Like father, like daughter. That is the best way to describe Tachas Secret. She carries his same sorrel coloring. She carries his same demeanor. She carries his same determination, and now she joins him as a winner of the Bradford Stakes at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Tachas Secret added her name to the impressive list of past champions in the 27th running of the $50,000 Bradford Stakes with a hard fought win to the wire.
Starting from post six in the nine-horse lineup, Tachas Secret was only one of three mares in the race. Guided by Fernando Morin, she broke in mid pack and held her ground in the center of the track as Lethal Fast Cash and Isidro Banuelos had a short advantage along the inside. It’s a Ruidoso Weddin and Edgar Diaz were also in pursuit of the top spot from the outside. As the wire neared in the 400-yard dash, Tachas Secret seemed to lengthen her stride with every step, scoring the win by three-quarters of a length in :19.863. It’s a Ruidoso Weddin, one of the other mares in the race, finished second over Lethal Fast Cash.
Tachas Secret was the favorite, paying $5.20 to her backers. The five-year-old sorrel mare is owned by Chris Duke’s Duke Racing and trained by Ricardo Martinez, who bred and raised her. Martinez was also the owner and conditioner of her sire Habit’s Secret, who won the Bradford Stakes in 2014.
“She (Tachas Secret) didn’t break as hard as she normally does but she has a lot of heart and made up for it,” said Martinez. “She’s always been very professional. She’s the type of horse that when I tell you I don’t know she’s even in the barn, she is that quiet. And she’s the cleanest in her stall of all the horses. This year, she got a little bit of a late start, but she’s doing better. She will head back to the farm and get prepared for her next start.”
Duke, who is heavily involved in several disciplines of Quarter Horse competition, has her next start picked out for her. He’s pointing her to the Horseshoe Indianapolis Classic set for Thursday, Aug. 7 for fillies and mares.
“She got a clean start that was the key,” noted Duke. “If she doesn’t get bumped, she’s tough every time. So, I was excited that she had a clean trip, and she was gonna finish well and have a chance at winning it.”
Duke had his eye on the filly as a two year old. He recognizes excellence when he sees it. She racked up several awards following her four-year-old season where she won three stakes for the year, most of the time tackling the boys. She was named 2024 QHRAI Champion Aged Mare along with Indiana bred High Point Aged Mare, Champion Indiana Bred Aged Mare, Champion Indiana Bred Aged Horse, and Indiana Bred Horse of the Year.
“She (Tachas Secret) is just really a smart, quiet horse,” added Duke. “Her sire was the same. She takes those traits after him. She really doesn’t make too many mistakes and she’s professional. If they give her a hole, she’s gonna have a good chance to win.”
The victory marked the 10th time overall for Tachas Secret to enter the winner’s circle. She now has more than $412,000 on her career bankroll and is closing in on a top five ranking among Indiana horses all-time for purse earnings. In addition to conditioning her sire, Martinez also campaigned her mother, who competed in a few stakes races in Indiana before becoming one of his brood mares. Because of her success from Tachas Secret and younger sibling Sin Tachas Secret last year, Sin Tachas Angel was Indiana Broodmare of the Year. Habits Secret, who stands at Dr. Roger Beam’s Midwest Equine & Veterinary Hospital in nearby Trafalgar, Ind., was named 2024 Indiana Sire of the Year.
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.
