Secret Oath Says 'Adios' to Honeybee Rivals
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Photo: Coady Photography
Secret Oath draws away to win the Honeybee Stakes at Oaklawn Park
Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas indicated before the Feb. 26 $300,000 Honeybee Stakes that he wasn't afraid to run a filly against the boys as long as she was dominant, a Goliath amongst her rivals—and Briland Farm's Secret Oath was just that as she powered to a 7 1/2-length victory Feb. 26 at Oaklawn Park.
It was hard to not dream of Derby roses as the daughter of the late Arrogate streaked to her third straight win over the Hot Springs oval and the first graded score of her career. She came off a similarly dominant performance in the Jan. 29 Martha Washington Stakes.
"I got to get together with Rob and Stacy Mitchell (of Briland Farm) to see how they feel about (running in the April 2 Arkansas Derby (G1)," said Lukas. "You'd like to take the softer one if you can, and certainly the boys will be a tougher job for us, but we'll see what the boys are doing and how they run today (in the Rebel Stakes, G2) and then make that decision. She’s nominated here (to the Arkansas Derby) and (to the) Kentucky Derby (G1)."
Bet down as the 1-5 favorite, Secret Oath was slow away from the gate under regular pilot Luis Contreras, as is customary for her, and settled into a second-to-last position early as Optionality sped to a narrow lead over Yuuguri. Past a tepid first quarter in :23.15 and half-mile in :47.07, Yuuguri, making her first start since a runner-up finish in the Nov. 27 Golden Rod Stakes (G2), overtook a retreating Optionality for command.
Secret Oath advanced willingly into the far turn but was forced to take up behind Yuuguri as Ice Orchid and Ricardo Santana Jr. held firm in their position, hedging the chestnut on the inside with nowhere to run. Despite the mighty effort to contain the favorite, Secret Oath burst through a narrow seam along the fence as Yuuguri drifted out turning for home.
Widening her advantage with every stride, Secret Oath hit the wire in 1:44.74 for the 1 1/16-miles on a fast track.
"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.'"
Ice Orchid, making her stakes debut for Shortleaf Stable, ran on for second with Yuugiri completing the trifecta.
Secret Oath's connections enjoy the trophy presentation for the Honeybee Stakes
Secret Oath earned 50 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks, placing her at the top of the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard with 60 overall points. Turnerloose and Shahama are tied in second with 50 points. If her connections decide to run in the $1,000,000 Arkansas Derby (G1), she would aim to become only the second filly to ever capture the key Kentucky Derby prep race, following the Lukas-trained Althea in 1984.
Bred in Kentucky by Briland Farm, Secret Oath is out of the stakes winning, grade 1-placed Absinthe Minded, who was campaigned by the same connections. The 15-year-old Quiet American mare has an unnamed 2-year-old filly by Medaglia d'Oro and was covered by Liam's Map for 2022.