Secret Money (outside) just misses in the Unbridled Sidney (Jenny Doyle/Past The Wire)
NYRA Press Office
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.— Secret Money comes into Thursday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Caress presented by Albany Med Health System, a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for older fillies and mares here, seeking her first win of 2024. The 4-year-old Good Samaritan filly has been living up to her name producing $843,220 in purse earnings from a $40,000 investment.
The Brendan Walsh trainee’s journey began at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling sale where she was purchased for $35,000 as a pinhook prospect. In 2022 at the Fasig Tipton Mid-Atlantic 2-Year-Olds in training sale, Secret Money sold for a final bid of just $40,000.
“We have always liked her. She has always been a nice filly since we had her. She has been very good to us. I would like to have a lot more like her in the barn,” Walsh said over the phone from his Kentucky base.
Secret Money has put together a strong resume in her two years on the track. She broke her maiden in her second start during the 2023 Keeneland spring meet sprinting 5 1/2-furlongs on the grass. She followed with a win in allowance company last May traveling the same distance over the Churchill Downs lawn.
Last year, in the one-mile Grade 3 Lake George here, Secret Money earned the ever-so-coveted graded stakes black type when running third to Surge Capacity. She bounced out of that strong effort and parlayed it into a win in September at Kentucky Downs in the Grade 3 Music City at 6 1/2-furlongs.
#7 Secret Money gets the money in the G3 Big Ass Fans Music City S. at Kentucky Downs for trainer @brenpwalsh with @Tyler_Gaff in the irons!
— TwinSpires Racing(@TwinSpires) September 2, 2023
#TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/IC0mOlJga5
Secret Money has since only faced stakes company with her best result coming in the Grade 3 Unbridled Sidney on May 3 at Churchill where she finished second a neck back to the impressive turf sprinter Ova Charged.
The bargain price to star power trait runs in the family. Secret Money’s dam is the Grade 1 winner Awesome Humor by Distorted Humor – a $35,000 yearling turned earner of $848,950. Awesome Humor enjoyed much of her success at the Spa, winning the 2002 Grade 2 Adirondack and Grade 1 Spinaway as well as landing second in the 2003 Grade 1 Alabama.
Secret Money, campaigned by Emcee Stable, Fortune Farm, and Robert G. Hahn, will look to add to that impressive pedigree when she exits post 2 under Tyler Gaffalione.
Having come within a neck of Ova Charged, Secret Money now has the tall task of facing the first-through-third finishers from the Grade 2 Intercontinental presented by MTV Solutions in Future Is Now, Roses for Debra and Kaufymaker.
“She is doing great since her last race,” Walsh said. “We are looking forward to the race on Thursday. You know she has a nice draw, and she is plenty ready.”
Secret Money comes into the race off a half-mile turf breeze in 48.85 seconds over the Oklahoma grass on July 14. Walsh said the work went to plan and the filly would gallop into the race.
The Walsh barn doesn’t have to wait until Thursday for a stakes starter as they will send out Intricate in today’s featured Grade 1, $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks to face the top sophomore fillies in country in Race 6.
Intricate, winner of the Grade 2 Golden Rod in November at Churchill over Thorpedo Anna, arrives from a runner-up effort to Our Pretty Woman in the Monomoy Girl on June 15 at the Louisville oval.
“Intricate should run well. She ran very well in her comeback spot. I wouldn’t be surprised if she is right there at the finish,” said Walsh.
