Secret Status an Impressive Winner in Kentucky Oaks

Secret Status, ahead of only three horses and 11 lengths behind the leader after half a mile, overtook Rings A Chime in the stretch Friday to win the $610,800 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

With jockey Pat Day aboard, Secret Status rallied before a crowd of 106,156, about 5,000 more than on Oaks day last year. It was the largest crowd other than for a Kentucky Derby in the history of U.S. racing.

Secret Status’ winning margin was 6 3/4 lengths, biggest for an Oaks winner since Lite Light won by 10 in 1991. Trained by Neil Howard, Secret Status paid $11.80 as the second choice to Kumari Continent, running 1 1/8 miles in 1:50 1/5 and earning $378,696 for her owners and breeders--Will Farish, W. Temple Webber Jr. and James Elkins.

Rings A Chime, sent off at 20-1 even though she had won the Ashland at Keeneland a month ago, set the pace and finished second, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Classy Cara, the Hollywood Park-based filly who was 13 1/2 lengths behind after a half-mile. Kumari Continent was ninth in the 14-horse field.

Secret Status, a daughter of A.P. Indy, gave Day his second Oaks win and first since Goodbye Halo in 1988. Day will ride High Yield in the Derby.

Secret Status, who won the Florida Oaks at Tampa Bay Downs in her last start, has five wins and three thirds in eight starts.

The $225,250 Louisville Breeders’ Cup was won by Heritage Of Gold, who beat Roza Robata by 1 1/4 lengths. Heritage Of Gold, the 5-2 second choice, ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:42 4/5. Two former Oaks winners fared badly as Silverbulletday, the 9-10 favorite, finished fourth and Keeper Hill was last in the six-horse field.

*

The full cards from both Churchill Downs and Aqueduct will be simulcast today at Hollywood Park. The first race from Kentucky is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. and New York an hour later. First post for the Hollywood Park races is 1 p.m. and the feature race is the $100,000 Will Rogers Handicap, the first leg of the meet’s turf series for 3-year-old males. . . . For the first time in six racing cards at Hollywood Park, trainer John Sadler didn’t have a winner.

*

Staff Writer Bob Mieszerski contributed to this story.