momentum. If that didn’t happen we might have won by two or three lengths.”
Soumillon blamed the move to the right on the giant video screen close to the finish line.
“We were the better horse, but he got scared by the screen and shifted out,” Soumillon said.
“My horse was on the lead and got a little unbalanced. The screen scared him, but we were the best horse.”
It was the first United States win for Real Solution after a pair of top four finishes.
Ken Ramsey, Real Solution’s owner, went from disappointed to delighted.
“I thought we lost the race,” Ramsey said. “Then I heard he was bumped. I was eager to see the head-on. We had the momentum and he was pushing us out.”
