Cherry Wine Returns to Turf for Secretariat

Classic-placed Cherry Wine will return to grass racing Aug. 13 as one of nine 3-year-olds entered in the Secretariat Stakes (gr. IT) at Arlington International Racecourse.

After making the majority of his juvenile starts on turf, Cherry Wine has raced exclusively on dirt this year, earning a grade I-placing in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) at Keeneland and a runner-up finish in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) at Pimlico Race Course.

As a son of 2010 Secretariat winner Paddy O'Prado, Cherry Wine has the breeding to excel on turf. Paddy O'Prado also raced in the classics—he finished third in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I)—before being shifted to turf racing by trainer Dale Romans. After a sixth in the Preakness, Romans, who also trains Cherry Wine, sent out Paddy O'Prado to three straight graded stakes wins on turf, topped by a clear victory in the Secretariat as the 1-2 favorite.

William Pacella, Frank Jones Jr., and Frank Shoop's Cherry Wine made three of his first four starts on turf last year, placing in two of those races. He scored his initial win in a maiden race at Churchill Downs that was moved from the turf to the sloppy main track, where he drew off to win by 9 1/4 lengths.

Cherry Wine has registered a pair of strong works since a disappointing ninth-place finish in the Indiana Derby (gr. II) July 16 at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino.

While Cherry Wine looks to follow in his sire's footsteps, trainer Aidan O'Brien will aim to continue a string of Secretariat success. O'Brien has won two straight editions of the Secretariat—he sent out Highland Reel last year and Adelaide in 2014—and will be looking for a fifth win in the race this year with Long Island Sound.

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Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Joseph Allen's Long Island Sound will try to improve on his sixth-place finish in his U.S. debut in the Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (gr. I) July 9 at Belmont Park | BloodHorse.com Track Profile">Belmont Park. Unraced at 2, the Kentucky-bred War Front   colt won his first three starts in Europe this year, then finished third in a group III race at Royal Ascot.

Purchased by Aisling Duignan for his current connections from the Claiborne Farm consignment at the 2013 Keeneland November breeding stock sale, Long Island Sound was the highest-priced weanling at that auction. Long Island Sound is out of Pulpit mare Treasure Trail, a half sister to Zenyatta.

While Long Island Sound aims to bounce back, another son of War Front will try to maintain momentum in the Secretariat. WinStar Farm's American Patriot enters Saturday's 1 1/4-mile race off a record-setting victory in the July 16 Kent Stakes (gr. IIIT) on the Delaware Park turf. American Patriot completed that 1 1/8-mile test in course-record time of 1:47.19 on firm turf.

Two horses who finished ahead of Long Island Sound in the Belmont Derby also are back for the Secretariat in Beach Patrol, who finished third to earn his first grade I placing, and Surgical Strike, who won the May 28 Arlington Classic (gr. IIIT) going 1 1/16 miles. 

One Mean Man finished a head behind Surgical Strike in the Arlington Classic, but has won two straight races since. He took a June 25 allowance race on the Churchill turf before he won the American Derby (gr. IIIT) July 9 on the Arlington grass. Grade III winner Oscar Nominated was a half-length second in the American Derby and will be back for the Secretariat.