Secret Message fires last shot in Mint Julep mad scramble; Bell's the One upsets Winning Colors

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Secret Message was up in the final jumps to pull a 25-1 upset in the Grade 3, $100,000 Mint Julep, the last of two filly-mare stakes that anchored another busy Saturday at Churchill Downs.

Making her first start since October, Secret Message emerged narrowly best in a proverbial cavalry charge in the 44th Mint Julep, a 1 1/16-mile turf race that drew a full gate of 14 fillies and mares. La Signare was a hard-charging second, a head behind the winner and just another head before Zofelle. Remarkably, there was just one length separating the first five finishers and only three lengths separating the top 11.

John Velazquez was aboard Secret Message for trainer Graham Motion. The winner paid $53.40 after finishing in 1:43.13 over a firm course.

“I was just sort of biding time there on the outside,” said Velazquez, who will be returning to his New York base for the upcoming Belmont Park meet following Sunday action at Churchill. “She kept finding her stride down the lane and was able to get up late.”

Secret Message, a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred by Hat Trick, had shipped in from Motion’s primary base at the Fair Hill training center in northern Maryland when making her first start since finishing 10th in the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor last fall. The mare’s biggest prior wins came in the Grade 3 Pucker Up at Arlington in 2018 and the Grade 2 Nassau at Woodbine in 2019.

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On a gorgeous spring afternoon, and without spectators in the stands because of the ongoing coronavirus crisis, Juliet Foxtrot was prominent from the start as the 8-5 favorite. Past the eighth pole, she still held a tenuous lead when dueling alongside Mitchell Road, but then here they all came. Zofelle was the first to get past those front-runners, but it was Secret Message, who had raced in mid-pack most of the way, who had the best late stride when surging home from the outside.

La Signare (21-1) and Zofelle (8-1) both are trained by Brendan Walsh.

“Those are really tough beats when you lose by that close of a margin, but we are really proud of both of their efforts,” said Walsh.

The $2 exacta (7-5) paid $1,045.20, the $1 trifecta (7-5-11) returned $4,610, and the 10-cent superfecta (7-5-11-4) was worth $11,681.34.

The Mint Julep ended a late pick five worth $131,963.40 on a winning 50-cent bet. Handle on the late pick five pool was $931,593.

For Sunday at Churchill, there is a late pick five (races 6-10) carryover of $101,123 (emanating from the middle pick five Saturday) and a Single 6 (races 5-10) carryover of $149,234.

Winning Colors: Bell’s the One flies home

Some two hours earlier, Bell’s the One and jockey Corey Lanerie overtook the two favorites for a 13-1 upset in the 17th running of the Grade 3, $100,000 Winning Colors, finishing six furlongs in a swift 1:08.70 over a fast track.

Breaking Even, the 2-1 second choice, had led from the start when turning back the 9-10 favorite, Mia Mischief, at the furlong pole, but she had no answer for the searing outside rally of Bell’s the One, a 4-year-old Majesticperfection filly whose lone prior graded victory came last fall in the Grade 2 Raven Run at Keeneland, also at 13-1.

“She is really talented,” said Lanerie. “When she switches leads like that, she has such a strong turn of foot and really finishes strong.”

Neil Pessin trains Bell’s the One, now a winner in 6 of 12 starts, for the Lothenbach Stables of Bob Lothenbach.

“This was a really good group of horses with two Grade 1 winners,” said Pessin, referring to Mia Mischief and sixth-place finisher Spiced Perfection. “She’s always a big price and never gets the respect she deserves.”

Breaking Even finished three lengths behind the winner and another 2 1/2 lengths before Mia Mischief, who had a three-race win streak snapped.

The $2 exacta (4-2) paid $107.60, the $1 trifecta (4-2-8) returned $151.90, and the 10-cent superfecta (4-2-8-5) was worth $110.68.