Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas sent current stable star Secret Oath to the track early Monday morning for a quick five-furlong move; the 3-year-old daughter of Arrogate covered five furlongs over the Churchill Downs main track in :58.80. The reigning Kentucky Oaks winner is preparing for a start in the Breeders' Cup Distaff on Nov. 5 at Keeneland, after which Secret Oath will enter the sales ring at Fasig-Tipton's Night of the Stars.
Lukas told the Thoroughbred Daily News that Secret Oath's owners Rob and Stacy Mitchell had a hard time making the decision to sell the second-generation homebred filly.
“For the Mitchells, their heart says to keep her forever, but their business sense says that this is a valuable piece of property and whatever she brings is life changing in a lot of ways,” Lukas told TDN. “You've got to always keep a business sense because it's so easy to fall in love with these horses. I mean, the whole barn is in love with this one. I just hope the next people who get her enjoy her as much as we have and are as successful as we have been, both economically and emotionally.”
Though Secret Oath hasn't found the winner's circle since the Oaks, she has kept top company and Lukas believes she's in the best shape of her life heading into the Breeders' Cup World Championships. Of course, Lukas also told TDN he'd like to keep training the filly for her new owners!
On a personal note, Lukas said training Secret Oath has been especially meaningful because at the age of 87, he wasn't sure he'd see another talent like her come into his barn.
“We've celebrated in that (Kentucky Oaks) winner's circle a number of times already, but this one was a little bit better though, because when you're an old man you often wonder if you're going to get another one–one of those really special ones,” Lukas told TDN.
Read more at the Thoroughbred Daily News.
The post ‘One Of Those Really Special Ones’: Secret Oath Headed To Fasig-Tipton After Breeders’ Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
