Lady’s Secret Finally Finds Santa Anita Winner’s Circle

Lady’s Secret, the belle of the ball in New York but a wallflower in California, ran one of her New York races at Santa Anita Saturday. The 4-year-old gray daughter of Secretariat won the $110,850 El Encino Stakes by two lengths, sending her owners, Gene and Joyce Klein, to the winner’s circle at the Arcadia track for the first time on her behalf.

The Kleins, winner of the Eclipse Award for owners of the year in 1985, had been to the winner’s circle at Santa Anita many times, but never after one of Lady’s Secret’s races. In four previous starts at the track, Lady’s Secret ran third in the Anoakia and fifth in the Oak Leaf, both in 1984, and last year she was fifth in the Santa Ynez and second in the La Brea.

The La Brea was run just three weeks ago, and trainer Wayne Lukas felt that race helped Lady’s Secret Saturday. What also helped was the absence of Savannah Slew, who beat Lady’s Secret in the La Brea by a half-length after a furious stretch duel, then developed a leg problem and had to miss the El Encino.

Lady’s Secret’s win, before 36,685 fans in 80-degree weather, was only her fourth in 12 California starts, two of the other victories coming at Hollywood Park and the other at Bay Meadows. She became a millionaire last year after winning eight straight stakes, all but one in New York.

Wide on both turns and caught in a speed duel with Overwhelming and Rascal Lass going down the backstretch, Lady’s Secret was clearly the best in the El Encino, running 1 1/16 miles in 1:41 4/5, just three-fifths of a second slower than the stakes record.

Chris McCarron, who rode Lady’s Secret, didn’t realize they were running the first half-mile in :45 2/5. What Lukas had in mind was something like :46 4/5.

“I thought it was slower,” McCarron said, “but as easy as she was running, we could have done it in :44 and she still would have won.”

Although Shywing and Laffit Pincay closed some ground through the stretch, McCarron didn’t feel threatened.

“Every time I hit her--actually, they were only taps--I could feel her accelerate,” the jockey said.

Pincay said that his filly also tired after she narrowed the gap.

Life’s Secret’s win, worth $65,850, gives her lifetime earnings of $1,15 million, more than any other female in training. She paid $3.60, $2.80 and $2.60. Shywing returned $4.80 and $3.80 and Sharp Ascent, who finished four lengths behind Shywing, was worth $4.20 for show.

McCarron’s win, his 27th of the season and fourth in a stake, came after the meet’s leading jockey escaped unscathed after a tight situation in the sixth race.

McCarron’s mount, Master Crofter, was squeezed on the rail in the final strides, bounced off the fence and then came back to brush the other horse. Five North, who won the race, was disqualified by the stewards, and Master Crofter was moved up to first.

“It scared the hell out of me,” McCarron said. “I’ve been in situations like that when a horse crosses his legs and just goes down. Fortunately, this horse was agile enough to handle himself.”