2022 Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Secret Oath

Secret Oath

Arrogate – Absinthe Minded, by Quiet American

Bred in Kentucky by Briland Farm, Robert Mitchell, and Stacy Mitchell

Arrogate, one of the most brilliant runners of modern times, was euthanized at age 7 after developing an illness with neurological symptoms. He stood three breeding seasons at Juddmonte Farm, all of which saw stellar books of mares visit his court. Secret Oath, whose dam is a multiple stakes winner, has a chance to become his first Grade 1 winner when she faces colts in Saturday’s Arkansas Derby.

A son of Unbridled’s Song, and thus from the classic Unbridled line, Arrogate earned $17,422,600, a record for a North American-based racehorse. The bulk of his earnings came during a remarkable four-race streak of Grade 1/Group 1 races that kicked off with a 13 1/2-length victory in the 2016 Travers Stakes, when he completed the 1 1/4 miles in 1:59.36 to smash a 37-year-old track record.

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He then edged two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome by a half-length in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, securing a divisional Eclipse Award. In the inaugural Pegasus World Cup, his 4 3/4-length victory established a 1 1/8-mile track record of 1:46.83. In the Dubai World Cup, in what many consider his finest hour, Arrogate was away slowly and made a dramatic last-to-first rally to defeat champion Gun Runner by 2 1/4 lengths.

Arrogate is the sire of 22 first-crop winners from 49 starters. In the mold of their sire, who did not race at 2 and came to hand in the second half of his 3-year-old season, many seem to be later bloomers who improve with experience.

Secret Oath, who debuted last fall and has now won two stakes at 1 1/16 miles, is a solid example. Arrogate’s other stakes winner, Alittleloveandluck, took four tries to break her maiden, in November, and won the Ginger Brew at a mile this year.

Hard-knocking racemares with distance capabilities back up Arrogate. Absinthe Minded made 35 starts over four seasons of racing for Briland and Wayne Lukas. She was a two-time winner of the Bayakoa and also won the Pippin at Oaklawn, all at 1 1/16 miles. She twice finished on the board in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom. She is the dam of three winners, all around two turns, from four starters.

Second dam Rockford Peach won at up to 1 1/8 miles while making 73 starts over six seasons. She is a half-sister to Puerto Rican champion El Ordenador, who won at up to 1 3/16 miles.