Virginia-bred Gigante scores major upset in Secretariat

Gigante, a Virginia-bred, hit a peak during his 2-year-old season of 2022 at Colonial Downs, a Virginia racetrack, and it has happened again this year. At 22-1, easily the longest price in a six-horse field, Gigante went last to first under Javier Castellano and won the Grade 2, $500,000 Secretariat Stakes by a neck.

Gigante, trained by Steve Asmussen, won the Kitten’s Joy Stakes last summer at Colonial racing on the lead and had notched his lone victory this year, in the Caesars Stakes at Horseshoe Indianapolis, racing wire to wire. But, in retrospect, Gigante apparently got a trial run using new tactics when he met older Virginia-breds in a July 15 Colonial stakes race. Taken back to sixth that day, Gigante rallied well for third closing into tepid fractions, and he had an even bigger move in Saturday’s turf mile.

Castellano never had ridden Gigante and was the colt’s seventh different rider in his last seven starts. Castellano said he liked what he felt in the post parade and that his mount was responding favorably to him during the warm-up period, and that carried over to the Secretariat itself. Breaking from post 2, Gigante got away well but before the first turn was taken back to last, willingly and comfortably. There he stayed in this 3-year-old restricted contest, a former Grade 1, through a quarter-mile in 23.67 and a half in 48.61, Castellano biding his time.

Mo Stash led from the first few jumps but never appeared to fully settle, while Major Dude tracked on the pacesetter’s outside, Major Dude’s move from the No. 3 down to the No. 2 path into the first turn causing Northern Invader, surprisingly favored at 9-5, to check. Just in front of Castellano as Gigante hit the far turn was 2-1 second choice Nagirroc, who looked like the horse to beat in the Secretariat, and with three furlongs still to run, Castellano made a sharp, wide move to pass Nagirroc and put that rival back on his heels. Moving fluidly, Gigante picked off rivals one by one until he’d collared Major Dude and took the lead at the eighth pole. Nagirroc and Flavien Prat got to the outside in upper stretch and were closing the gap on Gigante through the final sixteenth of a mile, but the wire came before Nagirroc could reach the winner.

“I took my time, rode with a lot of patience, a lot of confidence,” Castellano said.

Gigante ran with confidence. Horses that need to lead often are just running more than racing, but Gigante performed with intent Saturday back in his home state, which hosted the Secretariat for the first time.

Asmussen trains Gigante for Iapetus Racing and Diamond T Racing. Bred by Ann Mudge Backer and Smitten Farm, Gigante is a 3-year-old son of Not This Time and Summertime Green, by Empire Maker. He ran the mile on a firm turf course in 1:35.10 and paid $47.80, getting a 90 Beyer Speed Figure. Silver Knott rallied mildly to get third by a nose over Major Dude as Northern Invader tailed off and Mo Stash faded to last.