Secret Faith Gives Aurelius Maximus First Stakes Winner
Secret Faith wins the Texas Thoroughbred Association Futurity at Lone Star Park
Norman Stables' undefeated Secret Faith won the $150,000 Texas Thoroughbred Association Futurity July 13 at Lone Star Park to give freshman stallion Aurelius Maximus his first stakes winner.
Trained by Jayde Gelner, 2-year-old filly Secret Faith improved her record to two wins from two starts, with earnings of $110,400.
Secret Faith won her stakes debut Saturday by three-quarters of a length after rallying from seventh place early. Her final time for 5 1/2 furlongs on a fast dirt track was 1:05.77. C.J. McMahon has ridden her in both starts.
Aurelius Maximus, a son of Pioneerof the Nile, entered stud in 2021 at Red River Farms in Louisiana. His stud fee has remained at $2,000 since his introduction.
A $625,000 buy-back at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Aurelius Maximus won three of eight starts for owners Stonestreet Stables, George Bolton, and Peter Leidel. He finished second in the 2020 Fayette Stakes (G2) for trainer Steve Asmussen.
Aurelius Maximus is out of the grade 3-winning A.P. Indy mare La Reina, a half sister to grade 1 winner and sire Brahms (Danzig).
Gelner selected Secret Faith out of the 2023 Texas Thoroughbred Association Yearling Sale for $75,000. Bred in Louisiana by J. Adcock and Hume Wornall, Secret Faith is the third stakes winner out of the winning Macho Uno mare St. Jean , who also has produced four-time stakes winner Midnight Fantasy (Midnight Lute ) and three-time stakes winner Strong Promise (Broken Vow) from eight foals.