Secret Spice Romps Home in Beholder Mile Upset
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Secret Spice takes the Beholder Mile at Santa Anita Park
Little Red Feather Racing's Secret Spice crossed the wire well clear of her rivals March 30 in the $400,000 Beholder Mile Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park and finally rewarded the patience of her connections.
The win was especially poignant for trainer Richard Baltas, who never gave up despite multiple health and logistical setbacks that initially kept the filly from reaching her potential on the track.
"She had a month and a half off because of cellulitis and an infection in her hock," said Baltas. "We had aimed for the La Brea, but we had to wait until she was ready. She needed that last race (a third in allowance company Feb. 7). She put together some great works since then, and we decided to try the Beholder Mile. ...She put it all together today. I told her owners, 'If you want to win a grade 1, you are going to have to be patient and wait.' She just put it all together. It was our day today."
Away first from the break, multiple graded stakes winner Selcourt looked poised in the early going to add a top-level win to her résumé. Paradise Woods tracked the pace, with Secret Spice on the rail in third.
Moving at a brisk clip along the backstretch, even-money favorite Marley's Freedom settled in three wide as Just a Smidge swung out and made an early bid to challenge. On even terms with Selcourt as the quarter-mile mark went in :24.26, Just a Smidge refused to yield and kept fighting as the field reached the half-mile in :48.04.
Selcourt finally managed to shrug off Just a Smidge at the quarter-pole just as Geovanni Franco angled Secret Spice out sharply to the three path and asked his filly for more. Breezing past the leader with ease, Secret Spice overtook Selcourt in midstretch and kicked clear.
Marley's Freedom finally managed to shake free of the pack and doubled down but proved too late to catch Secret Spice, who crossed the wire 2 1/4 lengths ahead in a final time of 1:38.39.
"I've worked her a couple times, and she does everything very easy," said Franco. "We broke beautiful and she settled nice. We were able to save ground, and going to the far turn, she was targeting those two horses on the lead (Exuberance and Just a Smidge), so we swung out and she really ran great. (Trainer Richard Baltas) told me she would run big, and she did."
Marley's Freedom took second, followed by Paradise Woods in third. Selcourt faded to fourth ahead of Mopotism, Exuberance, and Just a Smidge to complete the order of finish.
It was the first graded stakes victory for the 4-year-old Discreet Cat filly who was sent off at odds of 11-1. She improved to 3-2-2 from 10 starts, with $352,510 in earnings. Secret Spice entered the race off a third in a Feb. 7 optional-claiming allowance race at Santa Anita.
"You know, this is one of those things you dream about and I visualized," said owner Billy Koch. "We were confident we knew she needed a race last time. … Richie and his staff—I really credit them for doing a great job of training her into this race. We were supposed to run two or three weeks ago, and with the postponement, it really gave him time to really work with her, and I'm just so happy for all of our partners. That's what it's all about. These people who put their hard-earned money into this game, which is crazy, and to get a grade 1 winner. This is the pinnacle, and we couldn't be happier for our partners. Everyone has been so patient with this filly and letting her come along, and we knew that 106 Beyer wasn't a joke and she proved it today."
Bred in Kentucky by Godolphin out of the A.P. Indy mare Chimayo, Secret Spice was stakes-placed at 2 when she finished third to grade 1 winner Dream Tree in the 2017 Desi Arnaz Stakes at Del Mar. She was a $125,000 purchase by Little Red Feather from Paul Sharp's consignment to the 2017 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale.