Secret Oath, Zozos Top Churchill Downs Workouts

It was an action-filled morning April 15 at Churchill Downs, where Hidden Connection , Secret Oath , Turnerloose , and Zozos  breezed toward grade 1 races early next month. Hidden Connection, Secret Oath, and Turnerloose are pointed to the May 6 Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1), Zozos to the May 7 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1).

Briland Farm's Secret Oath, expected to be one of the Oaks favorites, got familiar with jockey Luis Saez, covering five furlongs in :59 1/5. Timed in splits of :12 2/5, :23 3/5, and :35 1/5, she galloped six furlongs in 1:12.

Secret Oath 5F :59.20. Out 6F 1:12. #KyOaks pic.twitter.com/933B6s4oDk

— Kevin Kerstein (@HorseRacingKK) April 15, 2022

Luis has picked up the Oaks mount on the 3-year-old Arrogate  filly. Most recently, she finished third against males in the Arkansas Derby (G1) under Luis Contreras, flattening out late after launching a bold wide rally on the second turn

"I talked to Luis after the race and he was sort of surprised with how much of an explosive kick she had at the three-eighths pole," Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said. "With that explosive kick at that point in the race it was a little too much too soon. She got shuffled back at the start and got into contention but it was too much to ask ... We ran in the Arkansas Derby (G1) for a million-and-a-quarter and I thought we were the best horse going into the race and I still think we were the best."

She earned 20 qualifying points in the Arkansas Derby toward the Kentucky Derby, a tally unlikely enough to secure entrance if the race overfills. She has 80 qualifying points for the Oaks, leaving her currently eighth on the Kentucky Oaks Leaderboard and safely in the 1 1/8-mile race.

Hidden Brook Farm and Black Type Thoroughbreds' Hidden Connection, second in the Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2), also breezed five furlongs, covering the distance in 1:00 under Reylu Gutierrez. The Connect   filly galloped out six furlongs in 1:12 3/5.

Gutierrez summed up the work in one word: "Awesome."

Hidden Connection rallied to check in a nose behind champion Echo Zulu in the Fair Grounds Oaks.

In other workouts Friday at Churchill Downs, Barry and Joni Butzow's Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) runner-up Zozos worked five furlongs in 1:00 3/5 in company with Dawn and Ike Thrash's Fasig-Tipton Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2) winner Turnerloose.

With jockey Florent Geroux in the saddle, Zozos started about one length behind his stablemate and worked through early fractions of :24 and :48 2/5 The duo began their five-furlong move at the half-mile pole and Zozos finished even with Turnerloose at the seven-furlong marker. Zozos galloped out six furlongs in 1:13 3/5.

Zozos 5F from the half-mile pole 1:00.60. He started one length back of #KyOaks contender Turnerloose and finished even at the 7/8 pole. #KyDerby pic.twitter.com/5HiXJLY5yx

— Kevin Kerstein (@HorseRacingKK) April 15, 2022

"He's a really smart horse," Geroux said. "He's starting to come into his own and it was a really nice work this morning. I settled back of (Turnerloose) and he finished up nicely with her. Both horses worked well."

Other potential Kentucky Derby starters based at Churchill Downs are Cyberknife , Crown Pride , Epicenter , Morello , Smile Happy , Tawny Port, and Tiz the Bomb . 

The next Derby contender scheduled to arrive is Arkansas Derby runner-up Barber Road , who ships from Hot Springs, Ark., Friday at 2 p.m. and should arrive between 3-4 a.m. April 16 into Barn 46. 

Also breezing Friday was Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) winner Aloha West , who is scheduled to return in the seven-furlong Churchill Downs Stakes Presented by Ford (G1) on the Kentucky Derby Day undercard. The Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners-owned Hard Spun   horse went six furlongs in 1:12 1/5 for trainer Wayne Catalano.