Lady's Secret | Horse Profile

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Lady's Secret

The gray daughter of Triple Crown champion Secretariat, Lady’s Secret was foaled April 8, 1982 at Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas’ Oklahoma ranch. Small in stature, Lady’s Secret was a front-running filly with blazing speed.

 Lady’s Secret got off the mark quickly, winning in a dead heat with Bonnie's Axe her first time out in May 1984 at Belmont Park. During the next four seasons, Lady's Secret would race 45 times, winning 25 of those starts, and become known as racing's Iron Lady. Twenty-two of those victories came in stakes, and 11 of those were in Grade 1 races.

 In her 1986 championship season alone, Lady’s Secret captured the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff, Santa Margarita Invitational, Beldame, Ruffian, La Canada, Maskette, Shuvee, and Whitney. In the Whitney, she skated out ahead of males and won by 4 1/2 lengths on a sloppy track, a performance that helped push her beyond mere divisional honors as the year's leading older female and on to a Horse of the Year title. She was just the second Eclipse Horse of the Year, joining All Along, who won the honor in 1983.

 In 1987, Lady’s Secret won two more races including a 7-length allowance score that at the time made her the sport's all-time leading female earner with $3,021,425. She was retired from racing in November, 1987.

The Lady's Secret Café at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey is named in her honor.

In the 2005 Blood-Horse magazine ranking of the Top 100 U.S. Thoroughbred champions of the 20^th century, Lady’s Secret is No. 76.

 Lady’s Secret died on March 4, 2003 at California's Valley Creek Farm due to post-foaling complications. She was 21.