Mendel’s Secret 12th Winner for Mendelssohn

It was a successful start to September for Mendelssohn when Mendel’s Secret (2c Mendelssohn x Donnie’s Secret, by Tiger Ridge) won a Kentucky Downs Maiden Special Weight on debut.

The Turman Racing Stable representative took the lead early in the one-mile turf race and set the pace from the six hole. He proved to be a very determined runner in the stretch when he was challenged by another debuter and had to enter a duel for the win. He refused to let that one by, winning by a nose for trainer Mike Maker with the rest of the field over four lengths behind.

Bred by Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds, the colt is a half-brother to stakes winner So Conflated and five others out of the three-time winner Donnie’s Secret. That mare is a full sister to multiple graded stakes winner Leah’s Secret, who also produced the Grade III winning Nicodemus, and a half-sister to Grade III winner Bear Tough Guy.

This is also the family of the great Lady’s Secret and 2021 Japanese Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Circle of Life.

Donnie’s Secret returned to the Ashford breeding shed the year Mendel’s Secret was born to visit Practical Joke and had a filly by that stallion last year.

Mendelssohn’s 12 winners is the second best of any U.S. freshman sire with most of those winners coming in August.