O'Brien pair could offer value in Secretariat

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – The ancillary players might be on the light side this year, but the heavyweight matchup Saturday at Arlington between two of the world’s top trainers, Aidan O’Brien and Chad Brown, is compelling.

Before O’Brien tries the Brown-trained favorite Bricks and Mortar with Hunting Horn and Magic Wand in the Million and after he tackles Brown’s Beverly D. favorite Sistercharlie with talented 3-year-old Fleeting, O’Brien sends Never No More and Van Beethoven into the Grade 1, $500,000 Secretariat against Fog of War and Valid Point for Brown.

Nine 3-year-olds were entered in the Secretariat, cut back from 1 ¼ miles to one mile this year, and if the Brown and O’Brien quartet aren’t the four favorites, they should be. Fog of War is the best-known name in the race, and Valid Point will have plenty of support, which could lead to tote-board value on the two O’Briens.

Never No More is the more interesting horse and is ridden by top stable jockey Ryan Moore. A winner in one of three starts at age 2, he’s unbeaten in two starts this year, including a last-out victory April 6 at Leopardstown in Ireland over Madhmoon, who came back to finish second in the Derby at Epsom. O’Brien said Never No More “had a setback after that race and we had to give him a bit of time,” but there should be no doubt Never No More is set for something solid Saturday.

“He’s won over seven furlongs, but we always thought he would get a mile,” O’Brien said. “I think he’s very happy to be ridden forward. He’s won on soft, but being by No Nay Never he should prefer better ground.”

Van Beethoven finished unplaced in three major European Grade 1’s this spring and summer after a failed dirt try in the UAE Derby.

“We think we haven’t gotten the best out of him and he’s a good horse in solid form,” said O’Brien.

Fog of War would have gone favored into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf last year, but an injury sent him to the sidelines after he won the Grade 1 Summer Stakes at Woodbine on Sept. 16. Fog of War finished sixth as the odds-on favorite in his May comeback while lurching just after the start. Though he was better next out, finishing second under Javier Castellano in the Paradise Creek at Belmont, Fog of War, racing in blinkers for the first time, was run down by Win Win Win.

“It’s taken a little while to round into form, and we’ll see if he can handle the two turns,” Brown said. “That’s going to be the issue for him. We put blinkers on, which I think he needed, and he found himself close to a hot pace last time. I don’t think they made him very aggressive, but Javier was intent on securing his position early and it ended up placing him a little closer.”

Valid Point makes his stakes debut after easy maiden and allowance wins and could offer better value Saturday than Fog of War.

“He hasn’t been tested but he just gives me the feel he’s of high quality,” said Brown.

Among the others, Ry’s the Guy comfortably beat older allowance horses last out at Churchill making his grass debut and is a generous 15-1 on the morning line. The rest of the field is Clint Maroon, The Last Zip, American Derby winner Faraway Kitten, and Crafty Daddy.