Tag: d. wayne lukas

Kentucky Oaks Winner Secret Oath Impressive in Azeri Return

Last year's GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Secret Oath (f, 4, Arrogate–Absinthe Minded, by Quiet American) returned to the races in style in Saturday's GII Azeri S. at Oaklawn.

The 7-5 second choice raced one from the back rounding the clubhouse turn after exiting from the one hole. Racing under a nice hold down the backstretch, she launched her familiar, wide sweeping move on the far turn, hit the front under confident handling in the stretch and had 2 3/4 lengths to spare over favored MGISW Clairiere (Curlin), last seen just missing by a head while finishing third in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland Nov. 5. Interstatedaydream (Classic Empire) was third.

“She's got such a long stride,” said D. Wayne Lukas, who also trained the race's brilliant namesake Azeri. “She just kicks. When she kicks it in like that, her stride increases about four feet. She just eats that ground up. It's impressive to watch it. I thought she would run a big one today. I have so much respect for Steve Asmussen's filly (Clairiere). I was confident she would run a big one, but when you've got a field this tough, you've got to beat them. I just thought she would throw a real good one today because I did everything I wanted to do with her coming into it. I didn't have to adjust a work or anything. I did it all when I wanted to. I thought I had her tuned.”

Lukas added that Secret Oath will start next in the $1-million GI Apple Blossom H. at Oaklawn Apr. 15.

Winning jockey Tyler Gaffalione added, “I didn't want to rush her off her feet. I know what kind of kick she has, so I just let her kind of find herself in the place she wanted to be. Going into the (second turn), she tried to go about the three-eighths pole. Just took a little hold of her and she came right back to me. Swung her out coming down the stretch. Showed her the whip once and she finished the job well.”

Secret Oath improved her record to four-for-five in Hot Springs. She was an impressive winner of last term's GIII Honeybee S. and Martha Washington S., and was also third as the favorite against the boys in the GI Arkansas Derby.

The Azeri ended a five-race losing streak for Secret Oath. Second behind champion 3-year-old filly Nest (Curlin) in Saratoga's GI CCA Oaks and GI Alabama S. last summer, the GI Preakness S. fourth-place finisher concluded her sophomore campaign with a fifth-place finish after leading in the stretch in the Distaff.

Pedigree Notes:

Secret Oath is one of four graded winners, all Grade I winners, for the gone-too-soon Arrogate.

Robert Mitchell and his wife Stacy purchased Secret Oath's then 10-year-old second dam Rockford Peach for $36,000 in foal to Running Stag at the Adena Springs sale at Fasig-Tipton in 2001, and clearly the best of the 11 foals she produced for Briland Farm was her fourth to hit the ground, Absinthe Minded.

Also trained by Lukas, the daughter of Quiet American won two renewals of the Bayakoa S. and the Pippin S. at Oaklawn and was placed twice in the GI Apple Blossom H. Outside of Arkansas, Absinthe Minded was narrowly runner-up in the 2011 GII Shuvee H. and third in that year's GII Molly Pitcher S. All totaled, the mare won six times from 35 starts and bankrolled over $607,000.

The fourth foal for her dam, Secret Oath was cataloged through Bluewater Sales as hip 1242 to the 2020 Keeneland September Sale, but a bit of fate intervened and she was withdrawn.

Absinthe Minded is the dam of an unraced 3-year-old filly by Medaglia d'Oro. She was most recently covered by Unbridled's Song's son Liam's Map in 2022.

Saturday, Oaklawn
AZERI S.-GII, $350,000, Oaklawn, 3-11, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16m, 1:43.26, ft.
1–SECRET OATH, 119, f, 4, by Arrogate
               1st Dam: Absinthe Minded (MSW & MGISP, $607,747), by Quiet American
                2nd Dam: Rockford Peach, by Great Above
                3rd Dam: Strawberry Skyline, by Hatchet Man
O-Briland Farm; B-Briland Farm, Robert & Stacy Mitchell (KY);
T-D. Wayne Lukas; J-Tyler Gaffalione. $213,850. Lifetime
Record: GISW, 14-6-2-3, $1,982,267. Werk Nick Rating: F.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Clairiere, 119, m, 5, Curlin–Cavorting, by Bernardini.
O-Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred
Holdings LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $65,800.
3–Interstatedaydream, 119, f, 4, Classic Empire–Babcock, by
Uncle Mo. ($105,000 Ylg '20 KEEJAN; $130,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP;
$175,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR). O-Flurry Racing Stables LLC;
B-William D. Graham (ON); T-Brad H. Cox. $32,900.
Margins: 2 3/4, HD, HF. Odds: 1.40, 1.10, 5.90.
Also Ran: Hot and Sultry, Le Da Vida (Chi), Lovely Ride, Hidden Connection, Moon Swag.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Book Review: Secretariat’s Offspring Agonistes

A stroll down the 500 block of East Maxwell Street in Lexington, Kentucky brings you to the awninged door of Black Swan Books. If your pursuits are less catholic, then Mike Courtney's seemingly endless maze of heaving shelves can accommodate even the most scrupulous bibliophile of rare Kentuckiana and equine sport culture.

Say, you're looking for a past volume on the two-time Horse of the Year Secretariat, then copious choices await. More recent works like William Nack's Secretariat: The Making of a Champion (2002) and Lawrence Scanlan's The Horse That God Built (2007) are ubiquitous.

But across the canon, you might find that there is something sorely lacking when it comes to  'Big Red' hagiography. No author has quite delved deep enough into the offspring of this champion who has continued to top Thoroughbred history by an unsurmountable 31 lengths.

That is, until now.

As the 50th anniversary of Secretariat's historic Triple Crown run is almost here, author Patricia McQueen has done all of us a massive service by rolling out her magisterial study, Secretariat's Legacy: The Sons, Daughters and Descendants Who Keep His Legend Alive, published this Mar. by SL Publications.

Despite its girth, this is decidedly not a traditional coffee table-style book with pretty pictures. Rather, this is a seriously sourced monograph, replete with revisionist perspective. Namely, that some of the bloodline critics got it wrong in memoriam, Secretariat's progeny were not agonistes. Instead, when we step back, they have on the whole made a sizable contribution to the future of this sport. Some did not 'stamp his get,' as the equine phrase goes, but there were those that certainly begat his running ability and passed it on. With an expert photographic portfolio as proof, McQueen effectively argues that the much-debated sire's influence deserves another look.

It all began for the author while she was in college. Curiosity in the Triple Crown winner took her on a pilgrimage to Kentucky in 1982 to see the fellow himself. The sire's subsequent death in 1989 propelled her down a path to locate and snap pictures of Secretariat's remaining band that would carry forth his legacy. One picture led to one story, and then the dominoes fell, as she documented as many offspring as she could.

McQueen's highly-readable style takes us along Secretariat's pedigreed shedrow where we meet Dactylographer–the sire's first stakes winner, sales toppers like Miss Secretariat and Grey Legion make an appearance, as does popular Old Friends social media darling Tinners Way. A bevy of international success stories inform us about the sire's reach that stretched from France to Japan.

We also hear some wonderful anecdotes, like the one the author tells about the unusual in-utero journey of Fanfreluche, one of Secretariat's most productive mares. Thieves absconded with her in June 1977 from Claiborne Farm, and after five months, an FBI sweep of the Bluegrass uncovered her location when she was discovered on an innocent farm after she was found wandering along a country road.

More evidence piles up, curated and culled expertly by McQueen. The chapter entitled 'The Lukas Touch' is especially rich with stories of how 'The Coach' believed Secretariat should be crossed with fast, precocious mares. Crimson Saint produced a number of these types, including Lukas runners like Terlingua, Pancho Villa, Navajo Pass and one of the last three of his progeny still alive, Border Run. From Lady's Secret and Risen Star to the influence of Storm Cat, Gone West and A.P. Indy and all the way to Bricks and Mortar, Authentic and Knicks Go, 'Big Red' is still with us.

With a foreword by Kate Tweedy and Leanne Ladin, plus an excellent appendix listing all 62 stakes winners, Secretariat's Legacy has closed the canonical 31-length gap in the scholarship. Patricia McQueen ensures that this 'Super Horse's' offspring are agonistes no longer.

Clearly, it's time to reserve a spot on the shelf at Black Swan Books.

Secretariat's Legacy: The Sons, Daughters and Decedents Who Keep His Legend Alive by SL Publications, 298 pages, photos, appendix, glossary, March 2023.

 

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Stories I Hope To Be Writing in 2023

Another year is in the books, and it featured the usual combination of good news and bad news. Flightline (Tapit) wowed us, even if it was for just three races. The impossible victory by Rich Strike (Keen Ice) in the GI Kentucky Derby was an unforgettable moment. Then again, the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Act went off the rails and the acrimony surrounding it turned even uglier. With more guilty pleas and sentencings during the year, we still haven't been able to fully escape the nightmare that is Servis-Navarro.

So what will 2023 bring for horse racing? Honestly, I have no idea. But here are the stories I hope to be writing in 2023. Wishful thinking? Absolutely. But you never know.

The Champion 3-Year-Old Will Race at Four: A day after 3-year-old Glow Worm (Whatasire) won the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, his owner John Q. Horseowner announced that his three-time Grade I winner will race as a 4-year-old in 2024. The news stunned the breeding and racing industries, which have grown accustomed to owners choosing breeding over racing because that's where the real money is made.

“Money, I have,” Horseowner said. “Sure, I could make many millions if I retired Glow Worm now but what would I do with it? I already have a yacht, a private jet and 11 homes. I don't need any more. What I don't have in my everyday life is the kind of thrill I get every time Glow Worm runs. That's priceless. Who knows, maybe I'll run him at five, as well.”

Movement Toward Penny Breakage Catches On: Thanks to a bill submitted by upstate New York Assemblyman George Whatagoodguy, it appears that penny breakage will be coming to the New York racetracks before the year is over. The bill enjoys bipartisan support and has the backing of Governor Kathy Hochul.

“I play the horses and I have seen firsthand what a great deal this has been in Kentucky for horseplayers since they went to penny breakage,” said the Democratic lawmaker. “It has put millions back into the pockets of the people who are the backbone of this game, the bettors. Slot machines have put hundreds of millions into the pockets of racetrack owners, horse owners, trainers, you name it…everyone but the player. Isn't it about time they get a break?”

New York could be the first of several states to go to penny breakage. Pat Cummings of the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation reports that bills similar to the one introduced by Whatagoodguy are in the works in at least four other states.

Wayne Lukas Wins Jockey Club Gold Cup on 88th Birthday: What a better a way to celebrate his 88th birthday than with a win in the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga. The rejuvenated Wayne Lukas pulled that off Saturday at Saratoga when winning the prestigious Gold Cup with Ageisjustanumber (Son of Into Mischief). It was Lukas's 43rd win on the year and his eighth graded stakes win. Approaching his ninetieth birthday, he is having his best year since 2005.

“I didn't forget how to train a horse,” Lukas said. “I just needed some owners to overlook my age and give me a chance with some good horses. I want to thank the 73 co-owners of Ageisjustanumber for believing in me and giving me a chance. It's on to the Breeders' Cup.”

Owner Takes Responsibility After Trainer Caught Doping: That trainer Jesse James was suspended for five years after a horse of his tested positive Friday for performance-enhancing drugs was hardly a surprise. Suspicions have surrounded James throughout a year in which he has won with 38% of his starters and with 71% of his starters coming off a claim.

But what no one expected was that his primary owner, Al Culpable, would come forward and admit he was part of the problem.

“I know what everyone expects me to say, that I thought Jesse was a good, honest, hard-working guy and that I had no idea he was cheating,” Culpable said. “If you believe that (expletive) you must also believe that I am stupid. I'm not. Did Jesse ever admit to me that he was doping my horses? No. But I knew exactly what was going on and he never could have done what he did if I didn't keep claiming horses and sending them to him.

“I have had some time to think about this and I am truly sorry. Despite what I did, I truly love this sport and I have damaged it. Shame on me. I am getting out of the game and will be donating $1,653,176 to Thoroughbred aftercare. That's the amount of money my horses earned with Jesse this year.”

New York Gaming Commission Exonerates NYRA Staffer: After NYRA clocker Henry Chroniker reported the wrong time for a workout that took place earlier this week on the Belmont training track, Chroniker worried that he was about to face a stiff fine and suspension from the New York Gaming Commission. The horse, Pie-O-My (Sopranos), worked four furlongs in :49.12.

Chroniker inadvertently transposed the numbers and reported the work as :49.21, a difference of .09 seconds. A similar offense from a clocker last year resulted in a hefty fine and a long suspension and the Gaming Commission has a history of punishing NYRA employees for what many considered to be very minor offenses. But that won't happen to Chroniker.

“We looked at this and realized it was a case of 'no harm, no foul,'” said the Gaming Commission's steward. “We realize that sometimes you have to use common sense and be reasonable when it comes to cases like this. Chroniker had worked here a long time and his record has been spotless. He deserved the benefit of the doubt. Accidents happen.”

Inspired by Beverly Park, Top Stable Vows to Race More Often: When Beverly Park (Munnings) reached the halfway point in the year with 19 starts trainer Phil Eclipseworthy took notice.

“I thought if this horse could race 30 times in a year and remain sound and productive every step of the way, why couldn't I run my horses more often?” Eclipseworthy said. “After all, wouldn't my owners make more money if their horses raced more often?”

With that in mind, Eclipseworthy has announced plans for his top colt Theydontmakeemliketheyuseto (Another Son of Into Mischief). He plans to run him in the GI Whitney, the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup and the GI Breeders' Cup Classic.

“That will be three races in four months and that's a brutal schedule,” Eclipseworthy said. “Normally, I think three starts a year, and not three in four months, is about all a horse can handle. But I like what that fella Lynn Cash has been doing with Beverly Park. He was a $5,000 claimer and now, with the way he's been handled, has made boatloads of money. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Theydontmakeemliketheyuseto can hold up to the taxing schedule I have laid out for him.”

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“I’d Like to Keep Training Her,” D. Wayne Lukas on Night of the Stars-Bound Secret Oath

Forty years after his first GI Kentucky Oaks win, D. Wayne Lukas relished his fifth appearance in that winner's circle this year alongside a special filly named Secret Oath (Arrogate – Absinthe Minded, by Quiet American).

“We've celebrated in that 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,” explained Lukas.

The Hall of Fame conditioner known as “The Coach” has a detailed recollection of what transpired immediately after the race on the first Friday in May this year.

As soon as Secret Oath crossed the wire, Lukas led her dazed owners Rob and Stacy Mitchell to the winner's circle. Meanwhile camera crews bolted about frantically to document such an important piece of history and a long line of Lukas's former pupils came forward to congratulate the legendary trainer. Then as soon as the photo was taken, Secret Oath made it known that she had no intention of wearing lilies after her hard-fought win and the garland was promptly removed.

It was chaotic, to say the least, but of course that's how it should be after such a victory.

“It was wild, just like it always is for the Derby or the Oaks,” Lukas said with a knowing smile. “Everybody loses their composure. It was a special day for me to put Rob and Stacy in the winner's circle and let them enjoy something that I had experienced before. They've really tried to raise one of this caliber and sure enough, they got it done.”

A second-generation homebred for the Mitchells' Briland Farm, Secret Oath has taken her owners on the ride of lifetime. In her eight starts this year, the gritty filly has been in the money in all but one of those contest.

After breaking her maiden at two, she began her sophomore season with two straight scores in the Martha Washington S. and GIII Honeybee S. and then ran third in the GI Arkansas Derby–a race that Lukas still considers a definite win had she gotten a different ride. After her Oaks victory, the filly ran a credible fourth in the GI Preakness S. and then placed in three Grade I contests within her own division.

“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 explained. “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.”

Secret Oath will sell as Hip 231 on the 'Night of the Stars' with the Bluewater Sales consignment. Fasig-Tipton's Boyd Browning said that the buyer of the uniquely-colored chestnut will be taking home a piece of history.

“It's unusual when you have the opportunity to buy the current Kentucky Oaks winner and Secret Oath provides buyers around the world an exceptional opportunity this November,” Browning said. “We all watched the Kentucky Oaks this year.  I think when we look back in history we're going to say it was a tremendous group of fillies, with champion Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) and Nest (Curlin), and Secret Oath defeated them in a very impressive fashion. She's a star on the racetrack and she's a star in the making as a broodmare prospect somewhere down the line.”

Another significant element of Secret Oath's story is that the filly was the first Grade I winner for the late Arrogate, whose abilities as a sire may just now be coming to the limelight (read more on that here).

“You've got what is almost like a historic pedigree here and the opportunities that she presents from a breeding standpoint are really unlimited,” Browning said. “Secret Oath is also out of a mare by Quiet American, who has had a tremendous impact on so many pedigrees of top-class horses that we've seen in the last 25 years.”

Lukas trained Secret Oath's dam, Absinthe Minded, and won several stakes contests with the Briland Farm homebred. The horseman said he believes that Secret Oath has all the potential to follow in her dam's success as a producer.

“The pedigree is there and things should fall into place, but let's not think that far ahead,” said Lukas with a wry grin. “Let's just stay in the moment.”

At the moment, Secret Oath is putting in her final preps for the Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs. She put in an eye-catching work there on Monday, going five furlongs in a blazing 58.80 over a fast track as she prepares for a rematch with rival Nest, who she had to settle for second behind in her last two outings against the Curlin filly in the GI Coaching Club American Oaks and GI Alabama S.

“Nest beat us fair and square, but we've gotten a lot out of that,” Lukas said. “Since then she has had a little break and has put on weight and filled out.  I think she looks better now than she has at any time. To win at Keeneland would be special, but they've all been special. I've had a few successful days in the Breeders Cup' and this one will be very special too, especially when you're 87.”

As Breeders' Cup week approaches, Lukas is confident in his trainee, who has now amassed earnings of over $1.7 million.

Asked what makes Secret Oath a great athlete, he responded, “Her efficiency of motion and her ability to accelerate. She can break their hearts in four strides.”

“One thing about Secret Oath is that she's a ham,” he added. “She will stand and look with her ears locked forward and pose like that for 15 or 20 minutes. You can take her in front of any crowd and into any paddock. Her temperament and her personality really compliment her ability to run.”

The Secret Oath-D. Wayne Lukas duo has been an easy one to cheer for this year and will undoubtedly be a focal point going into Breeders' Cup week.

“It's been a remarkable story to watch the development of Secret Oath as a racehorse and see Wayne back in the limelight as he has had the opportunity to enjoy and train such an exceptional filly,” Browning said. “I think that in many ways, Wayne Lukas has been one of the most influential people in the Thoroughbred sales business. His passion for the game and for his horses is remarkable. He's someone that I admire and respect very much.”

He continued, “I mean, you consider that Wayne is 87 years old and he's on the pony every morning. Try to beat him to the racetrack; it's virtually impossible to do. It's been really neat to watch the success that he's had with Secret Oath so far and hopefully there's more in their future.”

Once the Breeders' Cup has concluded and as Secret Oath prepares to go through the ring at the 'Night of the Stars' Sale, there is one message that Lukas hopes to get across to buyers.

“The only thing that I'd like to change about the whole thing is that if someone buys her, bring her back,” he said. “She's comfortable in her own stall. She's very sound and very efficient. I'd like to keep training her.”

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