Beach Patrol may be vulnerable in Turf Classic

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Beach Patrol was a finalist for an Eclipse Award in the older turf male division last year. At his 2017 best, and at 1 1/4 or 1 1/2 miles, Beach Patrol would hold a meaningful edge in his 5-year-old debut Saturday, but the Grade 1, $500,000 Turf Classic is contested at 1 1/8 miles, and Beach Patrol races for the first time since running second in the Nov. 4 Breeders’ Cup Turf.

“He was turned out 30 days and we gave him a much-deserved little break, got him back to work, and we’ve been pointing toward this race for a long time,” said trainer Chad Brown. “He likes Churchill.”

Beach Patrol led until deep stretch in the 2017 Turf Classic before Divisidero rallied to nail him. Two Mays ago, Beach Patrol made a winning move facing 3-year-olds here in the American Turf, another 1 1/8-mile race, only to be tagged on the wire by Camelot Kitten. In five 1 1/8-mile starts, Beach Patrol has one win and three seconds, and given his success when Brown stretched him to longer trips last year, it’s fair to wonder if Beach Patrol, who scored signature wins in the Arlington Million and Joe Hirsch Turf Classic last season, might be slightly vulnerable.

“I don’t quite know what to make of that,” Brown said of Beach Patrol’s nine-furlong history. “He’s got really good tactical speed, and he’s a dangerous horse because he can lay really close and kick. He’ll fight and give you more. He looks like a pit bull, and thankfully he has the attitude of one when he’s out there eyeball to eyeball.”

Brown’s second starter, Kurilov, looks live Saturday. A Chilean import, Kurilov was purchased for dirt racing, but after two decent main-track tries late last year a move to grass Feb. 10 in the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Turf produced a stronger performance. Kurilov pulled a sweet pocket trip and did well to close to within a neck of Heart to Heart, who returned to win the Grade 1 Maker’s 46 Mile.

“He’s training very sharp,” Brown said. “He’s a bit of a quirky horse, but we made some equipment changes and he’s traveling straighter, giving us more now. I think he’s best at a mile and a quarter, and I think under the right circumstances a Grade 1 could set up for him.”

Bill Mott also trains two Turf Classic entrants, Yoshida and Channel Maker. Yoshida, who makes his 4-year-old debut, is an exciting enough prospect that a solid showing Saturday will send the colt to Royal Ascot for a start in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes.

Yoshida, Mott said, didn’t appear to stay 1 1/4 miles in the Belmont Derby last summer, but racing luck and inexperience led to his other defeats, and Yoshida has displayed an electric turn of foot. But the Turf Classic not only is a comeback race for a horse with a future target, the distance might not be ideal.

“I’ve thought for some time he was best at a mile,” Mott said.

Channel Maker looks better on paper than he does in actual races. The horse carries his head very high and does not really finish with force and purpose even when reaching maximum speed.

Synchrony should be the value play of the race. The Mike Stidham-trained Pin Oak Stable homebred returned from a long layoff with a pair of strong turf performances at Fair Grounds, including a win at that venue’s most important turf race, the Grade 2 Muniz, also over 1 1/8 miles. Synchrony has tactical pace to go with a strong finish, and with just five grass races is not yet fully exposed on the surface.

“He’s still absolutely right on top of his game,” Stidham said. “He hasn’t lost an ounce of weight; he’s thriving right now. His last work on the grass was easy. The previous dirt work was the important one and he handled it really well.”

Arklow was a course and distance winner in the American Turf here a year ago, but was no match for Synchrony at Fair Grounds. The Aidan O’Brien-trained Deauville had strong form at 3, but is 5 now and doesn’t appear to have progressed, something that also might be said of Camelot Kitten. Shining Copper figures to share the early lead with Beach Patrol, while Editore doesn’t look quite good enough.