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Lookinforthesecret Stepping Up

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By BART O'CONNELL, Tribune correspondent

Published: February 9, 2008

OLDSMAR - A month ago, trainer Jamie Ness said his prized sprinter, Lookinforthesecret, would not run longer than six furlongs at the current Tampa Bay Downs meet. But today they will be looking for the distance in the seven-furlong, $75,000 Super Stakes.

In a surprising move, Ness nominated the 6-year-old brown horse for the Super Stakes two weeks ago, and the entry was made official on Thursday. Lookinforthesecret has suffered from a breathing problem throughout his career, which has prevented him from running longer distances due to fears that he would falter near the wire.

During a 28-race career that began with a maiden claiming ($25,000 level) victory at TBD in January 2005, Lookinforthesecret has won more than $275,000, but never run at more than six furlongs. He is trying to go 3-for-3 in Oldsmar this meet.

"It's all about his ability to finish against a higher caliber of horses," said Ness, admitting that a seven-furlong race would be very much an experiment. "I'm not in a hurry to run him, but the thing is, I've found that if you space his races out, he doesn't run as well. He needs to run with shorter periods of time off."

Ness had planned to enter Lookinforthesecret in an allowance race at Gulfstream Park, but the race was canceled. That led to a potentially long layoff which Ness wanted to avoid. He said the breathing problem does not pose a health risk to the horse at the longer distance.

Lookinforthesecret, to be ridden by leading jockey Daniel Centeno, is the second choice on the morning line at 5-2, as the competition in the Super (Race 10, 4:37 p.m.) includes seven other horses, most experienced at longer distances.

Paradise Dancer is the 2-1 early favorite, an entry from 2006 TBD leading trainer Kirk Ziadie and leading owner Richard Averill. The 8-year old has won five stakes and has been in the money 10 consecutive times and 31-of-40 (77.5 percent) overall. Most recently, he won the seven-furlong, Grade III Kenny Noe, Jr. Handicap at Calder, his home track, by a neck to push its lifetime winnings above $500,000.

Also in the field is He's so Chic, runner-up to Lookinforthesecret in January's Pelican Stakes at TBD. And Storm in May, which won last year's Sunshine Millions Dash and was a disappointing 16{+t}{+h} in the Kentucky Derby, is considered a long shot at 12-1.

IMPRESSIVE NOMS: Graded stakes winners Anak Nakal, Cowboy Cal, Smooth Air and Z Humor are among 39 nominations for next week's $200,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes, the first major Kentucky Derby prep held annually at TBD.

Dreaming of Anna, a $1.6-million lifetime winner, leads a deep pack of nominees for the $150,000, Grade III Endeavour Breeders' Cup Stakes, also running next Saturday along with the $75,000 Suncoast Stakes.

Trainers William Mott and Todd Pletcher are well represented on both lists. In addition to Cowboy Cal, Pletcher also nominated Monba to the Sam F. Davis, considered his top Kentucky Derby contender at odds of 19-1 in the race's futures Pool 1, which can be found on kentuckyderby.com. As of Friday, Cowboy Cal is 28-1, Anak Nakal 46-1, Z Humor 57-1 and Smooth Air 99-1 in the same pool.

AROUND THE TRACKS: On Thursday, 4-year old Riversrunrylee, trained by Juan Camillo and ridden by Pedro Gonzalez, set a TBD record at one-mile, 40 yards on the dirt (1 minute, 39.48 seconds). ... Trainer Dale Bennett continued his hot streak with two more winners on Friday, now within three of Ness for the TBD lead.

Bart O'Connell can be reached at boconnell@pop.tampatrib.com

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