Any race named after the greatest horse of all-time has to be worthwhile.
The Secretariat Stakes will see a glut of three-year olds take to the turf at Arlington Park in a de facto win-and-in race for one of the turf races at the Breeders' Cup.
ODDS ANALYSIS
1: Closing Bell 10/1
2: Force the Pass 2/1
3: Goldstream 9/2
4: Crittenden 12/1
5: Granny's Kitten 10/1
6: Highland Reel 5/2
7: War Dispatch 4/1
The Secretariat Stakes didn't draw quite as much attention this year as the Arlington Million did, which is why there is a smaller field with smaller payouts.
There isn't a pony in the field with longer odds than 12 to 1, but there isn't an overwhelming favorite either, which is stunning for a seven-horse field.
FAVORITE TO FOLLOW
War Dispatch is the top international horse in this field, as he’s won six of his nine career races and has hit the board every time he stepped onto the track. He's got strong breeding with great horses like Danzig and Unbridled in his lineage, something that you don't always see out of horses that've spent their careers running in Europe.
The French-run pony was third best at the Prix du Jockey Club in May against what was known to be a fantastic field, and he followed that up with a second place finish in the Prix Eugene Adam, a Grade 2 race against a short field.
There isn't a lot of information on War Dispatch, but he has been training well since coming over to the United States and is clearly ready for this race. A 4 to 1 price is generous.
UNDERDOG TO WATCH
There's only one horse who has ever stepped foot on this track in his career, that being Crittenden, the longest shot on the board. That said, we think this is a colt who has a legit chance on Saturday, even at the big price.
Clearly, Crittenden has never been the best horse in the world, knowing that he has never run anything better than an 86 Beyer Speed Rating. However, he came up just short of winning the American Derby on this track last month, and he has looked more comfortable on this, his home track for training, than anywhere else in the world.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Go with the big underdogs in the Secretariat Stakes. Though this is a Grade 1 race in name, the horses in the field aren't necessarily Grade 1 quality.
There are a lot of unknowns in terms of the international horses, and though we do believe that War Dispatch has a good chance in this one, we would still rather take our chances with Crittenden running from off of the pace to close strong as he has in his last two outings.
Force the Pass is the only colt to have run better than an 86 Beyer Speed Rating in his last race, and there isn't a pony who has consistently done anything in even in the high-80s, let alone the 90s. If Crittenden runs his best race, he'll have a legit shot on his home track.
Play Crittenden to win the Secretariat Stakes
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