Ancient Secret Makes Herself Known In Lake George

Ancient Secret Sarah K Andrew

The word is officially out on Ancient Secret.

Looking for her fourth win from as many career trips to the post, the New York-bred was forwardly placed throughout the running of Friday's GII Lake George S. and turned in what has become her patented late turn of speed to lead home a 1-2 finish for the Chad Brown barn, successful in this 12 months ago with Mrs. McDougal (Medaglia d'Oro).

A three-length debut winner in a single appearance at two sprinting over the Belmont turf course last October, Ancient Secret went missing for nearly seven months, returning to coast to a 4 1/4-length allowance success downstate May 14. While those two performances came against her fellow state-breds, the chestnut proved she could mix it with open company, as she came with a stinging late rally to best Thundering Sky (Sky Mesa) by a head when last seen in the June 19 Wild Applause S. at Belmont.

Away without incident, Ancient Secret perhaps caught a bit of a break when Gone Away (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}), typically well back in the run, went forward from a wide gate, allowing Irad Ortiz Jr. to slot in two wide with cover into the first turn and down the back. There were no significant changes in the running order, and it was Ancient Secret who made the first serious move, as she advanced three deep once pulled out and was more or less on even terms as the field neared the stretch. Roused to the front for good a furlong from the wire, Ancient Secret was always holding sway as stablemate Elysea's World weaved her way through traffic to grab second late.

“This filly ran really well,” commented Brown. “She's a remarkable horse. She always trained like a really quality animal, we just gave her little incremental goals and she's hit them all. I wasn't quite sure about the two turns, I know she's a top-class horse, but I was curious to see what she was going to do when the gates opened and she passed the test.”

Pedigree Notes:

Ancient Secret is the second live foal produced by her dam, a half-sister to the stakes winner Admonition (Colonial Affair). Despite a pedigree that seems tilted towards the main track, the winner's third dam is filled with high-turf performers, such as GSW Krisada (Kris S.), MGSW Spring Venture (Spring At Last) and MGSW & GISP Rahystrada (Rahy). This is also the Jaime Carrion female family that includes Grade III-winning juvenile Lone Star Sky (Conquistador Cielo).

Bred in New York by Roy Lerman's Lambholm, Ancient Secret was consigned to the 2015 OBS April Sale by DeMeric Sales and, after breezing a quarter-mile in a sharp :21 1/5, was knocked down to bloodstock agent Steve Young for $225,000, easily the most expensive of her sire's 15 2-year-olds to go under the hammer in 2015. Privacy is the dam of a 2-year-old filly of this year by Posse, foaled an Afleet Alex colt Mar. 16 and was bred back to Lookin at Lucky. Alpha Delta Stables in the nom du course of owner Jon Clay.Alpha Delta Stables in the nom du course of owner Jon Clay.

Friday, Saratoga Race Course
LAKE GEORGE S.-GII, $200,000, SAR, 7-22, 3yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:40.35, fm.
1–@ANCIENT SECRET, 121, f, 3, by Kantharos">Kantharos
1st Dam: Privacy, by Notebook
2nd Dam: Private Fun, by Private Account
3rd Dam: Funistrada, by Fappiano
($225,000 2yo '15 OBSAPR). O-Alpha Delta Stables;
B-Lambholm (NY); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.. $120,000.
Lifetime Record: 4-4-0-0, $259,200. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+.[bullet ad=”sold-by-de-meric-sales”][bullet ad=”lambholm-south-training-grad”][bullet ad=”tristan-and-valery-de-meric-purchase”][bullet ad=”nytbdf-12500″][bullet ad=”stonestreet-trainingalum”]2–Elysea's World (Ire), 117, f, 3, Champs Elysees (GB)–Ideal World (Ire), by Singspiel (Ire).
(€25,000 Ylg '14 AR14). O-Sheep Pond Partners & All Pro Racing LLC; B-Haras D'Haspel (IRE); T-Chad C. Brown. $40,000.
3–Outsider Art, 115, f, 3, Five Star Day–Pepita, by Vicar.
O-Delmar L. Pettigrew; B-Martha & Del Pettigrew (KY); T-Jonathan E. Sheppard. $20,000.[bullet ad=”shawhan-place-foaled-raised”][bullet ad=”webb-carroll-another-wctc-grad”]Margins: 1 1/4, 1, 1. Odds: 2.20, 2.85, 12.60.
Also Ran: Sky My Sky, Thundering Sky, Gone Away, Baciami Piccola (GB), Diamond Fields (Ire). Scratched: Try Your Luck, Enjoy Yourself (GB), Flora Dora, Tin Type Gal. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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