In 1986, the third Breeders’ Cup was held for the first time under the San Gabriel Mountains at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. A record Breeders’ Cup crowd of 69,155 were on hand to witness the 4-year-old “Lady’s
Secret” go wire to wire to win the Distaff and become the first Breeders’ Cup champion to be named Horse of the Year. Owner Eugene Klein’s four-year-old filly had finished second to her year-older stablemate “Life’s Magic” in the 1985 Distaff at Aqueduct for trainer D. Wayne Lukas, but the 1986 Distaff clearly belonged to the ‘Lady’ as she went wire-to-wire to win by 2 ½ lengths, a performance that sealed an Eclipse
Award campaign and Horse of the Year honors. A roan/gray filly by 1973 Triple Crown hero Secretariat, Lady’s Secret was purchased privately by Klein as a weanling. Her victory in the Distaff was her fourth straight in a major stakes after facing top male rivals four times earlier in the year including a 4½ lengths win in the historic Whitney Handicap at Saratoga. After winning two of four starts in a limited campaign in 1987, Lady’s Secret was retired with career earnings of $3,021,325, a record for a filly or mare at the time.
This lot features the beautifully crafted trophy that Lady’s Secret’s owners earned that day at the Breeders’ Cup. Standing 8.5” wide by 13.5” tall, the elegant trophy includes a large red-and-white marble base that stretches 4.25 inches high and 8.5 inches wide. A sculptured, nine-inch tall prancing horse made of solid bronze is featured on top and is called an écorché, which means it shows the muscles of the horse in vivid detail. The
trophy includes a wraparound gold band that has been engraved on both sides with important information about the event as well as the winning horse. The front side reads: “MR. & MRS. EUGENE V. KLEIN’S LADY’S SECRET, Secretariat Great Lady M by Icecapade – WINNER – THIRD RUNNING BREEDERS’ CUP DISTAFF, Santa Anita Park, November 1, 1986.” The second engraving, which appears on the opposite side, reads: “LADY’S SECRET, Gray Filly – 1982, Bred by: Robert H. Spreen, Trainer – D. Wayne Lukas, Jockey – Pat Day.” The trophy weighs just over 17 pounds.
Includes Letter of Provenance from the San Diego Hall of Champions.