Albarado stakes double opens Kentucky Downs action

Robby Albarado swung wide and closed like a freight train down the center of Kentucky Downs' sweeping European-style turf course to win the $348,666 Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf aboard Secret Someone, then he hugged the rail for a gate-to-wire score aboard Successful Native in the $350,000 Kentucky Downs Turf Sprint.

The varying tactics helped Albarado score a stakes double on Saturday, the opening day card of the all-turf meeting at Kentucky Downs.

"I've ridden here before, but I don't think that was the advantage," Albarado said after his Turf Sprint win. "I just happened to be on the best horses and put them in the best position to win."

Secret Someone was one of the few horses to close from the far back of the field, but she made the lead by mid-stretch, easily defeating favored Cash Control.

Secret Someone was exiting the Beverly D (G1) but had a black-type win earlier this year. By A.P. Indy out of the stakes-winning Unbridled mare Private Gift, Secret Someone's family includes multiple Grade 1 winner Secret Status, and this win is sure to enhance her and her family's value for owner-breeder Greg Goodman's Mt. Brilliant Stable.

"I wish I owned her myself," trainer Mike Stidham said. "With her pedigree and making her a stakes-winner it's like hitting the lottery. That was really impressive today. She beat some nice horses."

Successful Native had pressed the pace in some previous races but the lead was a new position for the Successful Appeal horse.

"I found myself on the lead, and it felt like we were just cantering along," Albarado said. "I figured I'd use the rail to my advantage and just keep going."

Albarado book-ended an all-stakes Pick 3 that paid $1,561.90 with All Right surprising the $342,855 Kentucky Downs Juvenile at 44-1. Channing Hill sat All Right off the pace of Cold Snack Thirty before taking control at the top of the long stretch and holding Parlor at bay. The exacta both came out of Ellis Park maiden races.

"It was sort of a last-minute decision," trainer Kellyn Gorder said of entering All Right as a maiden. "It was only $750 to enter, and this horse is so well balanced that I thought he really would handle the up and down of this course. I don't usually tout horses, [but] I said, ‘It's going to be fun to win a maiden for $350,000."

In the nightcap, the companion race to the Kentucky Downs Juvenile, the Juvenile Fillies, Lull lived up to her favoritism as well as breeding by running down Ellis Park Juvenile runner-up Caroline Test -- a bridesmaid once more.

Lull won her career debut over next-out winner Asscher in July at Belmont but lost in a stakes at Saratoga as the 6-5 favorite when clipping heels. She turned things around nicely and was much the best here.

Christophe Clement trains Lull for Adele Dilschneider and the Hancock family's Claiborne Farm, the partnership that bred the War Front filly in Kentucky out of the Tiznow mare Quiet Now who is a half-sister to Horse of the Year Saint Liam.

"Her last start was very bad unfortunately," said Clement's assistant Tomas Brandenourger. "We were just hoping that should would come back OK, and she did, so we brought her back quickly. This was a great day for the owner."

The all-stakes Pick 4 paid $7,432.85 while the Pick 5 went to a single winner worth $33,895.40.

Racing resumes at Kentucky Downs on Thursday and continues September 10, 11, and concludes on the 15th.

(Secret Someone photo: Kentucky Downs/Reed Palmer Photography)