Saturday, May 06, 2000
Secret Status wins Oaks on 'home' track
Record crowd sees Day win for Churchill Downs chairman
By George Rorrer
Enquirer contributor
LOUISVILLE — Secret Status struck a blow for the establishment Friday when she won the 126th Kentucky Oaks for the Lane's End farm of Will Farish, chairman of the Churchill Downs board of directors.
Farish had to like the business angle, too. Friday's crowd was announced at 106,156, breaking the Oaks Day record for the 14th time in the past 15 years. The event has steadily ranked second in one-day attendance in American horse racing only to its companion event, the Kentucky Derby.
Secret Status' victory was late in developing. Vivid Sunset reared up in the starting gate and unseated rider Robbie Albarado. Others became edgy, and before the gate was opened Vivid Sunset, Rings A Chime and Bejoyfulandrejoice were so fractious they had to be backed out of their stalls.
When the gate finally opened, Rings A Chime and Cash Run set the pace while jockey Pat Day bided his time on Secret Status. At the half-mile pole, Secret Status was 11th and the 3/4 pole she was eighth. In the stretch, she flew past everyone and won by 63/4 lengths. Secret Status was timed in 1:50 3/5.
Rings a Chime and Classy Cara hung on for second and third, respectively. Kumari Continent, the 9-2 favorite, finished ninth. Ignacio Puglisi, who rode Classy Cara, and David Flores, who was on Kumari Continent, both said the gate hassle hurt their horses' chances.
Day accepted a garland of lilies, helped drape them across the back of his mount, saluted the heavens with his riding crop and doffed his helmet to a cheering crowd that included former Presi dent George Bush.
Day's second Oaks victory and his first since 1988 was a big one for him, said the leading Churchill Downs rider of all time.
“To win a race of this magnitude is a big thing anytime,” Day said. “But on the day before the Derby, especially with these connections, that makes it so, so special.”
Trainer Neil Howard said, “This is the whole ball of wax right here. Mr. Farish is my wife Sue's and my whole life outside our family.
“This is an illustration of what the people on that farm do every day.”
Lane's End is a major breeding and racing establishment in Versailles, Ky.
Day said Secret Status overcame a bad start after the delay.
“She stood there the whole time, too good, probably,” he said. “She had to overcome a bad start, but when I got into contending position at the 3/8 pole, I knew nothing we had run by was going to catch us.”
Secret Status paid his backers $11.80, $6.20 and $4; Rings a Chima paid $15.20 and $7.80, and Classy Cara returned $4.40.
Earlier, the past two winners of the Oaks - Silverbulletday and Keeper Hill — were beaten soundly in the $250,000 Louisville Breeders' Cup. They lost not only to sizzling Heritage of Gold but to a couple of mares named Roza Robata and Bella Chiarra.
Heritage of Gold, ridden by Shane Sellers, won her third straight race, taking the 1 1/16-mile test by a quarter-length. Roza Robata was second by a nose.
Silverbulletday, whose easy two-length victory in the 1999 Oaks touched off speculation that she should've been entered in the Derby, was fourth, another 11/2 lengths back. It was Silverbulletday's first loss at Churchill in five races. Keeper Hill was fifth in a field of six.
Continuing Kentucky Derby coverage from Associated Press
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