Racing Dudes Three Stars of the Week: Beach Patrol Uncovers a Million

This week was all about Arlington Park and the 35th running of the Arlington Million certainly didn’t disappoint. The card featured three Grade 1 races and gave us three fantastic performances. Let’s find out if all three of those great Arlington Park performances landed a spot in our Three Stars of the Week.

1. Beach Patrol

This horse has run well in every race this year, but there’s something about Arlington Park that moves him up in a big way. Beach Patrol hadn’t won a race since his victory in the Grade 1 Secretariat last year at Arlington before returning to take this year’s most prestigious race, the Grade 1 Arlington Million. Trainer Chad Brown said on several occasion that he felt this horse had a big win out there for him, and as usual, Brown was spot on.

2. Oscar Performance

Is there any doubt now that this is the best 3-year old in the country? The dirt horses in this division continue to be unreliable and inconsistent, while Oscar Performance has now rattled off three big-time wins in a row. He dominated the competition in the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes much like he did in the Belmont Derby two races back. The horse will now most likely aim to win a Breeders’ Cup race for the second year in a row, as facing older horses seems to be his next logical step.

3. Dacita

Days like Saturday at Arlington Park are the reason why the phrase “In Chad Brown We Trust” got started! Brown won both the Arlington Million and the Grade 1 Beverly D on Saturday to cap off a big day. In the Beverly, Dacita came with her patented late-closing move and soared past her rivals fairly easily in the end to win by a couple of lengths. You can always count on Dacita to come with her normal run, but there’s no doubting that the Beverly D was one of her best races ever.