Secret Spice Sets Sights on La Troienne Stakes
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Photo: Zoe Metz
Secret Spice works April 20 at Santa Anita Park
Little Red Feather Racing's Secret Spice will try to find the recipe for continued success when she headlines a field of 10 in the $500,000 La Troienne Stakes presented by Inside Access from Chase (G1) May 3 at Churchill Downs.
A 4-year-old daughter of Discreet Cat, Secret Spice enters Friday's race off a commanding 2 1/4-length victory in the March 30 Beholder Mile (G1) at Santa Anita Park. The biggest win of her career to date, the Beholder marked the first graded score for Secret Spice, whose prior best effort came when she placed third in the listed Desi Arnaz Stakes as a 2-year-old at Del Mar.
"She's doing really good," trainer Richard Baltas said from California. "She breezed here the other day, a nice five-eighths. She was never asked, came back really nicely. She's in Kentucky now and we're looking forward to running her."
The La Troienne will mark the first trip to Kentucky for Secret Spice, who has raced exclusively in California through her 10 career starts. The highweight in Friday's 1 1/16-mile dirt race, she will break from post 9 with Geovanni Franco in the irons.
"We drew the outside, so I think we might have to have her run away from there," Baltas said. "We'll see. She has a lot of natural speed, and she's a pretty sharp filly. The main thing is to get her to Churchill. She's at Keeneland right now but we will be shipping to Churchill on Wednesday. We'll get her over there, get her schooled, a couple of gallops over the track, and then run."
Making her 2019 debut, Merriebelle Stable's Blue Prize will look to take home the second grade 1 score of her career. The Argentina-bred daughter of Pure Prize scored in three consecutive graded tests last year for trainer Ignacio Correas in the Bluegrass state, taking the June 16 Fleur de Lis Handicap (G2) and Sept. 15 Locust Grove (G3) at Churchill followed by the Oct. 7 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (G1) at Keeneland.
The now 6-year-old mare closed out 2018 with a fourth-place run in the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1), where she finished less than two lengths behind winner Monomoy Girl.
Blue Prize will break from post 2 under jockey Joe Bravo.
Hoping to improve off a fifth-place finish in the April 14 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) at Oaklawn Park, Double Doors Racing and Nine Thirty Racing's Chocolate Martini will make her third start of the year in the La Troienne.
The 4-year-old daughter of Broken Vow won her 2019 debut—a Feb. 24 allowance optional claiming race over the La Troienne distance at Oaklawn Park—but has not been successful in graded company since winning last year's renewal of the Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.
Trained by Tom Amoss, Chocolate Martini has drawn post 6 in the La Troienne and will partner with jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.
Fresh off a win in the March 10 Heavenly Prize Invitational Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack, Corms Racing Stable and R.A. Hill Stable's Divine Miss Grey will make the 25th start of her career in the La Troienne.
Returning to Churchill Downs for the first time since placing second in the Nov. 22 Falls City Handicap (G2), the 5-year-old Divine Park mare also earned her only graded win in Louisville. One start before her runner-up effort in the Falls City, Divine Miss Grey took the Chilukki Stakes (G2) by 1 1/4 lengths on the Nov. 3 Breeders' Cup undercard. Trained by Danny Gargan, Divine Miss Grey will break from post 3 under Manuel Franco.
Entries: La Troienne S. presented by Inside Access from Chase (G1)
Churchill Downs, Friday, May 03, 2019, Race 8
- Grade I
- 1 1/16m
- Dirt
- $500,000
- 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
- 2:53 PM (local)
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Wgt | Trainer | M/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1She's a Julie (KY) |
Ricardo Santana, Jr. | 118 | Steven M. Asmussen | 7/2 |
| 2 | 2Blue Prize (ARG) | Joe Bravo | 120 | Ignacio Correas, IV | 3/1 |
| 3 | 3Divine Miss Grey (KY) |
Manuel Franco | 120 | Danny Gargan | 7/2 |
| 4 | 4Awe Emma (KY) |
Jon Kenton Court | 118 | Steven M. Asmussen | 20/1 |
| 5 | 5Mopotism (KY) |
Flavien Prat | 118 | Doug F. O'Neill | 15/1 |
| 6 | 6Chocolate Martini (KY) |
Irad Ortiz, Jr. | 118 | Thomas M. Amoss | 15/1 |
| 7 | 7Teresa Z (KY) |
John R. Velazquez | 118 | Anthony R. Margotta, Jr. | 15/1 |
| 8 | 8Golden Award (KY) | Jose L. Ortiz | 118 | William I. Mott | 12/1 |
| 9 | 9Secret Spice (KY) |
Geovanni Franco | 123 | Richard Baltas | 5/2 |
| 10 | 10Viva Forever (ON) |
Jose A. Bracho | 118 | Peter R. Walder | 30/1 |