Raymundos Secret and Maxim Rate are relatively equal in accomplishments and share a common denominator. They separately raced last month against Lady Prancealot, with Raymundos Secret outlasting her by a neck to win in the John C. Mabee Stakes (G2T) at Del Mar and Maxim Rate finishing a length in front of her when he was second and she was third in the Rodeo Drive Stakes (G1T) at Santa Anita Park.
The Lady Prancealot measuring stick suggests the two fillies are the leading prospects Oct. 25 in the $200,000 Goldikova Stakes (G2T) at Santa Anita, a race that did not lure Lady Prancealot but did draw five others.
Coming off the Mabee, as well as an earlier allowance victory at Del Mar in August, Raymundo's Secret is likely to start as the favorite under Flavien Prat. The 4-year-old daughter of Treasure Beach is 5-for-7, rising all the way from the maiden claiming ranks at Tampa Bay Downs to become a graded stakes winner in California.
Her Mabee triumph was her first stakes success after defeats when eighth in the Del Mar Oaks Presented by The Jockey Club (G1T) and Autumn Miss Stakes (G3T) last year for owners Sierra Racing and Sterling Stables.
After throwing down fast splits as a 3-year-old, the speedy filly has been more settled this year under Prat for trainer Phil D'Amato, who began handling her in 2020. She came from just off the pace to win her season debut at a mile and led from start to finish in the Mabee after comfortable fractions of :48.60 and 1:12.52 in the 1 1/8-mile race.
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The rider is 3-for-3 aboard her, a record that includes a win last year.
She is 4-for-5 at the Goldikova's mile distance and appears to hold a pace advantage, matched against mostly stalkers and closers.
Slam Dunk Racing's and James Branham's Maxim Rate has also been effective at the distance, going 3-for-6, including a stakes victory in the Senorita Stakes (G3T) in 2019. This year she has been effective from a mile to 1 3/8 miles, capturing the CTT and TOC Stakes over the latter trip at Del Mar before her runner-up finish in the 1 1/4-mile Rodeo Drive for trainer Simon Callaghan.
"We were going to wait for the Matriarch Stakes (G1) at Del Mar Nov. 29," Slam Dunk managing partner Nick Cosato said. "But Simon was like, 'Nick, I'm telling you, she's doing so good. I need to run her.' When your trainer is saying let's run and he has the luxury of waiting, that gives you that much more confidence as an owner."
A hard-charging 4-year-old daughter of Exchange Rate, she will be ridden by Umberto Rispoli.
The Goldikova also includes graded-placed Hang a Star, stakes-winning New York raider Atomic Blond, Mabee fourth-place finisher Zee Drop, Italian invader Silberpfeil, and Rodeo Drive fourth-place finisher and Yellow Ribbon (G2T) runner-up Tonahutu.
Zee Drop, also trained by D'Amato, is cross-entered in the Senator Ken Maddy Stakes (G3T), a 5 1/2-furlong grass race Oct. 24 at Santa Anita.
Raymundos Secret shoulders the high weight of 126 pounds, and Maxim Rate and Silberpfeil tote 124. The remaining starters carry 122.
Santa Anita Park, Sunday, October 25, 2020, Race 9Entries: Goldikova S. (G2T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Hang a Star (KY) Victor Espinoza 122 Ian Kruljac 15/1 2 2Maxim Rate (KY) Umberto Rispoli 124 Simon Callaghan 8/5 3 3Raymundos Secret (FL) Flavien Prat 126 Philip D'Amato 9/5 4 4Atomic Blonde (KY) Mike E. Smith 122 Jorge R. Abreu 8/1 5 5Zee Drop (KY) Mario Gutierrez 122 Philip D'Amato 12/1 6 6Silberpfeil (IRE) Juan J. Hernandez 124 Leonard Powell 8/1 7 7Tonahutu (IRE) Abel Cedillo 122 Doug F. O'Neill 4/1
