The Secretariat Stakes, Purse $500.000, Grade 1, One Mile and 1/4, Turf for 3 Year Olds

Its AP Millions day today at Arlington Park which is the big race for 3 year olds and older on the turf, but that is not the only big race on the card today. There is another Grade 1 race and that is this race right here which is a gathering of some of the top 3 year old male turf routers in the game right now for this nice $500.000 pot. There is a terrific field of 6 horses signed on for this race in which 5 of them come into the race off a win, and the only horse that didn’t win last out finished 3^rd in the Belmont Derby in July. This should be an interesting race, let’s take a look at the field:

1-Full Of Trinity (D J C Racing Stable)- He comes into the race winning 4 out of 11 lifetime starts including his last start in the Grade 3 Kent Stakes going a mile and 1/8^th on the yielding turf. What makes that win so impressive was that was the first time in his career that he had stepped on the turf and was a late closing winner at 142.95 to 1. I also had the pleasure of covering that race and this horse shocked the world at those odds to get up in time at the wire. There has been no public works for this horse since that race so it is hard to determine how he came out of the race and if he is on the improve and sitting on a big race. I do know this for sure, that win was impressive and if the track comes up off this is one you for sure have to look at. The question is can he take on and beat the some of the best on the firm track?

2-Aaliyahs Angle (Eastern Equine)- He comes into the race winning 4 out of 13 races in his career but hitting the board in 10 out of those 13 races. He has really turned the corner in 2015 and won 4 out of his 5 starts this year, including a 3 race win streak to start the year. All of these wins have come routing on the turf with the shortest win being at a mile and 1/8^th, and the longest being at a mile and ½ so this distance today hits him right between the eyes. This horse has worked his way up the class ladder this year from a MSW win to an allowance win, to an overnight stakes win, finally to a Grade 3 win last out which has shown he continues to improve. It should also be noted that this horse was no slouch as a 2 year old and did qualify for the BC Juvenile Turf where he finished a respectable 4^th. This horse looks like he is moving in the right direction and is one that should be there at the end.

3-Big Bird (Blushing Meadows)- He comes into the race winning 3 out of 10 career starts while hitting the board in 5 of these starts. The first 7 starts of his career were all on the dirt and it was just the last 3 starts that have been on the turf and he has slowly been stretched out going from 5 furlongs to 6 furlongs to a mile last out. He did win the last start going the mile on the turf which was his first win on the turf, and he won this race in an OC at DMR in a nice time. He has tried stakes company a couple of times but has yet to make the big break thru score in these races, however he may have found what he likes to do best which is go long on the turf and this will be his first try routing on the turf at the stakes level. One of the big questions about this horse aside from not being a stakes winner is rushing back to the races quickly as his last race was July 29^th so he will only be off 17 days when he comes back for this race. Will the quick turn back hurt his chances against this tough field?

4-Steel Moon (Downwind Stables)- He is a lightly raced horse only starting 3 times so far winning 4 of those starts and hitting the board in 6 of those races. His only time missing the board was his first ever race and he has improved ever since that race and continued up the class ladder. He was on a nice 4 race win streak including 2 Grade 3 wins in a row before entering the Belmont Derby last out, where he finished a very nice 3^rd, behind one of the horses in this race. He has won at distances between 7.5 furlongs and a mile and 1/16^th on the turf, and in his only try at the today’s distance was the earlier mentioned 3^rd in the Belmont Derby. He appears to have come out of the Belmont Derby well as he has posted 4 public works and 3 of those works were bullet works. Can he turn the tables on a rival the beat him last out in the Belmont Derby?

5-El Gran Jet (Eastern Equine) Here is another lightly raced 3 year old who also comes in winning 4 out of 7 lifetime starts with 6 on the board finishes. He comes into the race winning 4 out of his last 5 races, with his only loss being a nice 2^nd place finishes in a Grade 2 race. That loss is sandwiched by back to back Grade 3 victories including one at today’s distance which shows that getting this distance will not be a problem. He is also proven over today’s track as he won his last race at AP over the turf in the Grade 3 American Derby where he carried 2 pounds more than the rest of the field. This will be his first time in against Grade 1 company and his stable mate looks very tough as well as several others in this race, but he has done little wrong and I feel will be a big player in this race.

6-Desolation Island (MB Stables)- He has raced 11 times with 6 of those being wins, and has never missed the board in his racing career. He has excelled on the turf wining 4 out of 6 races which include an overnight stake, a Grade 2 and a Grade 1 win. He is the only Grade 1 winner in the field which has to make him the favorite but he is facing some tough competition today so even if he is the favorite I don’t think it will be a walk in the park for him. His win in the Belmont Derby where he dead heated with Crystal Pip was elevated even further when Crystal Pip came back in his next start and took the Haskell. And as if there was any question as to whether this horse was ready to fire off a big race, his most recent 109 flat 6 furlong turf work, answered an of those questions.

I am lucky that I got to cover such a talent filled field today here at AP. There are so many horses with class in this race that the outcome could play out in many different ways. I have tried to look at the race from many different angles but keep coming back to the same thing, while there are 6 talented horses in this field there is one proven Grade 1 winner, so until we have another on he has to be the top choice.  Here is my prediction. 6-5-2-4

Warbucks

Categories: Grade I