Secret Oath

Secret Oath broke her maiden in her second career start, a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight race at Churchill Downs on Oct. 31, 2021. She stalked the pace three-wide and drew away in the stretch to win by 5 1/2 lengths.

After a fifth-place finish in the Grade 2 Golden Rod Stakes, Secret Oath bounced back with a dominant 8 1/4-length win in a first-level allowance race at Oaklawn Park on Dec. 31. That set her up nicely for the Martha Washington Stakes on Jan. 29, 2022. She stamped herself as a legitimate Longines Kentucky Oaks contender with a very impressive 7 1/4-length win under Luis Contreras. With that win, Secret Oath earned ten points on the road to the Oaks. 

Secret Oath earned her first graded stakes win in impressive fashion. As the odds-on favorite in the Grade 3 Honeybee Stakes on Feb. 26, she rallied up the inside and drew away to win by 7 1/2 lengths. She earned 50 more Oaks qualifying points with that win. 

For her next start, Secret Oath decided to challenge the boys in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn on Apr. 2. She raced wide towards the back of the pack in the early stages, then made a promising move on the turn. She flattened out late and finished third, earning her 20 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve. That placed her on the bubble for the big race. 

Lukas decided to point to the Longines Kentucky Oaks with Secret Oath, and the filly validated that decision on May 6. Breaking from the inside post under Luis Saez, she traveled in midpack through the backstretch, stalking a fast pace, before moving up through the far turn. Secret Oath barreled five-wide into the stretch and put away stubborn champion Echo Zulu at the eighth pole, and then outlasted Nest and Desert Dawn for a thrilling win. That victory moved Lukas into a tie with Woody Stephens for most Kentucky Oaks wins at five.

Secret Oath's sire (father) is Arrogate, the 2016 Horse of the Year. Her dam (mother), Absinthe Minded, was a three-time stakes winner at Oaklawn.