Discreet Cat Filly 'Spices' Things Up in Beholder Mile

Secret Spice | Benoit Photo

Secret Spice was an 11 1/4-length track-and-trip romper two back in October, and reproduced that sort of effort Saturday evening to post the upset. Third behind eventual Grade I winners Dream Tree (Uncle Mo) and Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute) in Del Mar's Desi Arnaz S. in November of 2017, she could do no better than a pair of seconds from three tries, all in allowance company, in her next trips to the post. Off that aforementioned breakthrough optional claiming tally Oct. 7, she resurfaced to be third at 11-10 over good ground and the same distance behind Just a Smidge (Into Mischief) Feb. 7. Facing a very accomplished field here led by GISW Marley's Freedom (Blame), Secret Spice broke well from the rail and tucked in to draft behind pacesetting Selcourt (Tiz Wonderful). She was shuffled back a bit when Just a Smidge uncorked a big middle move to take it to the leader down the backside, but was back into third as they swung for home. Blowing past Selcourt in upper stretch, she won with plenty of room to spare as Marley's Freedom closed belatedly while never truly looking like a win threat. MGISW Paradise Woods (Union Rags) seemed at one point in the race to be dropping out of it, but got going again late to round out the triple.

Saturday, Santa Anita Park
BEHOLDER MILE S.-GI, $400,702, Santa Anita, 3-30, 3yo/up, f/m, 1m, 1:38.39, ft.
1–SECRET SPICE, 121, f, 4, by Discreet Cat
1st Dam: Chimayo, by A.P. Indy
2nd Dam: Chimichurri, by Elusive Quality
3rd Dam: Hard Knocker, by Raja Baba
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I
WIN. ($4,500 Ylg '16 KEESEP; $125,000 2yo '17 EASMAY).
O-Little Red Feather Racing; B-Godolphin LLC (KY); T-Richard
Baltas; J-Geovanni Franco. $240,000. Lifetime Record:
10-3-2-2, $352,510. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Marley's Freedom, 121, m, 5, by Blame&log=">Blame
1st Dam: Relaxing Green, by Formal Gold
2nd Dam: Charlotte Augusta, by Chief's Crown
3rd Dam: Noble Damsel, by Vaguely Noble
($35,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP). O-Cicero Farms, LLC; B-Jack Swain
(KY); T-Bob Baffert. $80,000.
3–Paradise Woods, 121, m, 5, by Union Rags
1st Dam: Wild Forest, by Forest Wildcat
2nd Dam: Uforia, by Zilzal
3rd Dam: Long Legend, by Reviewer
'TDN Rising Star'. O-Steven Sarkowsky, Martin J. & Pam
Wygod; B-Herman Sarkowsky (KY); T-John A. Shirreffs.
$48,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, 1 1/4, 3/4. Odds: 11.20, 0.50, 14.40.
Also Ran: Selcourt, Mopotism, Exuberance, Just a Smidge.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

Pedigree Notes:
Secret Spice is the fifth Grade I winner for her sire, who also excelled at a mile, and who was represented Saturday as well by Sanibel Island S. heroine Trenchtown Cat (Discreet Cat). She is the third graded or group winner produced on the Discreet Cat–A.P. Indy cross. Just a $4,500 KEESEP yearling turned $125,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic juvenile, her dam cost significantly more than she did at Keeneland–Chimayo topped the 2008 September sale at $3.1 million and was a nine-furlong maiden special weight winner in New York for Darley at the end of her juvenile season and in her final career start. Secret Spice's second dam is GSW and GISP Chimichurri, the granddam of MGSW and MGISP Wonder Gadot (Medaglia d'Oro). Chimayo produced a Nyquist colt last March, and a Medaglia d'Oro filly this Mar. 2.

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