Trikari Too Much to Handle in the $500,000 Secretariat

NEW KENT, Va. (Aug. 11, 2024) – Amerman Racing’s Trikari dominated the field of 3-year-olds in Sunday’s Grade 2 $500,000 Secretariat at Colonial Downs. Holding off the post-time favorite Brilliant Berti’s late kick, Trikari won by 2¼ lengths over a firm turf course. Trained by Graham Motion and ridden by John Velazquez, Trikari covered the one-mile distance in 1:34.92.

“Johnny was super impressed with his turn of foot,” winning trainer Graham Motion said. Down the backside he was so relaxed and when he asked him, he just took off. I think as (Trikari) matures now and starts to run against older horses — he’s going to have to step up his game against older horses — I think (one mile) is really going to be his game. I’ve been trying not to think about the Breeders’ Cup, because it’s tough for three-year-olds, a race at Keeneland maybe against older horses, something along those lines is something we will have to consider.”

General Ledger took the lead, rolling through honest opening fractions of :24.24 and :48.26, while Trikari tracked comfortably in fourth and Brilliant Berti settled near the back on the rail. Trikari advanced in the final turn to take the lead at the top of the stretch. With Brilliant Berti following, Trikari proved to be too much.

In a Jam finished third and General Ledger hung on for fourth.

The son of 2017 Secretariat winner Oscar Performance, who was also owned by Amerman, now boasts three graded stakes to his resume, which tallies 8-5-1-1. With his win in the Secretariat, Trikari improved his purse earnings to $1,303,530.

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Earlier in the day, the $100,000 Petramalo Mile came down to a thrilling photo finish as Goodfellas’s Regalo beat Awesome Ruta after dueling through the stretch. Trained by Brittany Russell and ridden by Sheldon Russel, the recently gelded 3-year-old son of Maximus Mischief improved with blinkers off today and paid $36.60.

Cash is King and LC Racing’s Carmelina held off a late charge from Cap Classique to win the $100,000 Penny Chenery in gate-to-wire fashion. Trained by Butch Reid and with Mychel Sanchez in the irons, the Maximus Mischief filly paid $4.80 and added a fourth stake title to her resume.

Ironhorse Racing Stable’s Beauty of the Sea sat a perfect stalking trip under Paco Lopez before opening up in the stretch to win the $150,000 Andy Guest Stakes by 1 ½ lengths. The 4-year-old trained by Joseph Orseno racked up her third stakes win and paid $3.60.

Exline-Border Racing, Peter Eurton, Richard Hausman, and Stonestreet Stables’s Dream Shake came off the rail to track and take over, scoring in the $150,000 Van Clief Stakes by 1¾ lengths. Paying $18.40, the graded stakes winner trained by Mike Stidham was in the hands of jockey Ben Curtis.