There was more riding on the back of Tachas Secret Wednesday, October 8 in the 29th running of the $81,100 Hoosier Park Classic than just another stakes victory. The standout Indiana sired mare scored her eighth stakes win to move into the top five all-time Indiana sired Quarter Horses by earnings, boosting her career tally to more than $489,000.
Tachas Secret was taking on a very tough field of horses, including the state’s all-time leading Indiana bred gelding by earnings and 2024 Horse of the Year Mr Michel, who made his return to Indiana off several wins in Oklahoma and Texas, including the Grade 1 Debbie Schauf at Remington Park in May. James Flores flew in to ride the six-year-old for owner Alberto Valadez. The big chestnut was reunited with trainer Claudio Barraza for the first time this year. However, it was another big chestnut that took over the spotlight in the Hoosier Park Classic, one of the oldest stakes races in the state as part of the inaugural season of Quarter Horse racing in 1997 at Hoosier Park.
Starting from post five, Tachas Secret came out of the gate strong and was in contention for the lead during the early stages of the 400-yard dash with Mr Michel. The two battled each other all the way down the stretch before Tachas Secret got the edge in the final strides, winning by one-half length in a time of :19.676. Mr Michel was a neck ahead of Jess a Riot and Daniel Martinez for third in the petite field of five with less than two and one-half lengths separating the entire field at the wire.
“This horse (Tachas Secret) is total perfection,” said Morin through translation. “She responded very well and was rapid to the wire. She made a good effort and is a great mare.”
Tachas Secret paid $6.40 for the win, her third of the year in five starts. She is owned by Duke Racing, managed by Chris Duke, and trained by Ricardo Martinez, who raised the filly from his brood mare, Sin Tachas Angel and his stallion, Habits Secret. Martinez was approached by Duke when she was two and Duke purchased her. Martinez’s only stipulation was he could keep her to train. The partnership has turned out to be a golden opportunity for both as Tachas Secret has won multiple year end awards over the past few years en route to nearly a half-million on her card for her connections. Tachas Secret helped catapult both Habits Secret and Sin Tachas Angel to Sire and Broodmare of the Year in 2024.
“There have been a couple times she (Tachas Secret) didn’t get a good break coming out of the gates,” noted Martinez. “It wasn’t her fault that is just racing. It’s not that she can’t do it, she just didn’t have a chance. I noticed this time after she got bumped around and she didn’t get to run (in her last start), she was different. I didn’t know if it was because she didn’t get to run, but she was a little more anxious and not herself and I really didn’t know if she was going to run today. But once she gets here to the track, she’s different. She knows what she’s going to do. It’s very tough for a mare to race against the boys. But she has the size. She is very tall. She’s lean, but she’s tall and that helps. And she is very sound. That is what matters. If you have an athlete that is sound, that is golden.”
With the success of Tachas Secret, her connections will have some decisions to make at the end of the season. The five-year-old mare appears to still be at the top of her racing game, but other opportunities are on the horizon.
“She’s going to have some babies next year (via embryo transfer) because she is going to be six,” explained Martinez. “She is paid to all the stakes. Chris (Duke) handles the program with her, so I don’t know about her next race. If she is at home she is in training, and if not, then she is just resting.”
Chris Duke wasn’t present for the latest win by Tachas Secret as he and his wife, Stefanie, are at the barrel futurity in Oklahoma City. However, his mother, Vickie, father, Raymond, and uncle, Omar “Junior” Fannin were trackside to greet their standout performer.
“We are so excited about this mare,” said Raymond. “There were some tough horses in this race. She is so special and so talented. We couldn’t be happier with her and Ricardo (Martinez) and I know Chris (Duke) will be excited too.”
Chris Duke has been such a pillar of support for Indiana Quarter Horse racing. He serves as President of the QHRAI and continues to find ways to improve and elevate the Hoosier program. He recently went into partnership with Pam Hann and purchased stallion One Valiant Hero, a multiple Graded Stakes winner and already a proven sire. The Valiant Hero horse will stand his first season in Indiana next year at Dr. Roger Beam’s Midwest Veterinary and Equine Hospital, the same location that stands Habits Secret, 2024 Leading Quarter Horse Stallion for Indiana.
The elevation of Quarter Horse racing in Indiana has been prevalent this season. The state now offers two Restricted Grade 3 stakes, including the Miss Roxie Little Futurity set for Saturday, October 25 during Indiana Champions Day. The race will also establish a new record for the largest purse ever offered in Indiana with the final going for $359,600. The second half of the Champions Day program will be dedicated to Quarter Horse racing and purses for that portion of the card will exceed $1 million, also a record for a single day of Quarter Horse racing for Indiana. First post for Indiana Champions Day is 11 a.m. with Quarter Horse racing getting underway at approximately 2:30p.m.
The 23rd season of live Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing runs through Thursday, Nov. 13. For more information on racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis, visit www.caesars.com/horseshoe-indianapolis/racing or find details on social media @HSIndyRacing.
