Fair Maiden's 20-1 victory in the La Brea Stakes (USA-G1) on December 26 did more than provide Godolphin with a surprise late Christmas gift. It also provided a boost to the legacy of a good race mare with a disappointing production record in her own day. Secret Status never managed to produce a stakes winner in spite of consistently being mated to some of the best and most fashionable stallions in Kentucky, but as often happens in such cases, her worth has been resurrected in a fine descendant.
A daughter of A.P. Indy and the Alydar mare Private Status (a Grade 1-placed listed stakes winner), Secret Status traced her roots back to a family that has enjoyed considerable success in South America. She lived up to that heritage by becoming one of the best sophomore fillies of 2000, winning the Kentucky Oaks (USA-G1) and Mother Goose Stakes (USA-G1) and finishing second in the Coaching Club American Oaks (USA-G1) and Alabama Stakes (USA-G1). While she failed to return to that form at 4, she still retired to the breeding shed with high expectations,
Unfortunately, she came close to realizing those hopes only once. This was in 2006, when she foaled the Unbridled's Song colt Dunkirk, an outstanding physical specimen who was a US$3.7 million auction yearling. While he never won a stakes race, Dunkirk was a good second to Quality Road (who set a new track record) in the Florida Derby (USA-G1) and was also second to eventual divisional champion Summer Bird in the Belmont Stakes (USA-G1). He has been a fairly successful stallion in Chile, ranking three times among that country's top 10 sires.
Secret Status has been singularly unfortunate in the rest of her production career. Although she produced 12 other named foals and saw 10 of them get to the races, only four managed to win. Even worse for her long-term prospects, only three of her named foals were fillies, and only one of those has ever had offspring. This is her first foal, Code Book, a daughter of Giant's Causeway who won once and ran second twice in six efforts.
Like her dam, Code Book has produced relatively little from excellent opportunities. She has 10 named foals of racing age, of which eight have started. Five have won, and one of the non-winners, the 2018 Twirling Candy filly Twilight Curfew, placed in a restricted stakes. None of Code Book's foals have shown much ability, so unless Twilight Curfew blossoms at 3, Code Book's broodmare career will be summed up as mediocre at best.
Code Book was exported to Mexico earlier this year, so any redemption for her record and that of Secret Status will have to come from her daughters. Fortunately, one has already stepped up to the task. This is her eldest daughter, the Smart Strike mare Shieldmaiden, who won two of 10 starts before retiring to the paddocks. Fair Maiden (by Street Boss) is her third foal, and she may earn her dam and perhaps her dam's half-sisters a chance at opportunities higher up the scale. Even if not, a Grade 1 win plus the status of her connections should provide Fair Maiden with first-rate opportunities of her own when her time comes to retire to the broodmare ranks, giving her the chance to pull her family further out of mediocrity and back to the status it enjoyed when Secret Status was no secret to anyone with an eye for horse racing.
A daughter of A.P. Indy and the Alydar mare Private Status (a Grade 1-placed listed stakes winner), Secret Status traced her roots back to a family that has enjoyed considerable success in South America. She lived up to that heritage by becoming one of the best sophomore fillies of 2000, winning the Kentucky Oaks (USA-G1) and Mother Goose Stakes (USA-G1) and finishing second in the Coaching Club American Oaks (USA-G1) and Alabama Stakes (USA-G1). While she failed to return to that form at 4, she still retired to the breeding shed with high expectations,
Unfortunately, she came close to realizing those hopes only once. This was in 2006, when she foaled the Unbridled's Song colt Dunkirk, an outstanding physical specimen who was a US$3.7 million auction yearling. While he never won a stakes race, Dunkirk was a good second to Quality Road (who set a new track record) in the Florida Derby (USA-G1) and was also second to eventual divisional champion Summer Bird in the Belmont Stakes (USA-G1). He has been a fairly successful stallion in Chile, ranking three times among that country's top 10 sires.
Secret Status has been singularly unfortunate in the rest of her production career. Although she produced 12 other named foals and saw 10 of them get to the races, only four managed to win. Even worse for her long-term prospects, only three of her named foals were fillies, and only one of those has ever had offspring. This is her first foal, Code Book, a daughter of Giant's Causeway who won once and ran second twice in six efforts.
Like her dam, Code Book has produced relatively little from excellent opportunities. She has 10 named foals of racing age, of which eight have started. Five have won, and one of the non-winners, the 2018 Twirling Candy filly Twilight Curfew, placed in a restricted stakes. None of Code Book's foals have shown much ability, so unless Twilight Curfew blossoms at 3, Code Book's broodmare career will be summed up as mediocre at best.
Code Book was exported to Mexico earlier this year, so any redemption for her record and that of Secret Status will have to come from her daughters. Fortunately, one has already stepped up to the task. This is her eldest daughter, the Smart Strike mare Shieldmaiden, who won two of 10 starts before retiring to the paddocks. Fair Maiden (by Street Boss) is her third foal, and she may earn her dam and perhaps her dam's half-sisters a chance at opportunities higher up the scale. Even if not, a Grade 1 win plus the status of her connections should provide Fair Maiden with first-rate opportunities of her own when her time comes to retire to the broodmare ranks, giving her the chance to pull her family further out of mediocrity and back to the status it enjoyed when Secret Status was no secret to anyone with an eye for horse racing.
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