Santa Anita: Palos Verdes a showdown between Secret Circle, Sahara Sky

ARCADIA, Calif. – Secret Circle scored one of the most impressive wins of the 2013 Breeders’ Cup, yet his victory in the BC Sprint was eclipsed by bigger races.

“He sort of got lost that day,” trainer Bob Baffert said. No complaint, just an observation.

Sahara Sky got lost, too, for eight months. A victory May 27 in the Met Mile was his third graded stakes win. It also was his last start. Since then, Sahara Sky has been out of sight and out of mind. That is, until now.

Secret Circle and Sahara Sky, the country’s top sprinters, meet Sunday in the Grade 2 Palos Verdes Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs. Three others were entered, but it’s a two-horse race.

Sahara Sky returns with a rock-solid work pattern for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, who pulled the plug on the second half of a 2013 campaign after Sahara Sky became body sore. Expectations for his first start back? They are the same as always.

“He’s never been beat fresh,” assistant Dan Ward noted. “He isn’t going to blow you away working by himself; he never did. But you can see when he gallops, he is moving very smooth.”

Sahara Sky is 6 for 6 fresh, including a $45.20 upset in the Palos Verdes last year. That was his first start in seven months. The layoff is not a concern. Sahara Sky will fire.

“He has three three-quarters [workouts],” Ward said. “He’s very good.”

Three of the five Palos Verdes entrants are trained by Hollendorfer. In addition to Sahara Sky, allowance-caliber Wild Dude and veteran Moonshine Bay were entered in the sprint, race 4 on an eight-race card. First post is 11 a.m. Post time for the Palos Verdes is 12:30.

Majestic Stride, fourth in the BC Sprint and odds-on winner of the Grade 3 Vernon Underwood in his most recent start Nov. 28 at Hollywood Park, is expected to set the pace. But ultimately, the Palos Verdes is likely to be won by presser Secret Circle.

Baffert gets excited talking about Secret Circle.

“When I watch him work, and watch him do things in the morning, I am in awe,” Baffert said. “I don’t want to jinx myself, but he has shown me [stuff] in the mornings …” Baffert shakes his head in wonder.

Secret Circle, whose last three works were fastest of the morning, does more than just train fast. He also runs fast. He has won seven races and $1,878,790 from nine starts, including a career-best performance in the BC Sprint.

“At the three-eighths pole, he had no shot,” Baffert said.

Secret Circle broke well, lost position while shuffled slightly, forced to wait behind runners, lost ground re-rallying, was six wide into the lane, re-broke, made the lead, and held by a neck. “You can’t do that,” Baffert said describing the race.

It was his second start following a layoff from spring 2012 to fall 2013. Secret Circle initially was sidelined because he was “stiff all over,” according to Baffert, then resumed training in early 2013 and was up to a half-mile in workouts before a tibia injury required another five months.

Secret Circle has returned as an improved older horse with international designs.

“We’re thinking about Dubai with him, maybe,” Baffert said. “He broke his maiden really impressively [on synthetic] at Del Mar. He’s so good, he can run on anything.”

The $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen, on the synthetic surface at Meydan, will be run March 29. That could be the next start for Secret Circle following the Palos Verdes. Martin Garcia rides Secret Circle.

The main target for Sahara Sky, who will be ridden by Corey Nakatani, is a return to the Met Mile.