Secretariat draws a tough line up of nine to contest for the $400,000 Arlington Park fixture on 13 August
The Aidan O’Brien trained 3-year-old colt Treasure Beach has been the most talked about horse in the lineup for the Grade 1 $400,000 Secretariat Stakes, because of his successful racing endeavours making him the most accomplished European 3-year-old.
Treasure Beach is coming off a 4th place finish in a field of seven horses in the Group 1 Juddmonte Grand Prix De Paris at Longchamp on 14 July, 2011 for 3-year-old colts and fillies.
Prior to the Longchamp fixture, the son of Galileo won the all important Group 1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby entirely for colts and fillies at the Curragh on 26 June, 2011.
Treasure Beach will face tough competition in the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes when he goes up against the likes of Thomas Proctor trained 3-year-old colt Banned, who is coming off a second place finish in the Grade 2 Virginia Derby over at a distance of 1
¼ miles on turf at Colonial Downs.
Banned finished just before Air Support under jockey J Lezcano. Prior to the Colonial Down fixture, the colt had a successful run in the Grade 3 Jefferson Cup held at Churchill Downs on 18 June, 2011 and in the Grade 2 American Turf held also held at Churchill
Downs, which the colt won over at a distance of 1 1/16 miles on 6 May, 2011.
Initially ten were entered for the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes , but Crimson China had Saratoga plans and he was scratched early, leaving a nine to contest the 1 ¼ mile grass race.
Aidan O’Brien has gone on to win the Grade 1 Secretariat once before, and there have been once more that a European trainer was able to land the Arlington Park fixture, making it two for the Europeans.
Mike Stidham trained 3-year-old colt Willcox Inn, who beat the Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom while breaking his maiden back in 2010 at Arlington Park. Willcox Inn then went on to compete in the Grade 2 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, where he finished
third.
Willcox In after a slow start to the 2011 season, has found his bearings with 2 wins on the trot, and he will be taking this winning momentum to the Secretariat Stakes, to become the one to look out for
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