Tachas Secret amazes in Born Runner Classic at Horseshoe Indianapolis

It’s not uncommon to see Tachas Secret in the winner’s circle. However, her first start of 2026 and the lineup of opponents put a big question mark on her for the 17^th running of the $84,200 Born Runner Classic Saturday at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Those questions were soon silenced as Indiana’s returning champ scored the win in the stakes.

Tachas Secret, who was bred and raised by trainer Ricardo Martinez, joined forces with jockey Fernando Morin, who has been aboard for all 13 of her wins, entered the starting gate in post eight.

As soon as the gate opened, she placed herself as a major factor in the race and was vying for the lead with Martinez’s other entrant, Nachor Secret, the defending champ of the Born Runner Classic, ridden by Martin Munoz.

The stablemates battled each other during the early stages of the 400-yard dash. Midway through the lane, Tachas Secret moved into her explosive gear and blew by her opponents to win by a half-length over Nachor Secret.

Jess a Riot and Edgar Diaz finished third. Time of the sprint was 19.873 seconds.

“She (Tachas Secret) came to do her job today,” said Morin. “After 200 yards, she had a great response. She is a very special horse, and I know her very well. We have had a lot of wins together.”

Tachas Secret was not selected as the early morning line favorite, paying $7.40 for the win. The six-year-old sorrel mare is by Habit’s Secret, who was campaigned to multiple stakes wins by Martinez. He was Indiana Stallion of the Year in 2024, most notably linked to Tachas Secret. She now has 13 career wins in 26 career starts and her earnings tally moves her to more than $550,000.

The win also makes her the sole record holder of most career stakes wins at Horseshoe Indianapolis with 10, moving past the title she co-owned with Mr Michel at nine stakes victories over their careers. She is also the richest Indiana bred and/or sired mare ever for the state and is only second to Stone Cold Leader among the All-time richest Indiana sired Quarter Horses.

“I’m really surprised she won today,” noted Martinez. “They have been flushing embryos all winter and I didn’t think she would be ready. She’s only been in training a little more than a month. Plus, we thought this race was 350 instead of 400 today and we almost scratched her. I called Chris (Duke) and we decided to go ahead and race her.”

Tachas Secret enters the 2026 season with a few changes. Embryos were flushed this winter to reset mares with hopeful foals born next year by Flying Cowboy 123. As a result of that decision, a portion of Tachas Secret was sold to the Marla K. Robinson Family Trust of Utah, big players in the Quarter Horse breeding industry.

“We made a deal on her with the Robinsons to get embryos,” noted Chris Duke, managing partner of Duke Racing LLC. “They are big time breeders, and we were able to transfer embryos to two mares because of that deal.”

Duke was surprised by the win from Tachas Secret. Her backstory puts even more of a question mark on her performance in the Born Runner Classic.

“I really thought this race was 350 yards, but that was the Derby (Harley Greene Derby),” explained Duke, who owns and operates Elite Construction in addition to breeding, racing, and competing in barrels with his Quarter Horses. “Ricardo (Martinez) called me after the sheet came out and asked if we should scratch her. We thought about it and of course, we always want to do what is best for her, but we decided to go ahead and race her today. I just didn’t think she’d be ready and I didn’t think she would finish well, but she did. I’m just shocked by this win.”

Tachas Secret made her final start last year in the $110,000 Indiana Championship during Indiana Champions Day, finishing third. She came out of the race with a cut, which was quickly attended to by her connections.

“She (Tachas Secret) got stepped on in her last start last year,” added Duke. “She had a couple of stitches and we had to let that heal, so we have been on a delay with her for everything this year, including her return to training. But she proved she was ready today.”

Duke said plans are to continue to race her through all the Indiana stakes this summer. Her next start will be determined after Martinez has time to make sure she came out of the race well before moving forward.

“She (Tachas Secret) is a long mare and a natural distance horse,” added Martinez. “I don’t see anything different with her this year. She really is just a normal horse to train. She is the same horse every time she races.”

Plans for the next start for Tachas Secret will be evaluated over the next few weeks by her connections.

“We plan to race her in all the stakes this year, but I’m not sure if she will make the Bradford yet (July 1),” noted Duke. “This will definitely be her last year of racing.”

The Born Runner Classic closed out the first all-Quarter Horse card of the year at Horseshoe Indianapolis. Last year’s first Quarter Horse Day established a new all-sources handle of $1.232 million.

This year’s card also eclipsed the million-dollar mark with more than $1.121 million wagered on the day.

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