Nachor Secret Proves the Secret’s Out on His Speed in Bob Woodard Memorial Classic

Six of Indiana’s finest older horses lined up in the gate for the 18th running of the $81,700 Bob Woodard Memorial Classic Saturday, August 29, at Horseshoe Indianapolis. It was anyone’s race to win with Na-chor Secret and Martin Munoz scoring the win in a time of :20.179 seconds.

The break from the gate was good for all six starters as they fanned out equally across the track. Nachor Secret made his presence known early from the center of the pack. The grey gelding held his own along the outside as stablemate Tachas Secret and Fernando Morin battled Escondido Gold and Alberto Ceron along the inside.

As the wire came into focus in the 400-yard sprint, Nachor Secret was the horse to beat, cruising under the wire as a half-length winner. Tachas Secret was second by a neck over Escondido Gold. The entire field finished together with less than a length and three-quarters separating the finishers.

Nachor Secret paid $8.60 for the win. The five-year-old son of Habits Secret is owned, trained and was bred by Ricardo Martinez. In the winner’s circle, Martinez stood between both horses for the victory photo.

Always well-mannered, horses from the Martinez barn are true professionals. They are both from his stallion Habits Secret, who Martinez campaigned to several stakes wins before heading to the stallion ranks. He was the leading stallion in the state in 2024 and continues to produce quality stakes winners in the Hoosier State.

“He (Nachor Secret) had a couple of bad trips this year, but he got it together today,” noted Martinez, who stables and trains in the Chicagoland area. “It helped; it was a short field today. He’s an older horse, and he took a hit last time (regarding a disqualification due to interference in the Air Born Leader Stakes), but there will always be another day.”

Although not as decorated as Tachas Secret, the state’s top Indiana-sired female Quarter Horse of all time with nearly $600,000 in earnings, Nachor Secret is making his own mark in Indiana. He increased his bankroll to more than $310,000 with the win in the Woodard Memorial Classic. It was the fifth stakes win of his career and eighth overall.

Disqualified from third to seventh in his last out, Nachor Secret was a finalist in the Air Born Leader Stakes. Before that he won the Easys Night Beat Stakes and placed second in the Born Runner Classic this year. The powerhouse out of Eyes A Favorite by Favorite Cartel is a five-time stakes winner who has lit the board 15 of 18 starts with eight career wins.

Runner-up Tachas Secret has 14 wins, 6 seconds, and 2 thirds from 29 starts with $596,922 in the bank. The daughter of Habits Secret is out of the Pyc Paint Your Wagon mare Sin Tachas Angel and owned by Marla K. Robinson Family Trust and Duke Racing.

“She likes the outside. Today she ran the inside, and last time she ran a really good race on the inside, but then she veered out (and was disqualified to fifth), said Martinez. “I just don’t think she likes the inside.”

Tachas Secret is an 11-time stakes winner, including the Bradford Stakes and Born Runner Classic earlier this season. She also won the Bob Woodard Memorial Classic in 2024.

Third-place finisher Escondido Gold won his last out in the Air Born Leader Stakes. He placed second in the Easys Night Beat Stakes and finished fifth in the Born Runner Classic Stakes earlier this season. Trained by Natasha Perez, the two-time stakes winner has seven wins from 18 starts and $162,362 in earnings.

Bred by Thomas Wylie, the four-year-old son of Escondido Beach, is owned by Robert Godsey. He is out of Marthas Jess Gold by Gold Medal Jess.

Mr Michel, Streakindownthebeach and Jess A Riot complete the order of finish.

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