American Patriot Heads Commonwealth Derby
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Photo: Hoofprints, Inc.
American Patriot won the Kent Stakes and was grade I-placed in the Secretariat
WinStar Farm's American Patriot is among 10 3-year-olds entered in the $200,000 Commonwealth Derby (gr. IIT) Sept. 24, bringing grade I stakes-placed credentials into the 1 1/8-mile turf stakes presented by the Virginia Equine Alliance at Laurel Park.
Todd Pletcher-trained American Patriot is coming off a third-place finish in the Aug. 13 Secretariat (gr. IT) at Arlington International Racecourse. The son of War Front offered a strong stretch rally to finish just three-quarters of a length behind victorious Beach Patrol. He previously added graded stakes status to his resume by winning the Kent (gr. IIIT) at Delaware Park.
The WinStar homebred launched his career at Gulfstream Park last winter with a pair of fast-closing third-place finishes, losing by three-quarters of a length and a neck. He graduated in his third start, surging from 12th and last to score by a neck at Keeneland in April, before an off-the-board finish following a slow start in the May 7 American Turf (gr. IIT) at Churchill Downs.
American Patriot returned to winning form with a three-length victory in an allowance optional claiming at Belmont Park in June prior to his victory in the Kent. Trevor McCarthy has the mount in the Commonwealth Derby, in which graded-stakes winner Isotherm is slated to seek his first victory of the season.
Matthew Schera's Isotherm made his sophomore debut at Gulfstream in January, losing a photo to Life Imitates Art by a head in the Dania Beach (gr. IIIT). On the sidelines for seven months, Isotherm was compromised by crowding at the start of the Hall of Fame (gr. IIT) at Saratoga, finishing an even fifth. In his most recent start for trainer George Weaver, he pressed the pace between horses before finishing third, beaten by a length, in the Saranac (gr. IIIT) at Saratoga Sept. 3. Feargal Lynch has been named to ride.
Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey, who won the 2015 Commonwealth Turf Cup (gr. IIT) with Mr. Speaker, entered Phipps Stable's late-developing Revved Up in the Commonwealth Derby. The homebred son of Candy Ride is slated to make his stakes debut Saturday under jockey Jose Ortiz after registering back-to-back victories. He is a son of champion Storm Flag Flying, winner of the 2002 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I). Storm Flag Flying is the daughter of My Flag, the 1995 Breeders' Cup Fillies winner and a daughter of undefeated champion Personal Flag.
Chad Brown, whose horses have scored a North America-leading 28 graded stakes victories in 2016, entered Klaravich Stables & William Lawrence's Deeply Undervalued in the Commonwealth Derby. The son of Kitten's Joy finished a neck behind Revved Up at Saratoga Aug. 27 following a maiden-breaking victory at the Spa in July.
Brereton Jones' He'll Pay, who set the pace before finishing second behind American Patriot in the Kent, is set to make his second straight start at Laurel in the Commonwealth Derby. The Larry Jones-trained son of Haynesfield finished second in an off-the-turf optional claiming allowance last time out.