Century Dream, one of three overseas runners in Saturday's Arlington Million, had kind of a turf blowout Thursday morning. Century Dream was down as a work horse but, galloping many paths outside the dogs, didn't really pick up his pace to the top of the homestretch and was recorded by Arlington clockers going a quarter-mile in 25.80 seconds. Nothing to write home about here, though this horse is not without a chance.

Also out on turf at 9 this morning were Nyaleti, who made a couple circuits and came down the stretch the second time at a two-minute clip preparing for the Beverly D.; and Circus Couture, who on bare form should be 50/1 for the Million.

Oscar Performance, the morning-line Million favorite, came out late, galloped easily half-way around the track, then stopped, backed up, and went to stand in the starting gate. Did that well, was backed out, and resumed his easy gallop onto the front-side, getting a little bit hot even considering the temperature. 

Of all the Chad Brown horses the two that most caught my eye, for what little that's worth, were Almanaar for the Million and Fourstar Crook for the Beverly D. 

Dona Bruja, who dead-heated for second in the 2017 Beverly D., had her first local gallop since shipping from Keeneland on Tuesday. She looked great - powder keg sitting on a big race. Real Story, like Dona B trained by Ignacio Correas, also made a favorable impression this morning. The question with him in the Secretariat is one of quality. 

The four Aidan O'Brien horses here from Ireland, led by Deauville, trotted three-quarters of a circuit backwards, turned and galloped an easy lap. In other words, totally standard for AOB shippers. Behind Deauville came Athena, the Belmont Oaks winner who runs in the Beverly D., and the two Secretariat starters, Hunting Horn and Lucius Tiberius.