Bricks and Mortar (Giant's Causeway), Big Handsome (Street Boss) and Secretary At War (War Front)–separated by a neck and a head when running one-two-three in Belmont's Manila S. July 4–return Friday at the Spa in the GII National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame S. The former, who represents the powerful Klarman/Lawrence/Chad Brown axis, is unbeaten in three starts. He scraped paint for much of the Manila, but was switched out in midstretch and rallied powerfully to inhale his competition. Big Handsome didn't have nearly as easy a trip. Previously three-for-three since switching to the turf, including a 5 1/4-length romp in the May 27 Paradise Creek S. over seven panels downstate, the Tony Dutrow pupil sat in a perfect tracking spot for much of the Manila, but was completely bottled up for almost the entirety of the stretch and likely would have won with a cleaner journey. Secretary At War defeated subsequent GII Penn Mile and GIII Kent S. hero Frostmourne (Speightstown) in Aqueduct's Woodhaven S. Apr. 22. He faded to seventh after chasing the pace in the nine-panel Pennine Ridge S. at Belmont June 3, but bounced back in the Manila on the cutback to a mile and back on the front end. Highly regarded 'TDN Rising Star' Yoshida (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) couldn't have been much more impressive flying home from another area code to take Pimlico's James W. Murphy S. going away May 20, but faded to fifth as the favorite in the 10-panel GI Belmont Derby July 8 after finding himself wide and chasing a slow pace set by the accomplished Oscar Performance (Kitten's Joy). Arklow (Arch) broke his maiden at Keeneland on the same day as Yoshida Apr. 9, and upended the GII American Turf S. on GI Kentucky Derby day May 6. He too was hung wide in the Belmont Derby, and checked in last of 11.
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