Captivating Moon to don blinkers for Secretariat

Trainer Chris Block will start Captivating Moon in blinkers when he races Saturday in the Grade 1 Secretariat after Captivating Moon had his first work in the equipment Sunday, going a half-mile on Polytrack in 48 seconds. Block said he galloped Captivating Moon in the hood for about a week before Carlos Marquez worked the colt in his new headgear.

“I thought he was a little more involved in the work from the beginning,” Block said. “Carlos thought he finished it off really well.”

Block has been looking forward to stretching out Captivating Moon to the Secretariat’s 1 1/4 miles for a couple months now. Captivating Moon has two wins and six second-place finishes from 10 starts and enters Saturday’s race after finishing second in the American Derby at Arlington and third in the Mystic Lake Derby at Canterbury Park.

“I hope this will sort of keep him a little more focused throughout the race, but especially the last three-eighths. He gets a little sloppy in his races that last quarter-mile,” Block said.

Analyze It will be favored in the Secretariat, which also is expected to include Bandua, Dubby Dubbie, Hunting Horn, Linburgh’s Kitten, Lucius Tiberius, Ming, Platinum Warrior, Pont Du Gard, Real Story, Sniper Kitten, Untamed Domain, and Carrick.

Meanwhile, Block said Prado’s Sweet Ride, who was pre-entered in the Beverly D., was not going to start in the race.

“I think I’ll take her out. I think the best she could be with a top effort is fifth. We’ll point her to the One Dreamer Stakes at Kentucky Downs,” Block said.