By Joe Bianca
Absent the usual imposing contingent of European shippers, 'TDN Rising Star' Beach Patrol (Lemon Drop Kid) looms as the horse to beat in the $450,000 Grade I Secretariat S. on the Arlington Million undercard.
The $250,000 KEENOV buy started his 2016 campaign with a pair of open-length tallies at Santa Anita for Gary and Mary West and the Phil d'Amato barn, the second of which, a 3 1/4-length front-running score Apr. 3, earned him a Rising Star nod. Stepping into stakes company May 7 at Churchill, Beach Patrol was a hard-luck loser in the GII American Turf S., finishing a head second to current division leader Camelot Kitten (Kitten's Joy) while covering significantly more ground than the winner.
Bought into by James Covello and Sheep Pond Partners and moved to the Chad Brown barn after that effort, the dark bay was a dull sixth behind Catch a Glimpse (City Zip) in the GIII Penn Mile at Penn National June 4 before running third with a wide journey in the GI Belmont Derby last out July 9. That was Beach Patrol's first effort beyond 1 1/16 miles and he was beaten just 1 1/2 lengths by the winner, Arlington Million entrant Deauville (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), while traveling 45 more feet than that one according to Trakus data.
In a race that usually has a big European footprint, Long Island Sound (War Front) will be the only foreign raider. Third in the GIII Tercentenary S. June 16 at Ascot, the $800,000 KEENOV purchase was sixth behind Beach Patrol in the Belmont Derby.
WinStar Farm's American Patriot (War Front) is a colt on the rise, having won his last two, including a course record-setting performance in the GIII Kent S. at Delaware July 16. Trainer Todd Pletcher reaches out to William Buick for the mount.
The top two finishers from the local prep GIII Arlington Classic will line up, with winner Surgical Strike (Red Giant) also reopposing the favorite after a try in the Belmont Derby, in which he ran fifth.
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