Secret Reserve Eyes Graded Stakes Glory in Kennedy Road

Secret Reserve  will chase his second graded stakes crown when he goes postward in the Nov. 20 CA$175,000 Kennedy Road Stakes (G2) at Woodbine. 

Trained by Mike Mattine for Carlo D'Amato and Stacey Van Camp, Secret Reserve will take on 10 rivals in the six-furlong main track race for 3-year-olds and up. 

The Ontario-bred heads into the Kennedy Road with a 5-1-2 mark from 11 starts. This season, the 4-year-old son of Giant Gizmo  is 1-0-2 from four starts. 

In his most recent effort, in the Sept. 25 Vigil Stakes (G3), Secret Reserve endured a difficult trip, where he was blocked and then steadied at the three-sixteenths pole, winding up third, 1 1/2 lengths behind the winner, Lucky Score , who is also set to contest the Kennedy Road. 

"It was just a tough trip, but it's racing, and that happens," said Mattine. "He's been training well since the race. He loves to train. He's a happy horse and he's looking to run. He's very eager to race again. He's a very honest horse and he puts it all out there. He gives you an honest effort every time you bring him over."  

Secret Reserve wasted no time in breaking his maiden, recording a 2 1/2-length triumph in a five-furlong Tapeta race in his debut in 2020.  

After a fifth next time out, he then rattled off three straight wins, including back-to-back stakes victories in the Elgin and Lake Superior. 

The bay notched his first graded stakes success in this year's edition of the Bold Venture Stakes (G3) in August. 

"It was a really nice effort," praised Mattine, of the 10-1 score in the 6 1/2-furlong main track race. "Everything went according to plan. It was a perfect trip, and he was very impressive in how he was able to win. The whole key is to get a good position for this race. There are going to be some tough horses in there, so hopefully he can get a good trip again and we'll see what happens. The one sure thing is that he'll show up like he always does."    

After the Kennedy Road, Secret Reserve will head to a farm in Orangeville, a little less than an hour's drive northwest of Woodbine. 

"He's just a really nice horse to have in the barn. He's just a normal racehorse. But when it's time to breeze, he knows what's happening. He gets aggressive and pumped up. He's just a happy horse. He eats his mints and carrots, and he loves honey-dipped donuts. He definitely enjoys those." 

Other starters include grade 1 stakes winner Silent Poet  and graded stakes winner Arzak .

Pink Lloyd won three runnings (2017, 2019, and 2021) of the Kennedy Road. Stacked Deck (2015, 2016) and Blitzer (1994, 1995) have both won the race twice. Mr. Hot Shot won the inaugural edition in 1989.  

Entries: Kennedy Road S. (G2)

Woodbine, Sunday, November 20, 2022, Race 8

• Grade II
• 6f
• All Weather Track
• $175,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 4:58 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Lucky Score (ON)	Leo Salles	123	W. V. Armata	6/1
2	2Roaring Forties (FL)	Declan Carroll	121	Katerina Vassilieva	20/1
3	3Mason's Gamble (ON)	Patrick Husbands	122	Josie Carroll	20/1
4	4Rockcrest (ON)	Keveh Nicholls	120	Nigel R. Burke	12/1
5	5Candy Overload (ON)	Sahin Civaci	120	Mark E. Casse	4/1
6	6Red River Rebel (ON)	David Moran	120	Kevin Attard	15/1
7	7Striker (KY)	Luis Contreras	120	Josie Carroll	8/1
8	8Secret Reserve (ON)	Rafael Manuel Hernandez	123	Michael Mattine	9/2
9	9Ice Chocolat (BRZ)	Sahin Civaci	121	Mark E. Casse	10/1
10	10Silent Poet (ON)	Justin Stein	120	Nicholas Gonzalez	10/1
11	11Arzak (KY)	Kazushi Kimura	123	Michael J. Trombetta	3/1