Secret Spice gearing up for Zenyatta Stakes

DEL MAR, Calif. – Secret Spice, the winner of the Grade 1 Beholder Mile in March and second in two subsequent Grade 1 races, is progressing toward her autumn debut in the Grade 1 Zenyatta Stakes at Santa Anita on Sept. 29.

Sunday at Del Mar, Secret Spice worked five furlongs in 1:01.80, her third workout since she finished second by a head to Ollie’s Candy as the 6-5 favorite in the Grade 1 Clement Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar on July 28.

Trainer Richard Baltas timed Secret Spice in a minute.

“She worked well today,” Baltas said. “I backed off of her a little bit. I gave her an easy three-eighths and an easy half.”

Baltas hopes to use the Zenyatta Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles as a prep for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at 1 1/8 miles at Santa Anita on Nov. 2.

Owned by the Little Red Feather Racing and Bobby Flay, Secret Spice has won 3 of 12 starts and earned $508,510. Following her win in the Beholder Mile, she finished second to She’s a Julie in the Grade 1 La Troienne Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 3.