Secret Love wins the $100k Franklin Square Stakes at Aqueduct
Secret Love Sizzles in the Franklin Square Stakes with jockey Pablo Morales. Trained by John Kimmel, this speedster by Not This Time out of Exotic Design got her first stakes win in the Aqueduct feature.
After a rough start and brushing the gate, jockey Pablo Morales settled behind the early pace setter Rossa Veloce who was ridden by the hot Manny Franco. Ridden confidently by Pedro Morales, Secret Love took over the lead turning into the stretch to win by a commanding lead in a final time of 1:19.86 for the 6 1/2 furlongs.
Vacay, another standout filly by Not This Time finished third behind the stakes winning filly and the multiple stakes winning favorite Laobanonaprayer.
Secret Love was one of my top selections from the OBS auction in 2020.
Owner Toby Morton was the winning bidder ($270K) for this Not This Time New York Bred chestnut filly, who drilled a :9.4/5 breeze at Ocala. Not This Time was the leading Freshman sire in 2020 with an outstanding percentage of 28 winners from 54 runners. Six of his foals raced in stakes company, producing three individual stakes winners, including the beloved Princess Noor.
