The Virginia-bred Gigante (Not This Time) refused to let Nagirroc (Lea) by in the final yards as he gallantly defended his home turf in the GI Secretariat S. at Colonial Downs Saturday. The 22-1 longshot was shuffled back to last as Mo Stash (Mo Town) took the field through fractions of :23.67 and :48.03. The field bunched up around the far turf and Gigante was rolling up into contention four wide approaching the lane. He forged to the lead with a furlong to run and grittily held Nagirroc at bay to the wire.
“I think I got along pretty good with this horse in the post parade,” said winning rider Javier Castellano. “He acted very professionally. I had the best trip in the race. I was where I wanted to be today. There seemed to be a lot of speed in the race. He broke so well from the gate and put me in a good position. I just took my time and rode with a lot of patience, a lot of confidence and had the best result today.”
Favored Northern Invader (Collected) making just his fourth lifetime start and coming off an eight-length maiden victory at Belmont July 1, was shuffled was forced to steady on the first turn and raced keenly into the backstretch. He was moving with Gigante into the lane, but could match strides with the winner and came home fifth.
Gigante broke his maiden over the Colonial Downs turf last August and romped home a 6 3/4-length winner of the Sept. 6 Kitten's Joy S. in his next trip to the post. Off the board in a pair of graded efforts in Kentucky to end his juvenile campaign, the bay colt resurfaced this year with a win in the Caesars H. at Horseshoe Indianapolis in May. He was sixth in the July 1 American Derby at Ellis Park before returning to his home state to finish third in the July 15 Edward P Evans S. last time out.
Pedigree Notes:
Gigante is the 13th worldwide graded winner for Not This Time, who made headlines earlier in the week when a share to the Taylor Made stallion sold for $2 million at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. Among his 13 graded winners, Yes This Time, Cogburn and Up to the Mark all earned their wins over the turf.
Summertime Green produced a colt by Gun Runner last year and a filly by Hard Spun this year. She was bred back to Not This Time's GI Travers S.-winning son Epicenter this year.
The mare's 2-year-old filly Afternoon Wedding (Audible) sold to Maverick Racing and Siena Farm for $160,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale.
Summertime Green RNA'd for $235,000 as a yearling at the 2009 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale. She made just one start for her breeder, William Backer, finishing sixth over the Colonial lawn in 2012.
Backer purchased Gigante's third dam, Deep Enough, for $35,000 at the 1992 Keeneland November sale. Her daughter, Crab Grass, was a four-time stakes winner in Backer's colors.
#2 Gigante and @jjcjockey upset in the G2 Secretariat S. at Colonial Downs at odds of 22/1! 💰
The 3-year-old colt is trained by Steve Asmussen.
🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/zQtijTLxEg
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) August 12, 2023
Saturday, Colonial Downs
SECRETARIAT S.-GII, $500,000, Colonial Downs, 8-12, 3yo, 1mT, 1:35.10, fm.
1–GIGANTE, 121, c, 3, by Not This Time
1st Dam: Summertime Green, by Empire Maker
2nd Dam: Crab Grass, by Known Fact
3rd Dam: Deep Enough, by Raise a Native
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($120,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Iapetus Racing & Diamond T Racing; B-Ann Mudge Backer & Smitten Farm (VA); T-Steven M Asmussen; J-Javier Castellano. $306,900. Lifetime Record: 9-4-0-1, $583,550. *1/2 to Tryon Summer (Discreetly Mine), SW, $142,955. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Nagirroc, 121, c, 3, Lea–Emma Spencer (Ire), by Zamindar. O-Little Red Feather Racing, Madaket Stables LLC & William Strauss, William; B-Chervenell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-H Graham Motion. $99,000.
3–Silver Knott (GB), 119, c, 3, Lope de Vega (Ire)–God Given (GB), by Nathaniel (Ire). (725,000gns Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-Godolphin, LLC; B-St Albans Bloodstock LLP (GB); T-Charles Appleby. $49,500.
Margins: NK, 1 3/4, NO. Odds: 22.90, 2.20, 2.30.
Also Ran: Major Dude, Northern Invader, Mo Stash. Scratched: More Than Looks, Tee At One. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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