The Secretariat Stakes

Dateline: 08/16/00

Results

The Arlington Million     The Beverly D.

The Secretariat Stakes, a mile and a quarter turf challenge for three-year-olds, closes out the Festival of Racing card at Arlington. It was first run in 1974 to commemorate the great 1973 Triple Crown champion whose last two starts, both wins, were on the grass and earned him the Turf Eclipse along with those for Horse of the Year and Three Year Old champion.

The race has had its moments of greatness. Carl Nafzger's two horse entry of Super Abound and Unbridled in 1990 swept the first two places, leading to a trainer Eclipse that year. New York-shipper Half Iced captured the race in 1982, and followed that up with a Japan Cup victory in Tokyo. Hawkster's win in the 1989 running was a precursor to his 1 1/2-mile world record set at Santa Anita's Oak Tree Invitational less than two months later. Most recently, Awad and Marlin won the Secretariat in their three year old campaigns only to return to Arlington later in their careers to take the Million. Finally, Honor Glide's 1997 win swept the Mid-America Triple, the first to accomplish the feat since Buckpasser in 1966.

King Cugat should be the odds-on favorite in the Secretariat Stakes

In this year's running, King Cugat has been set as the 4-5 odds-on morning line choice, and deservedly so. He will be tough to beat, being on a four-race winning streak, all on turf, which dates back to the Prized Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Breeders' Cup weekend. After a winter layoff, he came back to take the Crown Royal American Turf and Jefferson Cup at Churchill Downs, then the Arlington Classic over this racecourse. His main competition likely will be Pine Dance, the American Derby winner from Ireland, and Think Red, the undefeated turf specialist from Canada.

The race will be televised as part of a 90 minute broadcast on ESPN's "NTRA Racing to the Breeders' Cup" series on Saturday from 4:00-5:30pm Eastern time. The race may also be broadcast live online as part of the Emirates Racing Series broadcast of the Million. (Note: If the link on the Emirates/Sportal site doesn't work, try this). Tentative post time for the Secretariat Stakes is 5:27pm Eastern time. Glenners has his selections for the card available now.

The Secretariat Stakes

Conditions: Grade 1, purse $400,000, distance 1 1/4 miles on the turf. Each name links to a profile of that horse.

Number	Horse	Weight	Jockey	Trainer	M/L Odds
1	Pine Dance	120	Ahern	Weld	5-1
2	King Cugat	123	Bailey	Mott	4-5
3	Think Red	120	Kabel	Frostad	6-1
4	Guillamou City	114	Nakatani	Rouget	15-1
5	Slew Valley	114	Desormeaux	Dickinson	10-1
6	Compton Bolter	114	Solis	Butler	30-1
7	Hymn	114	Albarado	Lundy	10-1
8	Ciro	120	Kinane	O'Brien	5-1

About.com Poll Who will win the Secretariat Stakes? Pine Dance King Cugat Think Red Guillamou City Slew Valley Compton Bolter Hymn Ciro Current Results

Don't miss the other two Grade 1 turf stakes on the card with the Secretariat Stakes: The Arlington Million and The Beverly D.

More Secretariat Stakes articles and info:

• Arlington Park
• Arlington Million - official site with news releases, barn notes, etc. for all three races
• Glenners' Picks
• Current weather
• Scratches and changes
• Results Chart from Equibase (available late Saturday)
• News Index Search to find Secretariat Stakes articles
• Past Secretariat Stakes winners

Graphic courtesy of Arlington International, photos by author

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