Kentucky Oaks one-two finishers Secret Oath, Nest set for battle in G1 Coaching Club American Oaks

Posted On 21 Jul 2022

By Ryan Martin —-

Photos: Secret Oath; Eclipse Sportswire

Kentucky Oaks one-two finishers Secret Oath, Nest set for battle in G1 Coaching Club American Oaks

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Secret Oath and Nest, the top-two finishers from the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on May 6 at Churchill Downs, will square off once more in Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies going nine furlongs at Saratoga Race Course.

This year’s running marks only the third time in the past 25 years where the first and second place finishers of the Kentucky Oaks have met again in the CCA Oaks. In the 2017 renewal, Abel Tasman built off her Kentucky Oaks conquest with a head score over Elate, while Oaks runner-up Daddys Lil Darling ran a non-threatening fifth. The 1998 Kentucky Oaks exacta was reversed in that year’s CCA Oaks when Banshee Breeze turned the tables on Keeper Hill en route to Eclipse Award honors at year end.

A total of 14 fillies have swept the Kentucky Oaks-CCA Oaks double, including Hall of Famers Princess Doreen [1924], Dark Mirage [1968], Davona Dale [1979], Bold ‘n’ Determined [1980] and Ashado [2004]. Briland Farm’s Secret Oath will attempt to add her name to elite company for legendary Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who secured the 1989 Kentucky Oaks-CCA Oaks double with Hall of Famer Open Mind.

Secret Oath, a daughter of Arrogate, has won 3-of-5 starts this season, capturing Oaklawn Park’s Martha Washington and Grade 3 Honeybee in addition to the Kentucky Oaks. Her only two losses this year took place against males when a game third in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on April 15, two starts before running fourth in the Grade 1 Preakness on May 21 at Pimlico.

Secret Oath checked heavily inside the opening sixteenth in the Preakness and lost ground while racing last-of-9 and four-wide down the backstretch. She made up ground around the far turn in good position, but flattened out in the final furlong to finish 6 1/4 lengths in arrears of Early Voting.

“The trip never came up. A filly like that running against the colts, you need a good trip,” Lukas said. “You can’t get into all that trouble and be that far back and still overcome it. She needed a trip like she got in the Kentucky Oaks. I really believed she was the best horse, but you can’t mail it in. You have to prove it every time.”

In the Kentucky Oaks, Secret Oath was eighth down the backstretch under Luis Saez and began making up ground approaching the far turn from the four-to-five path. Secret Oath built on her one-length advantage at the stretch call to best the late-running Nest by two lengths.

The win gave Lukas his fifth Kentucky Oaks coup, putting him on even terms with the late Hall of Famer Woody Stephens, and first since 1990 winner Seaside Attraction.

“That’s the picture-perfect run you want. Good ride. Good tempo. Everything about it was perfect and we’re looking for that same trip again,” Lukas said. “She’s training so forwardly; Luis knows her and it’ll be a smaller field. I think the trip shouldn’t be a factor.”

Secret Oath, a Kentucky homebred, is out of the dual stakes winner and multiple graded stakes placed Quiet American mare Absinthe Minded, who also was trained by Lukas.

“She was a solid, solid race mare. I’m not surprised that she produced this one because she was so solid and sound,” Lukas said. “She went out there and tried every time, maybe was just a nickel’s worth short of being a Grade 1 winner, but evidently the cross with Arrogate works.”

Saez, the 2021 leading rider at the Spa, will pilot Secret Oath from post 5.

Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gainesway Stable’s Nest also arrives at the CCA Oaks off an effort against colts in an American Classic when second to stablemate Mo Donegal in the 12-furlong Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on June 11.

By Curlin, who sired CCA Oaks winners Curalina [2015] and Paris Lights [2020], Nest has a perfect in-the-money record of 4-2-1 through seven lifetime starts while having never been beaten more than three lengths. Following a three-race juvenile campaign which was capped by a victory in the Grade 2 Demoiselle on December 4 at Aqueduct, Nest commenced her sophomore season with a six-length romp in Tampa Bay Downs’ Suncoast on February 12 before an 8 1/4-length victory in the Grade 1 Ashland on April 8 at Keeneland.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, who seeks a record-extending eighth CCA Oaks win, said he likes what he has seen out of Nest heading into Saturday’s engagement. She breezed over the Saratoga main track on July 16, logging a five-furlong move in 1:01.44.

“I thought she got over the track really well and seemed to take to it,” said Pletcher. “It’s not been an issue for her. She’s kind of one that doesn’t need a certain type of surface and I’m not surprised that she’s settled in well here.”

Pletcher had considered waiting for the Grade 1 Alabama on August 20 at Saratoga, but said Nest bounced out of the Belmont in fine fettle.

“You always want to just hope they come out of a race like that in good order. She was so well designed for the mile and a half that the race really didn’t take much out of her,” Pletcher said. “Pretty much everything that she’s done since the Belmont has told us that she’s ready to run back now as opposed to waiting another month.”

Pletcher worked as an assistant under Lukas before going out on his own in 1997.

“I have tremendous respect for Wayne. I’ve always said that I think he’s the greatest horse trainer of all time and I’m very happy for him that he’s having a great year,” Pletcher said. “That being said, we’re out there to compete and we’re rooting for Nest first, but if she can’t win then I’d be happy for Wayne if he does, but we certainly want to give it our best shot.”

Nest will break from post 3 under Irad Ortiz, Jr., who has piloted the filly to all four of her victories.

Joining Secret Oath and Nest is fellow Kentucky Oaks alumna Nostalgic, who will search for her first Grade 1 win for Hall of Famer Bill Mott. By Medaglia d’Oro, who sired 2016 CCA Oaks winner Songbird, Nostalgic enters off a troubled tenth in the Kentucky Oaks four weeks following a rail-riding victory in the Grade 3 Gazelle at Aqueduct. She made a triumphant career debut over the Belmont main track going 1 1/16 miles to win by 7 3/4 lengths before finishing fourth behind Nest in the Grade 2 Demoiselle at Aqueduct.

Junior Alvarado will pilot Nostalgic from post 4.

Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen will saddle Society, who is unbeaten in three lifetime starts for owner/breeder Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds. The daughter of Gun Runner was a 27-1 upset winner of her career debut in October at Keeneland for trainer Wayne Mackey before switching to Asmussen’s barn.

She bested stakes-placed Ontheonesandtwos by 1 3/4-lengths on May 6 over a sloppy and sealed Churchill Downs main track in a 6 1/2-furlong optional-claimer before capturing the 1 1/16-mile Monomoy Girl to pass her first two-turn test six weeks later at the Louisville oval.

Asmussen said he was impressed by the stretch-out effort from Society.

“I think we have improvement from that race and we’ll see it, but obviously we need huge improvement,” Asmussen said. “She was a little too keen down the backside coming off two one-turn races, but she’s a very intelligent filly and I think that with the two-turn race she has leveled off and stretched out in her training and we’ll see a little smoother run from her this time.”

“She’s a very talented filly that is jumping off into the deep end against the Oaks winner and a filly that was kind of a tough-luck second in the Belmont,” Asmussen added. “These are two fillies that ran in Triple Crown races, but Society is very impressive and very fast and she deserves this chance.”

Tyler Gaffalione will seek his second CCA Oaks victory, when guiding Society from post 2.

Rounding out the field is Butterbean, who exits a victory in the Grade 3 Iowa Oaks on July 9 at Prairie Meadows for trainer Kenny McPeek. The Magdalena Racing and William Klimashousky-owned Klimt filly has won her last three starts, dating back to a sixth-out maiden score going 1 1/16 miles on May 27 at Churchill Downs ahead of a 5 3/4-length win in the Panthers two weeks later at Prairie Meadows.

Julien Leparoux will ride Butterbean from post 1.

Over 40 fillies have used the CCA Oaks as a steppingstone to Champion 3-Year-Old Filly honors, including three of the last six winners in Songbird [2016], Abel Tasman [2017], and Monomoy Girl [2018].

The CCA Oaks is slated as Race 5 on Saturday’s 11-race card, which also features the Grade 3, $200,000 Caress in Race 10. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

Saratoga Live will present daily coverage and analysis of the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the summer meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

Caravel looks to repeat in G3 Caress

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Qatar Racing, Marc Detampel and Madaket Stables’ Caravel will vie for a repeat victory in Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Caress for older fillies and mares sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on the inner turf at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Brad Cox, Caravel will attempt to become the second horse to win two editions of the Caress and the first to do so with graded status. Miss Ella won consecutive runnings as a black type stake in 2016-17 for trainer Graham Motion.

Caravel arrives from a last-out pacesetting victory in the Grade 3 Intercontinental on June 10 at Belmont Park over firm going. She led by a narrow advantage throughout the six furlongs under Tyler Gaffalione before responding to urging and widening her lead to one length at the wire in a final time of 1:07.59.

“I think she showed her class at Belmont and she’s continued to do well,” said Cox. “She had a good run with her previous connections and we’re hoping she can duplicate her effort.”

The 5-year-old daughter of Mizzen Mast began her career under the care of trainer Elizabeth Merryman, who conditioned her to her victory in the Caress last year. Caravel began her career in 2020 with a trio of victories in Pennsylvania, including Presque Isle Downs’ Lady Erie over synthetic, a surface she has gone a perfect 3-for-3 over. She went on to capture the The Very One at Pimlico Race Course and the Goldwood at Monmouth en route to the Caress last summer.

After securing her first graded triumph in the Caress, Bobby Flay purchased a majority interest in Caravel and transferred her to Graham Motion to close out the rest of her 4-year-old season. She earned a Grade 1 placing when third in the Highlander at Woodbine before finishing off-the-board in the Grade 3 Turf Monster at Parx Racing and the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.

After her start in the Breeders’ Cup, Caravel was purchased by her current owners in November for $500,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Fall Mixed Sale and sent to Cox. She made a victorious seasonal debut in March in the Queen at Turfway Park for her first start for her new connections.

“She’s doing really well and she’s set up for a good race. We picked her up in November and we gave her some time off,” said Cox. “She’s been pretty straightforward, and she loves to train. We’ve been excited about her since we got her. We ran her on the synthetic at Turfway just to get a run under her belt and it worked out well.”

Caravel’s only loss in three starts for Cox was a sixth-place finish against males in the Grade 2 Turf Sprint in May at Churchill Downs, an effort Cox said was admirable.

“She didn’t fair very well against the boys at Churchill – I think it was more due to the course and being stuck down inside. It was actually really good, it was more just where she was on the course that day,” said Cox. “But she obviously liked the Belmont turf course and up here, so hopefully we keep it going. She’s cool.”

Caravel will be piloted by Gaffalione from post 1.

Live Oak Plantation’s Souper Sensational will make her second start over the turf for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse after finishing a game second to Boardroom in the Grade 2 Royal North last out on June 4 at Woodbine off an eight-month layoff.

Out of the Indian Charlie mare Kateri, Souper Sensational’s second dam, Sue’s Good News, also produced multiple stakes-winning turf sprinter Bulletin, who took the inaugural Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint in 2018. Casse said he considered Souper Sensational’s accomplished turf relatives when deciding on the surface switch.

“We thought with her pedigree that she’d like the grass, and we were looking for a race to come back in,” Casse said of the Royal North. “Grass tends to be a little kinder to them, especially off the layoff. She ran well, so I think she’ll run well in the Caress.”

The Curlin chestnut has won on dual surfaces, beginning her career with a pair of wins in 2020 over the Woodbine all-weather that included a four-length romp in the seven-furlong Glorious Song. She switched to dirt and picked up placings as a sophomore in the Silverbulletday and Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra before taking the Grade 3 Victory Ride at Belmont and finishing second in the Grade 1 Test and Grade 2 Prioress at the Spa.

While Souper Sensational showed early speed in her latest outing, she also has shown ability to rate when she closed from fifth-of-6 for her win in the Victory Ride. She will cut back a full furlong from the Royal North and run the shortest distance of her career, though she has shown proficiency at distances ranging from six furlongs to 1 1/16 miles.

Casse said Souper Sensational’s versatility will be key to her success on Saturday.

“The distance is a little bit of a concern. She won’t make the lead and there’s a fair amount of speed,” Casse said. “The best race she ever ran, she came from last, so she’ll have to close here to be competitive. She runs well everywhere and she’s an extremely talented filly.”

Dylan Davis has the call from post 8.

The lightly-raced Bout Time enters the Caress in great form for trainer Cherie DeVaux, who has already collected a stakes victory at the Saratoga meeting with Tarabi in the Wilton on Opening Day. Bout Time, a 4-year-old Not This Time chestnut, will look to make the grade after blitzing to victory in the Goodwood on June 25 at Monmouth Park.

Owned by Belladonna Racing, Bout Time put in a strong performance in the Goodwood when she stalked the pace under Angel Rodriguez and showed an impressive turn-of-foot down the lane to come home in a blistering final time of 1:01.01 for the 5 1/2 furlongs and secure the win by 2 1/4 lengths.

All but one of Bout Time’s starts have been over the grass, her lone dirt start a debut seventh in an off-the-turf maiden last May at Churchill Downs over a wet-fast sealed main track. She improved dramatically on the grass for the first time with a 5 1/2-length score at second asking before showing some greenness and losing by a head in her first start against winners on March 24 at Fair Grounds Race Course.

“She came out of the race at Monmouth in good order. She hasn’t done anything wrong since we’ve gotten her on the grass sprinting,” said DeVaux. “In her second start on the grass, she got a little green, and it was a bit disappointing because she acted like she was going to move forward from her impressive maiden win. She eventually did, but she showed some signs of being a lightly-raced horse. She’s continued to progress since she went on turf.”

Bout Time will be ridden from post 4 by Luis Saez.

The New York-bred Robin Sparkles was last seen finishing a good third behind Bout Time in the Goodwood and was third behind Caravel in this event last year for trainer Bruce Brown and owner Michael Schrader. She made a victorious return from a seven-month layoff with a one-length score in an off-the-turf rendition of the Politely on May 21 at Monmouth.

A daughter of Elusive Quality, Robin Sparkles has put together a consistent campaign that includes two stakes victories and a record of 15-8-2-3 with earnings of $420,668. She will be piloted from post 6 by Hall of Famer Javier Castellano.

Rounding out the field are Miss J McKay [post 2, Irad Ortiz, Jr.], Star Devine [post 3, John Velazquez], Tobys Heart [post 5, Ricardo Santana, Jr.], Lady Edith [post 7, Trevor McCarthy], Kept Waiting [post 9, Kendrick Carmouche] and Fouette [post 10, Jose Lezcano].

The Caress is slated as Race 10 on Saturday’s 11-race program, which also features the Grade 1, $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks in Race 5. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

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