Rallying wide into the stretch under veteran Jon Court, Will Horton Racing LLC's homebred Will's Secret won Saturday's $200,000 Martha Washington Stakes on a muddy track at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark. Coach, the 4-5 favorite from the Brad Cox barn, finished 5 1/4 lengths back in second, with Joy's Rocket third and Sylvia Q fourth in the field of six 3-year-olds competing for 17 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points (10-4-2-1 to the top four finishers).
A 3-year-old Kentucky-bred by Will Take Charge, who won an Eclipse Award for Horton as champion 3-year-old male in 2013, Will's Secret is trained by Dallas Stewart. He covered one mile on a muddy track in 1:38.7 and paid $18 to win.
Court allowed Will's Secret to sit in the pocket just behind pacesetter Joy's Rocket, who was engaged by Lady Lilly and Sylvia Q through much of the Martha Washington. Fractions were :23.1, :47.35 and 1:12.37 for the first six furlongs.
Court Will's Secret to the outside on the far turn, rallying around the three frontrunners and was four wide into the stretch. Lady Lilly was the first to yield, with Sylvia Q then dropping back. That left Joy's Rocket on the lead, and Will's Secret quickly put her away and drew off for the win. Coach was up late to get the runner-up spot under Florent Geroux by a half length over Joy's Rocket.
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