At the Fairgrounds on Saturday, Delmer R. Caldwell’s Secret Face and Andrew Ney’s Not on Herb both set new stakes records in the Louisiana Horse Stakes, while Retomikefig Layout claimed his first money-added victory in the Jacob V. Morreale Memorial. Three standout performances highlighted the $100,000 races of the day.
Secret Face, a remarkable 3-year-old mare from Norman Stables, overcame a rough start to surge from sixth place and secure a two-and-a-half-length win under jockey CJ McMahon and trainer Jade Gellner. This victory marked Caldwell’s ninth stakes win and added to Secret Face’s impressive career earnings of $606,022.
Similarly, Not on Herb, a 5-year-old gelding from the Crusaders stable, replicated his winning style from the Gary P. Palmisano Memorial last week by passing the leader Joe Sugar on the outside to take the Andrew Ney Memorial under rider Paco Lopez and trainer David Tell. With a career total of $399,470 in earnings, Not on Herb returned $12 as the winning payout.
In the Jacob V. Morreale Memorial, Blue Ridge Racing’s Rhett Mikefig Layout led from the start under jockey Devin Magnon, holding off rivals Hey Jude and Good and Stout to win by two and a half lengths. This marks Rhett Mikefig Layout’s first stakes title and brings his career earnings to $162,020.
Fan Take: These record-breaking performances are thrilling for horse racing fans as they spotlight the rising talent in the sport and the fierce competition across stakes levels. Such exciting races help maintain fan interest and can attract new audiences, essential for the sport’s growth and future success.
