Correas high on Real Story ahead of Secretariat Stakes

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Real Story, who won the American Derby in his most recent race, will start in the Grade 1 Secretariat here on Aug. 11, trainer Ignacio Correas said Friday.

Correas said he also plans to start Pont du Gard in the Secretariat, but while Pont du Gard was fourth in the American Derby, Real Story appears to be the horse on the rise.

Real Story has won three of his five grass races, and the two losses came with excuses, one mild, the other major. Real Story probably was in need of a start when he finished third in April in a Keeneland allowance, and his poor showing in a May 20 Churchill Downs allowance came about because Correas instructed jockey Florent Geroux to rate Real Story behind horses. Real Story resented those tactics, but when allowed to lope along by himself on the lead in the American Derby, in which he set a very legitimate pace, Real Story won off by almost two lengths.

“He’s doing very, very well,” Correas said. “He always gave us hints he was a good horse.”

Correas has been focusing on long gallops over fast works with Real Story, who worked an easy five furlongs on Polytrack on July 21 and will have only one more breeze, scheduled for Tuesday, before the Secretariat. Analyze It, second last out in the Belmont Derby Invitational, figures to be the Secretariat favorite.

Meanwhile, Correas said that Arlington’s leading rider Jose Valdivia Jr. will have the mount on Dona Bruja in the Grade 1 Beverly D. Dona Bruja finished in a dead heat for second in the 2017 Beverly D. but has not run since she led and faded to fifth in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley on April 14 at Keeneland.

Correas did not hide his displeasure at Dona Bruja trying to make all the pace in that race and said it took time to bring the Argentine import back around. But Dona Bruja has been “training super,” Correas said, and Valdivia will fly to Keeneland to work her Sunday.

“I think that’s very helpful when the rider gets to know a horse, to see what he’s dealing with,” said Correas.

Declan Cannon rode Dona Bruja in her first four North American starts, Jose Ortiz in her last two.

Sistercharlie, who won the Grade 1 Diana last weekend, is expected to start as the Beverly D. favorite.

◗ Daddys Lil Darling, a sharp winner of the Modesty Handicap at Arlington in her most recent start, worked a maintenance half-mile in 50 seconds over the Keeneland turf course Friday and remains on target to start in the Beverly D., trainer Ken McPeek said. Daddys Lil Darling will work again next Friday and ship to Arlington on Aug. 10.

“She’s doing as good as ever,” McPeek said. “It’s pretty basic leading from the last one to this one.”