At age 86, Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas wins fifth Kentucky Oaks with Secret Oath
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The big stage beckoned once more. D. Wayne Lukas was only too happy to answer.
His legacy long ago sealed, the Hall of Fame trainer reveled in a spectacular encore Friday at Churchill Downs when Secret Oath, ridden to perfection by Luis Saez, raced to a two-length victory for “The Coach” in the 148th running of the Grade 1, $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks.
“I love the big ones,” an overjoyed Lukas, 86, said in the immediate aftermath. “These are the ones we play for.”
Secret Oath, bred and owned by the Briland Farm of Rob and Stacy Mitchell, returned $10.80 as co-third choice after finishing the 1 1/8-mile distance over a wet-fast track in 1:49.44. She earned a 94 Beyer Speed Figure.
Nest, the 2-1 favorite, was along for second, another half-length before Desert Dawn, a 50-1 shot. Echo Zulu was fourth as the 4-1 second choice, followed by Kathleen O., the co-third choice with the winner.
This was the fifth time Lukas has won the Run for the Lilies, equaling the record set by Woody Stephens, but the first time since 1990. Remarkably, the Wisconsin native who coached basketball as a young man had won his first Oaks exactly four decades ago when giving Bill Shoemaker a leg up on Blush With Pride in 1982.
“At this stage of my career, it’s really gratifying to get one more of these in,” he said.
Before an ontrack crowd of 100,188, Secret Oath was away smartly from post 1 in a full gate of 14 3-year-old fillies, quickly assuming a smooth rhythm while fading to mid-pack as Yuugiri and Echo Zulu sped off through splits of 22.45 and 46.51. Out of the first turn, Saez had deftly maneuvered into a clear position so as to make an outside run down the backstretch, from where Secret Oath began picking off rivals in rapid fashion leaving the half-mile pole and to the top of the stretch.
Past the quarter pole, having looped the front half of the field while six furlongs went in 1:11.44, Secret Oath found herself on the lead alongside Echo Zulu with plenty of running still left to do. She cleared off approaching the furlong grounds and just kept going, maintaining a clear advantage when given a few left-handed smacks by Saez.
“My first Kentucky Oaks,” said Saez, the 29-year-old Panama native who was winning the Oaks for the first time in six tries. “I’m just so blessed.”
Saez was riding Secret Oath for the first time, replacing Luis Contreras, who had won three races on her at the winter meet at Oaklawn Park before guiding her to a third-place finish versus male rivals in the April 2 Arkansas Derby. After that race, Lukas, whose four Kentucky Derby wins include the great filly Winning Colors in 1988, soon shot down any notions of trying to make her the first filly to try the boys in the Derby in 12 years.
“I think with the 20-horse field and everything, I think that we did the right thing,” he said. “We can maybe take a look at some of those races [versus males], but right now, she won the Oaks. That’s all we can ask for.”
Saez’s agent is Kiaran McLaughlin, a former Lukas assistant who enjoyed a highly successful training career in his own right prior to going to work for Saez two years ago. Saez breezed the filly before the Oaks one morning at Churchill, saying he dismounted in awe.
“She just blew my mind,” said Saez.
Outfitted in a sharp tan sportcoat and matching necktie while wearing a white cowboy hat and using a cane to get around, Lukas said in the post-race media conference that he was humbled by the magnitude of what had just transpired.
“The first time you win a race like this, you think, ‘it’s us,’ ” he said. “You win one with Blush With Pride and you think, ‘Boy, we did everything.’ But the real joy of doing this is to let these owners have the opportunity to enjoy this and get this thrill.”
Lukas, inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1999, collected his four Oaks wins in less than a decade. After Blush With Pride, those other wins came with Lucky Lucky Lucky (1984), Open Mind (1989), and Seaside Attraction (1990). Stephens, who died in 1998, won his five over a 22-year span (1959-81).
Bred in Kentucky, Secret Oath was sired by the late Arrogate, the 3-year-old champion of 2016, and was produced by Absinthe Minded, by Quiet American. Lukas also trained the dam.
The Oaks victory took a lot of the sting out of what transpired with Lukas earlier in the day, when he scratched longshot Ethereal Road from the Kentucky Derby with an undisclosed issue. Rich Strike (No. 21) will take the place of Ethereal Road when breaking from post 20 in the Derby.
Nest, who like Secret Oath also raced in mid-pack through the early stages, closed steadily while racing near the rail but could not menace the winner under Irad Ortiz Jr. She was one of three starters for Todd Pletcher, along with Shahama (sixth) and Goddess of Fire (11th).
Pletcher, a former Lukas assistant, also entered with four prior Oaks wins. Ortiz, he said, “thought he had horse to move forward” at a point midway through the final turn, “but he had to wait on room and Secret Oath got the jump on him.”
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Echo Zulu, the 2-year-old filly champion of 2021 for trainer Steve Asmussen, and Kathleen O., who came to prominence in Florida in recent months for Shug McGaughey, both suffered their first career defeats.
“It was a beautiful moment for Wayne,” said Asmussen. “Unbelievably deserving. It’s a far better story than anything I could ever do.”
After Kathleen O., the full order was Shahama, Turnerloose, Cocktail Moments, Candy Raid, Nostalgic, Goddess of Fire, Hidden Connection, Yuugiri, and Venti Valentine. Beguine, the lone also-eligible, was an early scratch.
The Oaks was run over a surface that wasn’t soaked by as much rain as had been forecast. In fact, despite sporadic showers through the morning and afternoon, the track was nearly fast when post time arrived. Another hard rain hit shortly after the Oaks, drenching many fans on their way out while causing a slight delay ahead of the next race.
The $2 exacta (1-4) paid $39.40, the $1 trifecta (1-4-9) returned $616.40, and the $1-minimum superfecta (1-4-9-7) was worth $3,238.40.