This time, Nest finished the job. There would be no yielding to her rival, Secret Oath. There would be nothing but vapor trails and dirt for Secret Oath and the rest of Saturday’s Grade 1 CCA Oaks field to absorb. Now, after Nest bludgeoned her rivals by 12 ¼ lengths […]
Tag: Secret Oath
CCA Oaks Provides Another Glimpse of Secret Oath vs. Nest
There are actually five horses in Saturday’s featured Grade 1 CCA Oaks at Saratoga. But do not let yourself get bogged down by numbers. Let yourself get bogged down by details. Because this year’s CCA Oaks marks only the third time in the last 25 years the top-two finishers from […]
Epicenter’s Second Triple Crown Runner-Up Frustrates Asmussen
After Epicenter finished second in the Kentucky Derby, trainer Steve Asmussen was stunned. After Epicenter finished second in Saturday’s Preakness Stakes, Asmussen was more than surprised. He was upset. Upset that his 6/5 favorite – who came into the 147th Preakness Stakes as the best all-around horse in the field […]
Early Voting Finds Target, Punches a Winning Ballot in Preakness Stakes
Chad Brown wanted Early Voting to have “a target†in the 147th Preakness Stakes. He wanted the lightly raced, but fast colt to go out fast – but he wanted someone else to go out faster. And Armagnac obliged. The California colt wasted no time taking the lead, providing Early […]
Breaking Down the 2022 Preakness Stakes: More Filly Follies?
The 2022 Preakness Stakes comes to you with a paradox, a wagering quandary that pits one 21st century trend against one 2020s trend. The trend this century is the friend to chalk. Since 2000, 10 favorites found the Pimlico Race Course winner’s circle. Oxbow at 15.40/1 in 2013 is the […]
Lukas Rolls the Filly Dice Again, Sends Secret Oath to the Preakness
Secret Oath will attempt to join Swiss Skydiver, Rachel Alexandra, and four other fillies as a Preakness Stakes champion after trainer D. Wayne Lukas confirmed the filly will run in the 147th Preakness Stakes on May 21 at Pimlico Race Course. Lukas went all-in Wednesday afternoon after opening the day […]
Derby Aftermath: Stunned Asmussen, Preakness Probables
Still trying to process how his Kentucky Derby futility streak hit 24 races, trainer Steve Asmussen was non-committal on whether Derby runner up Epicenter would run the May 21 Preakness Stakes. The two-time Preakness winner was very committal on his level of disbelief at what transpired 50 yards from his […]
Secret Oath Comes Out of Kentucky Oaks Win Looking at Preakness
The options before Secret Oath – newly minted Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath – are plentiful and profitable. And Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said the Preakness Stakes remains one of those options. “I’m going to let a few days go by and then I’ll get with (owner) […]
Secret Oath May See the Boys Again in the Preakness Stakes
Earlier this month, trainer D. Wayne Lukas ran standout filly Secret Oath against the boys in the Arkansas Derby. And he said he may do it again in three weeks in the Preakness Stakes. Savvy fans and horseplayers may have wondered why the Hall of Fame trainer nominated Secret Oath […]
Favorite Secret Oath is No Secret Coming in to Arkansas Derby
In 1984, D. Wayne Lukas decided on a whim to bring back his filly Althea for the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby. That this was unconventional – even for those times of running horses far more often than happens now – can’t be understated. That’s because Althea ran the week before, […]
Arkansas the Center of This Week’s Cross Country Pick 5
With Oaklawn Park sharing center-of-the-racing-world status with Gulfstream Park this weekend, the Arkansas track holds a near-monopoly on this week’s New York Racing Association Cross Country Pick 5. Four of this week’s five races come from Oaklawn Park, with Aqueduct providing the lone exception. Unlike last week’s Cross Country Pick […]
It’s No Longer A Secret: Lukas Will Run Secret Oath in the Arkansas Derby
Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Sunday he planned running standout filly Secret Oath against the boys in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby April 2 at Oaklawn Park. Lukas broke the news to retired Hall of Fame jockey and current jockey agent Gary Stevens late Saturday on Fox […]
The Field Takes Back Favorite Status in the KDFW Pool 4
The de-facto option for bettors not happy with the individual offerings of 3-year-olds: “All Other 3-Year-Olds,†a.k.a. the Field, closed as the 4/1 favorite in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW) Pool 4. With eight weeks to go before the May 7 Kentucky Derby, that fourth of five pools sponsored […]
Forbidden Kingdom Runs Into Favored Status in KDFW Pool 4
Fresh off the heels of his dominant San Felipe Stakes win, Forbidden Kingdom opened as the 5/1 favorite in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW) Pool 4. That pool opens Friday and runs through Sunday. It runs concurrently with the lone Kentucky Oaks Future Wager (KOFW) pool. There, Churchill Downs oddsmaker […]
Lukas’ Secret is Officially Out, Meet Star Sophomore Filly Secret Oath
There is a certain dangerous element to giving a Hall of Famer like D. Wayne Lukas a filly like Secret Oath, a dangerous element that went on display Saturday in the Grade 3 Honeybee Stakes. The 86-year-old Lukas isn’t quite ready to retire. Not when he nearly swept Oaklawn’s two […]