Hollywood : September Secret wins

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - September Secret had little trouble handling her first stakes assignment in Saturday's $106,300 Railbird Stakes at Hollywood Park.

Always near the front, she pulled away in the stretch to win the seven-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies by four lengths despite not changing leads in the stretch.

"I wasn't going to worry about it," jockey Pat Valenzuela said. "She was getting to the wire all alone."

September Secret ($3.60) was challenged for the lead by Fun House, who raced along the rail. The pair ran the opening quarter-mile in 21.96 seconds, but Fun House was unable to keep up at the end of the backstretch. Affairs of State and Halo Tyra launched wide rallies on the turn, but never reached September Secret.

"I was getting pressure on the outside," Valenzuela said. "On the turn, everytime someone chirped, she would go on."

Valenzuela had September Secret two lengths in front in mid-stretch. She finished seven furlongs in 1:22.95.

"I thought she ran a big race for her fourth career start," Valenzuela said.

Affairs of State finished second, 2 1/2 lengths in front of Fun House, who was followed by Halo Tyra and No Turbulence.

Fun House was a disappointment. In March, she finished second in the Grade 3 La Habra Stakes on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita prior to finishing fifth in the Grade 2 Fantasy Stakes over 1 1/16 miles at Oaklawn Park on April 12.

She was considered a threat to September Secret on her sprint form.