Trainer William “Buff” Bradley has decided to point
Grade 2 victor Divisidero (Kitten’s Joy) to the $450,000 Secretariat S. (G1) on August
15 at Arlington.
The 1 1/4-mile Secretariat follows a supbar seventh, the bay colt’s first
unplaced effort, in the Belmont Derby Invitational (G1) on Independence Day.
Sent off the slight 5-2 second choice, Divisidero was held up at the tail of the field
after a slow half in :50.30 before launching a bid and ultimately finishing
among other closers in seventh.
“He came out of the race well,” Bradley said. “Unfortunately we didn’t have
the trip we needed in that race. He went his last half in about :46, so I think
he was definitely extending himself, he just doesn’t need to be as far back as
he was during a slow pace. He was tugging.”
The lightly raced bay colt took three of his four races before the Belmont
Derby, including the American Turf S. (G2) and Pennine Ridge S. He ran third
while making his stakes bow in the Palm Beach S. (G3), which came after a maiden
debut win in mid-February.
“He trained lightly last week and now is back in full-on
training,” Bradley said. “He’s full of energy right now. I think he can run
closer to the pace next time if need be. Hopefully he runs his race (at
Arlington) and shows how good he is.”
If he runs in the Secretariat, Divisidero is likely to get a
rematch with the first two finishers in the Belmont Derby — 10-1 upsetter Force
the Pass (Speightstown) and Canndal (Medicean). The connections of both have expressed
interest in sending their charges to Chicagoland for the Secretariat.
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