Literato heads Guillaume d'Ornano

Last Saturday's Arlington Million card should provide plenty of clues to the outcome of this Saturday's Group 2, $175,000 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano, a 1 1/4-mile race for 3-year-olds at Deauville that annually competes with the Secretariat Stakes for entries.

The Guillaume d'Ornano is headed by French Derby runner-up Literato, a Jean-Claude Rouget trainee who finished a neck in front of Secretariat winner Shamdinan in that 1 5/16-mile French classic. Previously the winner of the 1 1/4-mile Group 3 Prix La Force, Literato will be ridden by Christophe Lemaire.

Axxos had been penciled in for a start in the Secretariat, but his trainer, Peter Schiergen, decided to send Axxos to Deauville instead. In his latest start, Axxos finished second by five lengths in the 1 1/2-mile Group 1 Grand Prix de Paris to Zambezi Sun, who was fourth in the French Derby and is currently second favorite for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.

Andre Fabre will saddle the late-blooming El Comodin. Like Axxos, El Comodin is by the German-based stallion Monsun, as are the Beverly D. winner Royal Highness and Europe's leading older horse Manduro, who also hails from Fabre's barn.

El Comodin, out of 11-time group race winner Elle Danzig, has been perfect in his first three starts, having won the listed 1 1/4-mile Prix Pelleas most recently on July 8.

* On Thursday at Deauville, Sheikh Mohammed's Darley stable won the 1 9/16-mile Group 3 Prix Minerve with the Fabre-trained filly Synopsis, one day after the sheikh's Godolphin stable had taken the 1 1/4-mile Groupo3 Prix Gontaut-Biron with Echo of Light.