Secret Spice scores upset in Beholder Mile

ARCADIA, Calif. – An injury forced the connections of Secret Spice to bypass a race earlier this meet, and then a suspension of racing forced them to wait to run again. The waits were worth it.

Secret Spice, in her graded stakes debut, pulled off an 11-1 upset on Saturday in the Grade 1, $400,702 Beholder Mile at Santa Anita, beating a field that included Grade 1 winners Marley’s Freedom and Paradise Woods.

Secret Spice was a powerful winner of an allowance race at the fall meeting here last October, but circumstances caused her to race just once since then. She was intended for the Grade 1 La Brea on opening day Dec. 26, but missed the race with a hock injury.

“She had cellulitis in a hock, which is a really stubborn thing to get rid of,” said her trainer, Richard Baltas, who also won the Grade 2 Santa Ana with Elysea’s World earlier in the day.

Secret Spice finally got back to the races Feb. 7, and finished third in an allowance race that was to serve as a prep for the Beholder.

The suspension of racing at Santa Anita for nearly a month forced the Beholder to be postponed by two weeks, which worked to the benefit of Secret Spice.

“The postponement gave her more time,” said Billy Koch, who heads the Little Red Feather partnership that owns Secret Spice.

She was ready Saturday.

Secret Spice ($24.40) beat Marley’s Freedom by 2 1/4 lengths, with Paradise Woods another 1 1/4 lengths farther back in third. Selcourt, the early pacesetter, faded to fourth, then came, in order, Mopotism, Exuberance, and Just a Smidge.

Secret Spice took the lead from Selcourt heading into the lane, and maintained a safe margin all the way to the wire.

Geovanni Franco rode Secret Spice, who was timed in 1:38.39 on the fast main track. It might not have been the fastest time, but the first-prize money of $240,000 will spend just the same.

“And a Grade 1 means a lot residually,” Koch said.

“It was our day today. We’re gonna take it,” Baltas said.

Secret Spice, 4, is a daughter of Discreet Cat who has now won three times in 10 starts, with all her victories at Santa Anita.