Nachor Secret and Martin Munoz were dominant from start to finish to score the title in the 16thrunning of the Born Runner Classic Saturday, May 31 at Horseshoe Indianapolis. The Indiana sired gelding won by open lengths in a time of :19.482 in a new stakes record.
Nachor Secret shot out of the gate like a bullet and was on top of the field in one stride. The powerful four-year-old opened up on the field midway through the 400-yard dash and kept extending his lead, crossing under the wire with a one and three-quarter length advantage. Streakindownthebeach and Eduardo Diaz closed in gamely to grab the second spot over Tachas Secret. Martinez scored the first and third spots in the race as he also trains Tachas Secret. They were two of four entrants in the race for Martinez, who is based out of the Chicagoland area.
Nachor Secret paid $4.40 to his backers. The stout, well built gelding earned his sixth win in 12 career starts. He has not missed the board except for one start in his entire career. The Born Runner title was his third stakes victory for Martinez, who bred and raised the gelding. Martinez campaigned both his dam, Eyes a Favorite and the sire Habits Secret, a Graded Stakes placed runner and one of the top Quarter Horse stallions in the state of Indiana with very limited foals. After earning a spot among the top five nationally as a leading freshman stallion in 2018, he has continued to pump out stakes winners and was the state’s 2024 Sire of the Year with over $1.7 million in earnings from his foals last season. Nachor Secret is part of that success and continues to carry on the winning tradition on for Martinez.
“He (Nachor Secret) has been a good money earner,” noted the soft spoken Martinez. “We had four in here today. We try to put them in a race that fits them, including this horse.”
Nachor Secret surged over the $200,000 mark in earnings with his win in the Born Runner Classic. The race is named in honor of another great Indiana sire, Born Runner, who was inducted into the QHRAI Hall of Fame in 2019. The Mullenix family, who stood Born Runner, was trackside to present the trophy to Martinez.
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.
