2022 Eclipse Awards: Secret Oath

Secret Oath blossomed in winter at Oaklawn Park and was blanketed by lilies in spring at Churchill Downs. During an enterprising nine-start campaign, Secret Oath ducked no one, raced outside her division twice against colts, won three races including the Grade 1 Longines Kentucky Oaks, placed in four other Grade 1s, and earned $1,603,250.

Trainer D. Wayne Lukas orchestrated the campaign of Secret Oath, Eclipse Award finalist as outstanding 3-year-old filly of 2022. Secret Oath was sired by Arrogate, and her dam is Absinthe Minded, a multiple stakes winner Lukas trained for the same Lexington, Ky.-based owner-breeders as Secret Oath – Briland Farm operators Rob and Stacy Mitchell.

Secret Oath began 2022 with a growing reputation based on her final start as a 2-year-old in a New Year’s Eve allowance at Oaklawn. She won by more than eight lengths and earned a 93 Beyer Speed Figure, second-highest of 2021 by a juvenile filly. The challenge for her 3-year-old campaign was to reproduce the highly rated allowance win versus better company.

:: Full list of 2022 Eclipse Awards finalists, including profile stories

She was up to the task. Odds-on in the Martha Washington Stakes in January, Secret Oath and jockey Luis Contreras rallied from behind to win by more than seven lengths. A month later at Oaklawn, she did it again. Secret Oath won the Grade 3 Honeybee in another romp, again by more than seven lengths.

Secret Oath had become one of the country’s most exciting fillies and a top 3-year-old irrespective of gender. Lukas, never shy to start fillies against colts, entered Secret Oath in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby. She started as the 7-5 favorite.

An imperfect start compromised Secret Oath, who uncorked a wide rally on the far turn before she flattened out and finished third. It was an excellent effort, but the Kentucky Oaks would be her next start, rather than the Derby.

New rider Luis Saez took over and gave Secret Oath a perfect trip rallying from eighth. While the favorite Nest got stuck in traffic, Secret Oath got first run, opened up, and won the Kentucky Oaks by two lengths.

Although she did not win any of her final five starts of 2022, Secret Oath continued to run well. She met colts again in the Preakness and finished fourth. In summer at Saratoga, she finished second in a pair of Grade 1s won by Nest – the Coaching Club American Oaks and the Alabama.

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After finishing third in the Grade 1 Cotillion at Parx Racing, Secret Oath ended her 2022 campaign with a fifth-place finish in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Keeneland. She was initially slated to be sold at auction following the Breeders’ Cup, but was withdrawn from the sale.

Secret Oath will race for Lukas and the Mitchells as a 4-year-old filly in 2023. She has won 5 of 13 starts; her $1,768,417 career earnings total is the highest by a progeny of the late sire Arrogate.

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