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Secret Love turned in a gutsy performance in her stakes debut in the $100,000 Franklin Square S. at Aqueduct, turning back heavily favored Laobanonaprayer to win the 6 1/2-furlong contest for 3-year-old fillies by 1 1/2-lengths.

The chestnut filly is the third winner of the week for Not This Time, who led all 2020 First-Crop sires with 28 winners of 34 races.

With Pablo Morales in the irons, Secret Love pressed Rossa Volace through a quarter in :22.76 and drew on even terms after a half-mile. Secret Love forged to the front in upper stretch and dug in resolutely to hold her margin in the final furlong. Vacay, another daughter of Not This Time, was just a neck back in third. Secret Love covered the distance on the muddy track in 1:19.86. 

“I knew everybody was right there,” Morales said. “I knew it was a competitive field and I wasn’t going to draw off in hand and I would have to keep on riding. She dug in hard and I knew with the run she gave me, she was going to be tough to pass.” 

Secret Love won on debut on Sept. 24 and then finished second to Rossa Veloce in a Dec. 20 allowance race. Saturday’s win upped her earnings to $98,000 for owners Nedlaw Stable and Tobey Morton.

The winner was bred by Sequel Stallions NY and Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings. She sold for $270,000 at the 2020 OBS Horses of Racing Age sale last June.