Secret Circle, Heitai throw down in Count Fleet

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – The Grade 3, $300,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap at Oaklawn Park on Thursday has the look of a real throwdown: From the rail is Secret Circle, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, and in post 3 is Heitai, who seeks his fifth consecutive win while packing two of the year’s top sprint-distance Beyer Speed Figures.

The field for the Count Fleet, a six-furlong race that continues the Racing Festival of the South, is completed by Alsvid, seeking his seventh stakes win; Apprehender, a stakes-winning son of the multiple Grade 1-winning mare Missy’s Mirage; Lemon Drop Dream, a half-brother to multiple Grade 2-winning sprinter Woke Up Dreamin; and Picko’s Pride, a close second in last year’s Count Fleet.

“There’s some good horses in there,” said Bob Baffert, who trains Secret Circle for the partnership of Karl Watson, Mike Pegram, and Paul Weitman.

Secret Circle, when last seen at Oaklawn, won two legs of the track’s 2012 route series for 3-year-olds, the Grade 3 Southwest and Grade 2 Rebel. He also was second in the Arkansas Derby. Since then, Secret Circle has developed into a top-class sprinter, reaching a pinnacle in November in the Grade 1, $1.5 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint. The Count Fleet will be his second start of the year. In his 5-year-old debut Feb. 2 at Santa Anita, Secret Circle was prominent throughout the Grade 2 Palos Verdes before being edged by a neck in the six-furlong race that went in a quick 1:08.

“He was in a little bit of a speed duel, came up a little tired,” Baffert said. “I hadn’t tightened the screws, and he was a little late.”

Baffert said Secret Circle has trained well since, among his works a bullet half-mile in 46 seconds March 20 at Santa Anita. The barn is looking for another solid effort from five-time stakes winner Secret Circle, who has never finished worse than second in a 10-race career.

“He brings his game every time,” said Baffert, who has given the mount to Martin Garcia.

Heitai has been just as reliable. He began his win streak in December, when he wired his rivals in the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Sprint at Fair Grounds. He proceeded to capture two more statebred stakes before proving five lengths better than open company in the $96,000 Duncan F. Kenner at Fair Grounds on March 8. For the effort, he equaled his best Beyer, a 106.

“He’s so incredibly fast and does it so easy,” said Karl Broberg, who trains Heitai for Rowell Enterprises.

Broberg brought Heitai to Oaklawn early in order to work over the surface, and the horse breezed a half-mile in a near-bullet 48 seconds last Friday. Diego Saenz will be in to ride Heitai.

“I was thankful we drew outside of [Secret Circle],” Broberg said.