The 20-year-old gelding was pensioned at Old Friends at Cabin Creek, the Thoroughbred Retirement Farm based in Greenfield Center, NY, an official satellite to the Old Friends Farm in Georgetown, KY.
Bred in New York by Flying Z Stables, Midnight Secret (Key Contender- Flannel Sheets, Triocala) raced almost exclusively at Finger Lakes and earned $212,749. In 111 starts the game gelding had 14 wins and hit the boards and additional 51 times.
Debuting as a 2-year-old under trainer David Donk, Midnight Secret moved to Gregory Martin, then as a 4-year-old entered the barn of Oscar S. Barrera, Jr., who trained him for the rest of his career. Barrera transferred him to Finger Lakes, which was to remain his home track. There, he had a rivalry with fellow Old Friends at Cabin Creek resident Karakorum Patriot-from several square-offs, they scored about even. But few can beat Midnight Secret's hardihood.
Barrera retired the horse at Cabin Creek in 2009.
As Barrera once noted: "You never read stories about horses like this, but they've got something special in their heart," he said. "For a 12-year-old, he was like a 2-year-old. I walked him every day and he'd be prancing."
"He may not have been a stakes winner, but he was a champ to us" said Cabin Creek farm manager Joann Pepper. "He will be deeply missed."
