Oscar Performance Seeks Third Grade 1 in Secretariat

Since he broke his maiden in August of 2016, Amerman Racing Stables' Oscar Performance has shown that when he gets firm ground to run on, he will fire.

Although he has won on soft ground—he scored on a yielding Belmont Park turf course in the 2016 Pilgrim Stakes (G3T)—the Kitten's Joy  ridgling has won his past four races on firm turf, including back-to-back victories in the June 3 Pennine Ridge Stakes (G3T) and the July 8 Belmont Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T), his second grade 1 score.

BALAN: Oscar Performance Speeds to Belmont Derby Victory

His first top-level win came in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) on firm ground at Santa Anita Park in November, but he started his 3-year-old season with off-the-board results on good turf in the Transylvania Stakes Presented by Keeneland Select (G3T) and the American Turf Stakes Presented by Ram Trucks (G2T) May 6 at Churchill Downs.

With all that said, trainer Brian Lynch has his fingers crossed for good weather in the Chicago area Aug. 12, as Oscar Performance will seek his third grade 1 win in as many tries in the $400,000 Secretariat Stakes (G1T) at Arlington International Racecourse.

"Once he got back onto firm turf, that was the turning point," Lynch said of Oscar Performance's early season struggles. "He wasn't in love with the tracks we hit in the spring at Kentucky."

Lynch is also emboldened to take on a short but talented field—including overseas invaders—in the Secretariat, because he has handled quality international competition before. In the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, he defeated the Aidan O'Brien-trained Lancaster Bomber (who is group 1-placed this season across the Atlantic), as well as other European challengers, and in the Belmont Derby he defeated a trio of Euros, including two sent over by O'Brien.

"I'm not sure if those were the Aidan O'Brien 'B' team or not (in the Belmont Derby), but this is a very respectable field," Lynch said of another trio of Europeans that includes Taj Mahal from O'Brien's contingent and Godolphin's dual group 2 winner Permian, who came in second last time out in the Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris (G1) at Saint Cloud July 14 for trainer Mark Johnston. "It's a shorter field, but there's a bit of depth in there."

While Permian, a Teofilo colt, has won three stakes during his 3-year-old year—including the King Edward VII Stakes (G2) at Ascot and Betfred Dante Stakes (G2) at York—Taj Mahal (by Galileo) hasn't placed in his past four starts, albeit against top competition, and has only one win in 14 tries.

The third European colt entered is Al Shaqab Racing's Afandem, who was just a half-length back in second last time out in the Prix Eugène Adam (G2) at Maisons-Laffitte in France. The Zoffany colt came into the 2,000-meter Prix Eugène Adam undefeated in three starts, all in France.

The remaining two entrants in the six-horse field are a pair who have already shown an affinity for the Arlington grass last time out in the American Derby (G3T) July 8. Lothenbach Stables' Sonic Boom won the 1 1/8-mile test, 1 3/4 lengths ahead of fellow Secretariat entrant Gorgeous Kitten, and both were well clear of third-place finisher My Bariley, who came back to win an allowance race at Indiana Grand July 29.

BLOODHORSE STAFF: Sonic Boom Wires American Derby

Entries: Secretariat S. (G1T)

Arlington International Racecourse, Saturday, August 12, 2017, Race 7

• Grade IT
• 1 1/4m
• Turf
• $400,000
• 3 yo
• 3:50 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Afandem (FR)	Lanfranco Dettori	119	Jean-Claude Rouget	9/2
2	2Sonic Boom (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	119	Ian R. Wilkes	8/1
3	3Permian (IRE)	William T. Buick	126	Mark Johnston	9/5
4	4Oscar Performance (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	126	Brian A. Lynch	8/5
5	5Gorgeous Kitten (KY)	Florent Geroux	119	Michael J. Maker	12/1
6	6Taj Mahal (IRE)	Ryan L. Moore	119	Aidan P. O'Brien	5/1