Great weather for Million Preview day at Arlington. A few high clouds, a very moderate east wind (homestretch tail-wind) and an absolutely pleasing temperature - the high is going to struggle to hit 80.

Yes, they're only Grade 3s, but the four Million Preview stakes for the most part are good - with some very good individual performers -- and the supporting races, excepting perhaps the bookends, have plenty of appeal.

Turf course is firm, with to lanes being used: Races 2, 3,7, 10 will be run 10 feet inside lane 1, while the graded stakes are run in lane 5.

Applicator (6) goes in the Stars and Stripes, race 8, and is scratched from the Arlington Handicap. One Go All Go (4) was cross-entered in race 2 (I liked him to win it) but also goes in the Stars and Stripes. Both these cross-entered horses want to show speed. Go figure. The Pizza Man (5) is going to be favored here, and I expect him to improve off his last-out comeback victory, but I can't take a short price. I'll try Flashy Chelsey (3), go goes first after a Mike Maker claim, a very strong angle in long turf routes like this.

Stormin Elle (5) and La Piba (8) are scratched from the Modesty, race 6. Neither scratch is a surprise. I'm not getting fancy here. It's a two-horse race, and in multi-race wagers, I'll use no one besides Dona Bruja (1) and Time and Motion (3). Both are very good, and I look forward just to seeing how this plays out.

No changes in the first stakes, race 5, the American Derby. It's a soft edition of this historic 3-year-old race, and I took Hembree (4) to pull a mild third-choice upset over Sonic Boom (2) and Gorgeous Kitten (1).

Applicator is the only one out of the Arlington Handicap, race 9. Crewman (4) carries two pounds overweight, and Oak Brook (7) is three pounds over. But the big news is Florent Geroux apparently is making 114 pounds, the weight Manitoulin (3) was assigned, and the 10-pound break he gets from very deserving favorite Kasaqui (5) sure seems considerable.