Shakers No Secret Scores In AQHA Retama Park Championship Challenge

Shakers No Secret added another graded stakes victory to his record Friday night with a determined win in the $58,718 AQHA Retama Park Championship Challenge (G3).

Ridden by Raul Ramirez Jr., Shakers No Secret broke sharply from the outside before moving into second and taking command late. The six-year-old gelding drove clear to defeat Im A Pretty Mess by a half-length, completing 440 yards in :21.869 for a 104 speed index.

Shakers No Secret is owned by Abel Lopez, Ethan Lopez and Manny Dutchover and trained by Marc Jungers. Bred by Garlyn Shelton, the $14,000 Heritage Place Yearling Sale graduate is sired by Five Bar Cartel and out of the No Secrets Here mare Shaker Secret.

Coming off a victory in the King William Stakes (G3) in June, Shakers No Secret improved his record to 42-12-10-6. The $28,185 winner's share boosted his career earnings to $893,110.

The accomplished gelding's stakes record also includes victories in the Championship at Sunland Park (G1), AQHA Challenge Championship Stakes (G1) and West Texas Maturity (G3).

Im A Pretty Mess finished second under J.R. Ramirez Jr. The three-year-old filly broke sixth but quickly surged to the front and led into the final stages before being overtaken by Shakers No Secret. She completed the distance in :21.963 for a 102 speed index.

Owned by SLC Racing LLC and trained by Shae Cox, Im A Pretty Mess was bred by Joshua Henderson and is a $24,000 LQHBA Yearling Sale graduate. She is sired by Tarzanito and out of the One Famous Eagle mare Eagle Diva. Her female family includes Dam of Distinction Jess Sass Me ($110,503) and champions Jess Walking Thru ($447,266) and Sass Me Blue ($296,378).

Im A Pretty Mess now has a record of 6-2-1-1 with earnings of $35,504.

Eagles Up crossed the wire in third under Luis Vivanco. The four-year-old colt raced fifth early before making a bid and improving to third, finishing in :22.069 for a 98 speed index.

Owned and bred by Jumonville Farms and trained by Marc Jungers, Eagles Up sold for $32,000 at the Heritage Place Yearling Sale before later bringing $75,000 at the Heritage Place Fall Mixed Sale. He is sired by champion One Famous Eagle and out of the winning Walk Thru Fire mare U R Blue.

Eagles Up is a half-brother to Mardi Gras Derby winner Jess U R Blue ($147,791), while his second dam is world champion and four-time champion Blues Girl Too ($2,032,328). He now has a record of 16-5-3-4 with earnings of $176,240.

Still seeking his first stakes victory, Eagles Up has placed in several major events, including runner-up honors in the EVD Futurity (G2) and third-place finishes in the EVD Derby and Sam Houston Derby (G3).

Dr Pepper 123 finished fourth, followed by Defours in fifth. Klass Action and Sightseeing Beauty dead-heated for sixth, followed by Apollitical Jackie.

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