Secret Oath Posts Final Work Before Arkansas Derby

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Secret Oath Posts Final Work Before Arkansas Derby
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Photo: Coady Photography
Secret Oath works at Oaklawn Park

It was back to work for multiple stakes winner Secret Oath , who completed major preparations for the $1.25 million Arkansas Derby (G1) April 2 at Oaklawn Park by breezing five furlongs just after the track opened March 25 for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

Working by herself from the five-furlong pole to the regular finish line, Secret Oath covered the distance in 1:01 under regular rider Luis Contreras. Secret Oath recorded fractions of :12.20 for her opening eighth of a mile and :37.60 for three furlongs, according to clockers, and galloped out six furlongs in 1:15 on a fast track.

"It went exactly as planned," Lukas said. "We said go 1:01, just let her catch her stride, and take a couple of deep breaths. Actually, it was so easy on her that I wonder if I should have done a little more."

Secret Oath was breezing for the second time since her dazzling 7 1/2-length victory in the $300,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles Feb. 26. Secret Oath posted a five-furlong bullet work (:59.40) March 17 in advance of the 1 1/8-mile Arkansas Derby, which will mark her first start against males.

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"She breezed really good—five-eighths in 1:01," Contreras said moments after Friday's work. "That's what the Coach wanted."

Lukas, 86, a former high school basketball coach and among the most iconic figures in Thoroughbred history, said Secret Oath is scheduled to return to the track Sunday morning. She races for her breeder, Briland Farm (Robert and Stacy Mitchell).  

Post positions for the Arkansas Derby will be drawn Sunday afternoon. The event will be open to the public, with a time and place to be announced by Oaklawn. The Arkansas Derby will offer 170 points (100-40-20-10, respectively) to the top four finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), which is limited to 20 starters.

Secret Oath was among nine probables listed Friday morning by the Oaklawn racing department. Other horses pointing for the Arkansas Derby are Barber Road  for trainer John Ortiz, Ben Diesel  (Dallas Stewart), Call Me Jamal  (Mike Puhich), Chasing Time  (Steve Asmussen), Cyberknife  (Brad Cox), Doppelganger  (Tim Yakteen), Un Ojo  (Ricky Courville), and We the People  (Rodolphe Brisset).

Barber Road, Un Ojo, and We the People are scheduled to have their final works Saturday morning for the Arkansas Derby, according to their respective trainers. Call Me Jamal is scheduled to breeze Sunday, Puhich said.