It's time to win for Secret Circle

Saturday’s Grade 3 Midnight Lute Stakes at Santa Anita should be the spot for Secret Circle to right a 2014 wrong. When we talk of the best horses in America, Secret Circle is just not a name that readily rolls off the tongue. I guess that's fair enough, as he has never been one of the top handful of horses in American training. Taking the five-year-old son of Eddington for granted, though, is a mistake I refuse to let stand.

Secret Circle is a classy and consistent individual, and he has been ever since his racing career began more than three years ago. His admirable career record of 13-7-5-1, and earnings total of better than $2.4 million, attest to that quite well. There’s a noticeable hole in that record, though.

Somehow the two-time Breeders’ Cup winner has yet to make it to the winner’s circle in 2014. It’s not that he hasn’t performed well this year; far from it. For whatever reason, Secret Circle just hasn’t been able to put it all together for a victory this year. Beaten by a neck back in February in the Grade 2 Palos Verdes, while giving five pounds, was his only chance in the first half of the year.

Since returning from the second sizable layoff of his career, Secret Circle finished a solid, but probably just a little short, 3rd to Rich Tapestry and Goldencents in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship, after dueling through grueling fractions. That one was just a prep for bigger fish to fry, though, and Secret Circle came back a few weeks later to defend his Breeders’ Cup Sprint title. At the wire, only Work All Week, and a measly half-length, separated Secret Circle from becoming only the second horse to run to Breeders’ Cup victory three times. Chew on that for a moment, if you will.

Close but no cigar, it seemed only natural that his trainer, Bob Baffert would wheel his dependable star back on Thanksgiving weekend for the Grade 1 Cigar Mile. Alas, speed was king that afternoon at Aqueduct, and the Cigar Mile field ran into a front-running buzzsaw named Private Zone. Still, in a field of good horses, it was no surprise to see a game Secret Circle take home the second place check.

So here we are now, just a few days short of 2015, and Secret Circle is 0-for-the year. Four good performances, without a victory to show. It is time. Secret Circle is too good to be without a win this year. That should end on Saturday, when he tangles with a field of seven in the race formerly known as the Vernon O. Underwood Stakes.

With a new host, and a new name, the Midnight Lute seems the perfect fit for Secret Circle to end his losing streak. Remember, the two-time Sprint Champion for whom this race has been renamed, was also trained by Baffert, and owned by the same trio that owns Secret Circle, Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman. Seems like this one is meant to be.