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Secret Oath (foaled March 20, 2019) is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2022 Kentucky Oaks. She also won the Martha Washington Stakes and Honeybee Stakes and finished third against males in the Arkansas Derby.
The Mitchell's originally planned to sell Secret Oath at the 2020 Keeneland yearling sale, but withdrew her before bidding began due to lack of interest. She therefore races for Brilard Farms as a homebred. She is trained by D. Wayne Lukas, once one of the most dominant trainers in North America with an outstanding record in the American Classics in the 1980s and 1990s. His stable has since reduced to 25 horses. "We didn't start out with six fillies like this one", said Lukas. "We started out with one. We're probably beating the odds that an old man like me with a one-horse stable could take this to the next level."
She made her next start on October 31, again at Churchill Downs, in a maiden special weight race at a distance of miles. She stalked the early pace while racing three-wide around the first turn, then started her move on the far turn. She drew clear in the stretch and won by lengths.
On November 27, Secret Oath made her first stakes appearance in the Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill Downs. She tracked the early pace while racing on the outside, then made a bid for the lead on the far turn. She tired in the stretch though and finished fifth, lengths behind the winner, Dream Lith.
She made her final start as a two-year-old in an allowance rate at Oaklawn Park. Instead of pressing the pace as in her earlier starts, she rated towards the back of the pack while racing on the inside. She then shifted to the outside and started to close ground on the final turn. She took the lead in midstretch and continued to draw away, winning by lengths.
On February 26, Secret Oath was entered in the Honeybee Stakes where she was the heavy favorite in a field of six. She broke slowly but then settled into stalking position on the rail. She ran into traffic on the far turn but found a hole and quickly moved to the lead. She won easily by lengths. "They convoyed her right in that pocket there a little bit and I thought, 'Well, someone has to bear out a little bit and give us some room'" said Lukas. "But then when she checked and her head went up in there I thought, 'Oh boy, this isn't a good situation,' but she's just so classy, she doesn't let anything ruffle her feathers. She just dropped down and said 'Adios.'"
With Secret Oath so dominant against the fillies at Oaklawn Park, Lukas decided to test her against the colts in the Arkansas Derby on April 2. She had a troubled trip but made a strong move while racing six-wide to move from ninth to second. She flattened in the final strides and finished third behind Cyberknife and Barber Road. "She was tired", said Lukas after the race. "That move she made was a terrific move for a filly at this stage of her career, to keep going. Watching it live, I thought she's probably going to hang a little bit here. She almost had to. It was a monster move."
"I thought the race unfolded pretty much like what we expected", Lukas said. "Being in the one hole, we didn't have a lot of options. But down the backside, I told Saez not to get too creative on the turn and make his move if he was going to get in position on the backside."
"I didn't think it was a typically hard race on her today", Lukas added. "I think it was more business-like, more of a workman-like race. She wasn't blowing very hard even though it was a wet track and probably pulled a little bit out of her. But I like what I saw today in the winner's circle."
Secret Oath returned to face Nest three weeks later on August 23 in the Alabama Stakes at Saratoga over the longer mile distance. She once again fell short, finishing second to Nest by lengths in a time of 2:03.14. "We got outrun, we had a shot at her at the top of the stretch, she's special," Lukas said. "We had our style today. I thought Luis rode a real good race. Little bit slow on the fractions early on, that probably set up for Nest to kick on but we're supposed to kick on too."
On November 5 in the Breeders' Cup Distaff Secret Oath finished fifth, weakening after taking the lead as the field entered the straight. She was no match for Malathaat who won in a three-way photo finish with Blue Stripe and Clairiere finishing third.
Fall campaign
Secret Oath made her next start on September 24 in the Cotillion Stakes at PARX Racing. She went off as the 2-1 second choice in a field of nine. On a track that appeared to favor early speed, Society went to the front and opened up a large lead going into the final turn. Secret Oath raced in mid-pack early, then mounted a strong run to close ground as she turned into the stretch. She could not maintain the drive though and finished third. Lukas noted that Secret Oath's jockey, Luis Saez, had faced a difficult decision. "Do you ride for second or do you try to ride the one that is out there down?" he asked after the race. "(Secret Oath) made that big move on the middle of the turn and she is running faster than any of them. (Saez) had to make that move. The pacesetter was just too far in front."
Retirement
Secret Oath was retired due to inflammation in her right front ankle. She is to be sold during 2023 November Sale at Fasig-Tipton. She was withdrawn from the same sale last year.
Statistics
An asterisk after the odds means Secret Odds was the post-time favorite
2021 – Two-year-old season 1 mile Maiden Special Weight Churchill Downs 31.40 8 3 1:37.43 ( Horse length) miles Maiden Special Weight Churchill Downs 2.80 8 1 1:46.86 Horse length David Cohen miles Golden Rod Stakes II Churchill Downs 16.80 8 5 1:44.72 ( Horse length) David Cohen 1 mile Allowance Oaklawn Park 7.80 9 1 1:37.38 Horse length 2022 – Three-year-old season miles Martha Washington Stakes Listed Oaklawn Park 0.50* 6 1 1:46.21 Horse length miles Honeybee Stakes III Oaklawn Park 0.30* 6 1 1:44.74 Horse length miles Arkansas Derby I Oaklawn Park 1.40* 9 3 1:50.42 ( Horse length) miles Kentucky Oaks I Churchill Downs 4.40 14 1 1:49.44 2 Horse length miles Preakness Stakes I Pimlico 5.00 9 4 1:54.54 ) miles Coaching Club American Oaks I Saratoga 1.20 5 2 1:51.04 ) miles Alabama Stakes I Saratoga 4.80 7 2 2:03.14 ) miles Cotillion Stakes I Parx Racing 2.20 9 3 1:42.94 ) miles Breeders' Cup Distaff I Keeneland 14.25 8 5 1:49.07 ) 2023 – Four-year-old season miles Azeri Stakes II Oaklawn Park 1.40 8 1 1:43.26 Horse length miles Apple Blossom Handicap I Oaklawn Park 0.70* 4 2 1:43.36 (neck) miles La Troienne Stakes I Churchill Downs 1.68* 10 2 1:42.48 (neck) miles Ogden Phipps Stakes I Belmont Park 3.15 6 5 1:43.40 ( Horse length) miles Personal Ensign Stakes I Saratoga 7.20 6 2 1:49.12 (4 Horse length)
Pedigree
Secret Oath is inbred 4s x 3d to Fappiano, meaning Fappiano appears in the fourth generation on the sire's side of the pedigree and in the third generation on the dam's side.
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