Showing Up wins Secretariat Stakes

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - No doubt, Barbaro was a special horse during his too-brief career, but Showing Up, the second-best spring 3-year-old owned by the Lael Stable of Roy and Gretchen Jackson is no ordinary animal, either. Forced into a quick early pace by an inside draw, Showing Up still won the Grade 1, $400,000 by one and one-half lengths over Irish invader Ivan Denisovich, his fifth win in six career starts.

Showing Up's only defeat was a sixth-place finish behind Barbaro in the Kentucky Derby, and he now has won two grass races in striking fashion. Taking the Secretariat wire-to-wire, Showing Up was timed in 2:00.09, the second-fastest time among 19 Secretariats contested at one and one-quarter miles. And like Kitten's Joy, who ran the fastest Secretariat in 2004, Showing Up did better than older horses two races earlier in the Million; his time was 1.26 seconds faster.

"I was impressed with him," said trainer Barclay Tagg. "He ran even better than I thought he would."

Cornelio Velasquez took a hold of Showing Up leaving the gate from post 1, but Go Between, the second choice, showing surprising speed; the first quarter-mile was a solid 24.32 seconds, the half a quick 47.83. Go Between ran out of run at the half-mile pole, but Showing Up poured it on around the turn into the stretch. He passed a mile in a quick 1:35.79, and had plenty left to hold off a late run from Ivan Denisovich, who was four and one-half lengths better than Primary. Proudinsky challenged the winner at the quarter pole but faded to fourth, followed by Niagara Causeway and a spent Go Between.

Heavily bet from the start of wagering, Showing Up paid just $3 to win. Tagg said he planned to test Showing Up against older horses, but did not specify a possible next start.