FSS_Susan'sGirl_PrincessSecret.qxp_Florida Horse_template 9/23/20 3:36 PM Page 22
By TAMMY A. GANTT rincess Secret shook off her upset in the $100,000 FSS Desert Vixen on Aug. 1 and a stretch-long bid on Aug. 29 by a relentless Oh Deborah to score a hard-earned victory in the $200,000 FSS Susan’s Girl. 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 threequarters of a length over Oh Deborah as the 6-5 favorite. The daughter of Florida’s 2019 leading
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Making her first start since winning her July 19 debut by three-and-one-quarter lengths, Oh Deborah finished four lengths clear of thirdplace finisher Go Jo Jo Go. Princess Secret was purchased for $30,000 at the 2019 OBS October sale from Brent and Crystal Fernung’s Journeyman Bloodstock Services. She debuted at Gulfstream Park with an impressive four length triumph on May 7. The Floridabred filly returned two months later to finish a close second against the boys in the first allowance race for two-year-olds of the Spring/Summer meet to earn favoritism while facing fillies in the FSS 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 mile-and-a-sixteenth finale of the Florida Sires Stakes series on 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.”
freshman and juvenile sire Khozan, chased longshot pacesetter Lyrical during fractions of :22.64 and :45.22 for the first half-mile before moving to the lead on the turn into the homestretch, only to immediately meet an outside challenge from the Stonehedge homebred, Oh Deborah. Princess Secret responded gamely to jockey Miguel Vasquez’s urging from the half to the stretch, eking out only a head lead at each point of call, to close down Lyrical. She showed a professional racehorse performance when she later took on Oh Deborah to win by one-and-three-quarter lengths. She completed seven furlongs in 1:23.02. “She’s a very gutsy filly. She doesn’t like to lose,” Pita said.
22 THE FLORIDA HORSE • OCTOBER 2020
RYAN THOMPSON PHOTO
Gritty Filly Princess Secret Fights Hard in Susan’s Girl Win
