Princess Secret shook off an upset in the $100,000 Desert Vixen four weeks ago and a stretch-long bid Saturday by a relentless Oh Deborah to score a hard-earned victory in the $200,000 Susan's Girl, the second leg of the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes for juveniles sired by accredited Florida stallions at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.
The Susan's Girl, a seven-furlong stakes for fillies, co-headlined Saturday's program with the $200,000 Affirmed, a seven-furlong open division, which were supported by the $75,000 Proud Truth, a mile turf stakes for 2-year-olds, and the $75,000 Sharp Susan, a mile turf stakes for juvenile fillies. All four stakes were included in the six-race sequence for the Rainbow 6 on a day when a mandatory payout was held.
Princess Secret, who finished second in the first leg of the Florida Sire Stakes Series as the even-money favorite for owner/trainer Daniel Pita, came through in the Susan's Girl, scoring by three-quarters of a lengths over Oh Deborah as the 6-5 favorite. The daughter of Khozan chased longshot pacesetter Lyrical during fractions of 22.64 and 45.22 seconds for the first half-mile before moving to the lead on the turn into the homestretch, only to immediately meet an outside challenge from Oh Deborah.
Princess Secret responded gamely to jockey Miguel Vasquez's urging to prevail over Oh Deborah, completing seven furlongs in 1:23.02.
“She's a very gutsy filly. She doesn't like to lose,” Pita said.
Making her first start since winning her July 19 debut by 3 1/4 lengths, Oh Deborah finished four lengths clear of third-place finisher Go Jo Jo Go.
Princess Secret, who was purchased for $30,000 at the 2019 OBS October sale, debuted at Gulfstream with an impressive four-length triumph May 7. The Florida-bred filly returned two months later to finish a close second against the boys in the first allowance race for 2-year-olds of the Spring/Summer Meet to earn favoritism while facing fillies in the Desert Vixen. She set an early pace before being overtaken by Go Jo Jo Go in the stretch.
“This is hope for when you go to the sales and pick yearlings. We don't have millions of dollars. We always try to get some sort of bargain. She was a nice purchase by a stallion that seems to get nice runners. We were lucky enough to get her,” Pita said.
Pita is confident that Princess Secret will carry her speed around two turns in the $400,000 My Dear Girl, the 1 1/16-mile finale of the Florida Sires Stakes series Sept. 26.
“I think breeding is going to be the biggest factor in the next leg of the series. I think she showed it today,” Pita said. “Hopefully, she'll come out of the race in good order and we'll see you in four weeks.”
The post Princess Secret Scores Hard-Earned Victory In FSS Susan’s Girl appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
