Weekend Warrior for Saturday, Aug. 11: Arlington Million, Secretariat Stakes, Lure Stakes

Turf is mainly where it’s at when it comes to Saturday’s stakes action, which is led by the 36th running of the Arlington Million. That Grade 1, $1 million fixture is supported by two other Grade 1 grass stakes on the Arlington card – the $600,000 Beverly D. and the $400,000 Secretariat. And the main event at Saratoga – the Grade 1, $500,000 Fourstardave – is also on the turf.

There are, however, two Grade 2, $200,000 stakes Saturday for 2-year-olds on the main track – the Best Pal, the feature at Del Mar, and the Adirondack, a supporting event at Saratoga along with the $100,000 Lure, a turf race that was rescheduled from last week.

Arlington Million

This year’s male turf division has disappointed. Defending champion World Approval and Eclipse Award finalist Beach Patrol have been nonfactors. And in their absence, it has been a game of musical chairs atop this division, with different horses winning big races and none taking firm control.

As it pertains to this race, Money Multiplier and Robert Bruce, two of Chad Brown’s three entrants, both won stakes two starts back, but were beaten in their most recent outings. Yes, Money Multiplier was a close second in the United Nations into an unfavorable pace setup, but he still should have caught the upsetter Funtastic.

Spring Quality, meanwhile, will try Saturday to follow up on his score in the Manhattan. He was an 18-1 surprise that day, though, and he must show me he can do that again.

In these situations it’s natural to gravitate to new faces, and the three European shippers here are definitely that. But Century Dream and Circus Couture look overmatched off their recent form, and Deauville, third in the last two Arlington Millions, still might not be quite good enough.

Oscar Performance and Almanaar are, in a sense, new faces, too, as they both have raced only once this year. Oscar Performance was sharp winning the Poker in his 4-year-old bow, and he won the Secretariat last year on this course at this 10-furlong distance. Almanaar won an overnight race at Belmont in his 2018 bow, and though his win margin was only a neck, he won well in hand.

I believe these are the right two horses, but I’m siding with Almanaar, as he will be the bigger price. I expect Almanaar to be even more effective second time back off a long layoff, and when he won the Gulfstream Park Turf last year before going on the shelf he beat Beach Patrol when Beach Patrol was very, very good.

Secretariat Stakes

Analyze It and Hunting Horn are obvious win threats, but I’m taking a shot with Irish invader Platinum Warrior, who should be a nice price.

Platinum Warrior showed marked improvement over his first three starts this year, culminating with a decisive win in the Group 3 Gallinule Stakes, soundly beating Latrobe, who came back to win the Group 1 Irish Derby. Platinum Warrior also competed in the Irish Derby, but could manage only a ninth-place finish after reportedly being much farther off the early pace than he was in the Gallinule, and off an early pace that was slow even by European standards. He now cuts back to the 10-furlong distance at which he won the Gallinule, and with Real Story and Analyze It being the only main speed horses, he can be more of a forward early factor.

Lure Stakes

This turf race was rescheduled and redrawn after last Saturday’s heavy rain in Saratoga. It picked up a new entrant in Projected, but it lost Voodoo Song (who is in the Fourstardave), Ballagh Rocks, and Ticonderoga from the original field, which makes it an easier spot. And that now makes me go for Zennor.

:: Clocker Reports: Get in-depth workout analysis for Del Mar & Saratoga

Zennor hasn’t started since he upset this race last year, beating the reluctant-to-win Projected. Zennor has run big off lengthy layoffs. He is backed by a Kiaran McLaughlin barn that knows how to bring horses back in sharp form off layoffs, and he boasts a second-best of 98 workout on the Oklahoma training track turf course last Monday. That workout seems loaded with intent because, as a Goldolphin/McLaughlin runner, Zennor’s home is the Greentree training track and he does not have to even cross Union Avenue to work.