Briland Farm's Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks-winner Secret Oath worked five-eighths in 1:00.01 Friday morning over the Oklahoma dirt training track in preparation for the Grade 1, $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks, a nine-furlong test for sophomore fillies on July 23 at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, Secret Oath, with Luis Saez up, entered the track at 5:30 a.m. on a cool, foggy morning and enjoyed a good run to the pole while being captured by NYRA Clockers through splits of 23.60 and 35.80 for the five-furlong breeze. She galloped out in 1:14.
“I was real pleased with her,” Lukas said. “It was an excellent work. Luis was real pleased with it, too. I couldn't have asked for a prettier work. She got a tremendous run into it. I wanted her to get a good run at the pole, so she worked probably five and a half furlongs.”
The Arrogate chestnut enjoyed a three-race win streak over the winter at Oaklawn Park, taking an allowance in December, the Martha Washington in January and the Grade 3 Honeybee in February. Secret Oath took on the boys in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby in April at Oaklawn and finished a game third after a troubled trip.
Saez picked up the mount for the Kentucky Oaks and the filly dazzled with a two-length score over likely CCA Oaks-rival Nest. Last out, Secret Oath took on males again in the Grade 1 Preakness and finished a troubled fourth after a wide trip in which she checked sharply.
Secret Oath is out of the multiple graded-stakes placed Quiet American mare Absinthe Minded, who ran sixth in the 2010 CCA Oaks.
While Secret Oath's breeze was picture-perfect, stablemate Ethereal Road had a more unorthodox effort Friday morning in preparation for the Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy, a nine-furlong test for sophomores on July 30.
The Quality Road bay, with Saez up, went to the Oklahoma dirt training track in company with unraced 2-year-old Major Blue. The two colts started their five-furlong breeze down the backstretch and disappeared into the fog through the turn with only Major Blue emerging down the straight, completing his work in 1:03.34.
Lukas said Ethereal Road saw something through the turn and bolted, causing Saez to pull the bay up.
“When he got to the fog, Luis said he went to the outside fence on him, so he pulled him up. He's fine and jogged back good,” Lukas said. “He can pull that kind of stuff. He's got a bit of an attitude. He got maybe three-eighths, so I'll give him a few days and take him back over there. We're still pointing for the Jim Dandy.”
Ethereal Road finished a close second to Un Ojo in the Grade 2 Rebel in February at Oaklawn ahead of two starts at Keeneland, finishing seventh in the Grade 1 Blue Grass on April 9 and fourth in the Grade 3 Lexington one week later.
He became a part of Kentucky Derby lore as the horse that scratched from the “Run for the Roses” that allowed 80-1 upset winner Rich Strike to make the field. Ethereal Road rallied to an emphatic 4 3/4-length score in the Sir Barton on May 21 at Pimlico and came back one month later to finish a non-threatening sixth in the Grade 3 Ohio Derby at Thistledown.
BC Stables' Summer Promise, an impressive maiden winner on June 25 at Churchill Downs, finished a prominent second in Opening Day's Grade 3 Schuylerville. The dark bay filly exited the outermost post 7 under Saez and tracked the speed of Musicmansandy before battling down the lane with the victorious Just Cindy, who prevailed by 2 1/4-lengths.
“I underestimated how deep the track was,” said Lukas. “We've been running on that Churchill surface and its quick and glib. When I sat there through the first eight races yesterday, I thought we're in trouble here. I was worried I didn't have her tight enough and I was right. She ran a really nice 5 1/2-furlongs, but the six was more than she was ready for.”
The dark bay daughter of Uncle Mo was purchased for $500,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Out of Grade 1-winning millionaire Dream of Summer, Summer Promise is a half-sister to Grade 1-winners Creative Cause and Vexatious.
Lukas said he expects a stronger performance next out, which could come in the Grade 1, $300,000 Spinaway on September 4.
“She'll be tighter the next time. I want a rematch,” Lukas said.
The post Secret Oath Puts In ‘Excellent’ Work At Saratoga While Stablemate Ethereal Road Has ‘Unorthodox’ Morning appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
