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Secret Oath a slam dunk for the Mitchells’ homegrown program

by NYRA Press Office

•     Secret Oath a slam dunk for the Mitchells’ homegrown program
•     Life Is Good breezes over main track for G1 Whitney; Pletcher breezes turf horses for potential stakes engagements
•     Sharp mulling options for Practice Squad after Rick Violette victory; Spycraft aims for G3 Troy

•     Golden Pal works for G3 Troy

•     Hot Peppers on point for G1 Longines Test; Valenzan Day to add blinkers for G2 Saratoga Special

•     Gufo may defend G1 Sword Dancer title; Miss J McKay and Lady Edith ready for G3 Caress; Well-bred Treasured Gem debuts Sunday

Secret Oath enters the CCA Oaks off a troubled-fourth place finish in the Grade 1 Preakness against colts. In winning the Kentucky Oaks, she gave Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas his fifth conquest in the prestigious race, and first in 32 years. The daughter of Arrogate also gave the Mitchells their first Grade 1 winner 22 years after diving into the breeding industry.

Named for Harbour Island in The Bahamas, colloquially known as “Briland”, the property was acquired as a place to live, not to raise a farm full of horses. That changed when Mitchell purchased a quarter horse for pleasure riding and soon after purchased a second horse for the low price of $1, an unraced thoroughbred mare named Chao Praya, upon the suggestion of a friend, Henry Alexander, a real estate agent who worked with Spendthrift Farm founder Leslie Combs.

“That’s what started it,” Robert Mitchell said, with a laugh. “I got my wife a quarter horse just to ride around on. A friend told me, ‘Horses are social animals, and they don’t like being in the field alone’ and I think he was luring me in.”

Not only was he lured in, he never left. They ended up breeding the bargain broodmare to Level Sands, who stood at nearby Crestwood Farm. The result was Level Playingfield, who won the Grade 3 Kentucky Cup Sprint in 2004 and made $664,822.

Four foals later, she produced another graded stakes winner in Imposing Grace, by Empire Maker.

Secret Oath’s dam Absinthe Minded was their previous highest-earning horse. The Quiet American mare won three stakes, all at Oaklawn Park, and was five-times graded stakes placed which included back-to-back placings in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom at Oaklawn. She was also a distant fifth in the 2010 CCA Oaks.

“They have the same kind of long, thin, gangly body type,” Mitchell said. “She had another foal that won a few races and looked the same, but she just didn’t have that extra bit that Secret Oath has.”

That foal was Sara Sea, a Tiznow filly who won twice on the dirt while placing three times on grass for Lukas

“I thought Secret Oath looked like her sister, Sara Sea, who was pretty useful,” Mitchell said. “She lost by a nose on the turf on Derby weekend and the horse that beat her [Mintd] won a Grade 3 a few weeks later at Churchill on the turf.”

Mitchell believed Arrogate was perfect for his blacktype-earning mare, so much so that he even drove to Juddmonte Farm to state his case.

“I thought it was a perfect breeding,” Mitchell said. “I’ve tried breeding broodmares before and got turned down, but I was so confident in that breeding that I drove to Juddmonte myself to talk to [Juddmonte general manager] Garrett O’Rourke about it in person, because I was so confident in that breeding, and it worked. Phenotypically, she [Absinthe Minded] looked a lot like Arrogate. The look is a strong factor there.”

Initially entered at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Mitchell decided to pull Secret Oath out of the sale.

“I got lucky there,” Mitchell said. “She just wasn’t getting a lot of looks, vet checks or anything like that. So rather than run her through the sale and having her RNA or not bring anything, I brought her home.”

Secret Oath debuted in October 2021 at odds of 31-1, finishing a distant third to next-out stakes winner Sandstone going a one-turn mile at Churchill Downs. She graduated next out in her two-turn debut at the Louisville oval, winning by 5 1/4-lengths on October 31 before running fifth in the Grade 2 Golden Rod.

Secret Oath won her next three starts at Oaklawn by a combined 23 lengths, starting with a victory over eventual Grade 1-winner Matareya in a New Year’s Eve allowance, where she recorded a 93 Beyer.

“A day or two after that race, someone had called and said that was the fifth highest speed figure of any 2-year-old of the year, colt or filly,” Mitchell recalled. “Wayne was pretty high on her then. Later, he called me and wanted to nominate her to the Triple Crown. He’s always thinking so far ahead, so I told him I would think about it. I realized that about eight or nine [fillies] are nominated. So it’s not an unheard of thing to do, so I said, ‘Let’s do it.'”

Secret Oath won the January 29 Martha Washington before becoming the Mitchells’ first graded stakes winner with a 7 1/2-length romp in the Grade 3 Honeybee on February 26 at Oaklawn. But there was a decision to be made of whether to keep Secret Oath against fillies in the Grade 3 Fantasy, or try colts in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby. They opted to run against the boys, where she finished a late-closing third.

Mitchell said her trip in the Arkansas Derby was encouraging in spite of defeat.

“She was way too far behind and started to move really early. She came from last to third in just about a second and a half,” Mitchell said. “I think a lot of people got off her then, they might have thought the Arkansas Derby was weak and came in third and wasn’t a strong race. But every time she won, they said it wasn’t a strong race.”

Any naysayers couldn’t say the same following the Kentucky Oaks, where Secret Oath faced 2021 Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Echo Zulu.

“The first six or seven horses in there made it a very deep field,” Mitchell said. “Three horses in there were undefeated. Kathleen O. was undefeated, Nest had crushed everyone in the Ashland, Shahama was undefeated, so you had some top notch fillies in there. She ran her race where she cruised along with her efficient stride and had something left at the end.”

Mitchell said a Grade 1 victory at Saratoga with a homebred would be special.

“The history in Saratoga is incredible, the tradition. Winning any race there is good, but to win a race that has historical significance would mean a lot,” Mitchell said.

Having not struck major gold until 22 years into the business, Mitchell knows the game often comes with more downs than ups. 

“In this game, you learn to keep your expectations in check. There’s a lot more disappointments than good times and anything can happen,” he said.

***

Life Is Good breezes over main track for G1 Whitney; Pletcher breezes turf horses for potential stakes engagements

Multiple Grade 1 winner Life Is Good greeted the Saratoga sunrise on Friday, heading to the main track at 5:45 a.m. for a five-furlong move in 1:02.05 for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.

Piloted by exercise rider Amelia Green, NYRA clockers caught the talented Into Mischief bay through a three-eighths split in 38 flat before an authoritative gallop out in 1:14.80 for three quarters, 1:27.60 for seven-eighths and 1:40.80 for one mile.

Pletcher said he was more than pleased with the work from Life Is Good, who registered a career-best 112 Beyer Speed Figure in the Grade 2 John A. Nerud on July 2 at Belmont last out.

“It’s what we’ve come to expect from him every breeze,” Pletcher said. “It looks like he’s going effortlessly, keeps going on the gallop out. She had to reach up and grab him at the half-mile pole galloping out just to get him pulled up. He’s a super mover, efficient and on cruise control.”

Owned by WinStar Farm and CHC Inc., Life Is Good captured last year’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar en route to a victory in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup in January at Gulfstream Park. Through a record of 9-7-1-0 and earnings in excess of $3.5 million, Life Is Good has garnered seven triple digit speed figures.

Pletcher breezed a handful of horses on the Oklahoma turf training course Friday for possible next out stakes outings, including multiple graded stakes winner Wit, who blitzed through a bullet half-mile in 47.95 seconds.

Wit, who went in company with Argentinian Group 1-winner Scotish Star, won his sophomore debut in the Grade 3 Bay Shore in April at Aqueduct before finishing a distant fourth in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens presented by Mohegan Sun on Belmont Stakes Day.

The son of second crop sire Practical Joke, out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Numero d’Oro, has yet to race on turf, but Pletcher said the strong breeze could propel Wit to the Grade 2, $200,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame on August 5 at Saratoga.

“I thought it was awfully good. We’ll have to consider some options,” Pletcher said. “Every once in a while, you put one on the grass and see a big move forward and I think that’s what we saw today.”

“The Medaglia d’Oro bottom side kind of made you think about [turf], it was mainly just about giving him a try on it,” Pletcher said. “There was enough pedigree that suggested it could work. It certainly looked like he took it all in and enjoyed himself out there.”

Bass Racing’s homebred Annapolis went five furlongs in 1:01.11 in company with blue blooded first-out maiden winner Capensis, a sophomore son of Tapit.

Annapolis won the Manila last out on July 4 after finishing second as the favorite in his seasonal debut in the Grade 2 Penn Mile contested over soft going on June 3.

Pletcher said Friday’s breeze should have Annapolis on target for the 1 3/16-mile Grade 1, $1 million Caesars Saratoga Derby Invitational on August 6.

“I thought both horses went really well,” Pletcher said. “We were unfortunate off the layoff to catch the Penn Mile on a bottomless ground and I thought he was courageous to run as well as he did on ground that was awfully hard to accelerate on. It seemed to move him forward and now with two races under his belt, I think we can stretch him out.”

Capensis, owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Robert V. LaPenta, Gainesway Stable, Winchell Thoroughbred and Stonestreet Stables, romped to a five-length debut score against older company traveling 1 1/16-miles on July 2 over the Belmont turf.

Pletcher said Capensis could target either an allowance or the Grade 2, National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame.

“We’ve got a couple of options,” Pletcher said. “I think he showed graded stakes ability in his debut. The question is if we want a little more seasoning before jumping into a stake or just go right at it.”

Capensis was purchased for $2 million from the Eaton Sales consignment at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. By Tapit, he is out of the Grade 1-winning Unbridled’s Song broodmare Tara’s Tango.

***

Sharp mulling options for Practice Squad after Rick Violette victory; Spycraft aims for G3 Troy

Jordan Wycoff’s Practice Squad was a determined winner in his stakes debut Thursday, turning back a strong challenge from multiple stakes-winner Dakota Gold to prevail in the $125,000 Rick Violette at Saratoga Race Course.

Practice Squad arrived from a pair of on-the-board finishes against older, open company at Belmont Park and improved to post a career-best 87 Beyer Speed Figure for his Rick Violette triumph under Flavien Prat. The son of Malibu Moon, and half-brother to multiple graded stakes-winner Upstart, has finished in-the-money in all four starts for Sharp since he was haltered for $30,000 from a runner-up effort at Fair Grounds Race Course in February. 

“He came out of it super. Obviously, we were very proud of him and Flavien gave him a flawless ride,” said Sharp. “Dakota Gold had the opportunity to go by him, and Practice Squad felt him coming. He reengaged and kept his nose down at the wire and in the gallop out. You’ve got to always respect a game horse and a horse that loves to win. He had been a little camera shy at up until that point, but he decided to get his head in front on the right day.” 

Sharp praised assistant Lorita Lindemann for her work with Practice Squad throughout the spring at Belmont Park. 

“Lorita did a fantastic job with him at Belmont and his numbers continued to go forward,” said Sharp. “For a 3-year-old, those are all the boxes they need to check.” 

Practice Squad made his run in the Rick Violette on 20 days' rest, and Sharp said he’d like to give him more time than that before his next outing.

“We don’t have anything in mind. Jordan and I will talk it over,” said Sharp. “It will definitely be further down the road because it’s not typical for us to run our horses back that quickly, but it was the right spot, so we did it. We’ll give him proper spacing this time and let him rebuild himself and get strong again. He’ll tell us when he’s ready.”

Sharp found graded success at Saratoga last year when conditioning Fast Boat to a victory in the Grade 3 Troy. He will attempt a repeat win in this year’s edition on August 5 with the improving Spycraft, who breezed five-eighths in 1:01.92 seconds over the Oklahoma turf training track Friday with Sharp in the irons.

“He was fantastic. I was on him myself and we’re getting excited. He’s going to run in the Troy and he’s another horse that’s just getting good at the right time,” said Sharp. “We won the race last year with Fast Boat and we’re looking to strike again. It’s a race that’s always been one of our favorites.”

Owned by Dugan-McNichol Racing, Spycraft is a perfect 2-for-2 since being transferred to Sharp from the barn of Eddie Kenneally, including a last-out victory in the Dark Star Turf Sprint on June 22 at Canterbury Park where he broke from the outermost post 11 and pounced from two lengths off-the-pace to a 1 1/4-length victory under Adam Beschizza.

“He overcame the furthest outside post and Adam gave him a great trip,” said Sharp. “We were really proud of him and the owners were out there for it. They come to all his races and they’re big believers in their horse. It’s refreshing to see owners that love and care for their horse that much and are that supportive of him.”

Sharp said returning the son of Discreet Cat to the turf for the first time since last June has helped him rekindle good form. He boasts a 7-4-1-0 record over the lawn.

“We’re raising the bar for him each time, but having said that, he’s done everything we’ve asked and stepped up every time we raised the bar for him. Hopefully he can do that again,” said Sharp. “He was in great condition when we got him from Eddie and he’s fallen into our routine really well. We reintroduced him to the grass and I think he’s rejuvenated himself.”

Bred in Kentucky by Godolphin, Spycraft has compiled a record of 17-7-1-1 and earnings of $272,387. He is out of the Bernardini mare Sugarcraft, a half-sister to Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks runner-up and stakes producer Shook Up.

***

Golden Pal works for G3 Troy

Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Westerberg's Golden Pal worked five-eighths over the Oklahoma training turf Friday in 59.78 in company with Lyrical Poet [1:01.22] in preparation for the Grade 3, $300,000 Troy, a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for older horses on August 5.

Golden Pal, working to the outside of his stablemate, was timed by NYRA clockers through three-eighths in 36 flat and out six furlongs in 1:12.40 as the pair galloped out strongly through the turn and onto the backstretch. 

“As every work goes by, I’m relishing them because he's heading to stud next year,” Ward said. “I just enjoy watching an extreme talent like that breeze every week. That’s what trainers love - seeing great horses breeze and breeze great.” 

Golden Pal boasts a record of 10-6-2-0 for purse earnings in excess of $1.4 million led by scores in the 2020 Grade 2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Keeneland and last year's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar.

He is undefeated in two starts at Saratoga, including scores in the 2020 Skidmore and last year's Grade 3 Quick Call. Golden Pal, who captured the Grade 2 Shakertown in April at Keeneland in his seasonal debut, enters the Troy from an off-the-board effort in the Grade 1 Kings Stand on June 14 at Ascot. 

Ward said Golden Pal continues to train well as he looks to build on a campaign that he hopes will see his charge join Goldikova and Beholder as three-time Breeder’s Cup winners.

“He was doing good going into Ascot and he's doing just as good now,” Ward said. “I don't think there's too many that will go 3-for-3 at the Breeders' Cup, but that's what we're shooting for." 

The 4-year-old Uncle Mo colt is out of the 11-time stakes-winning turf sprinter Lady Shipman, who captured Saratoga’s Coronation Cup and Smart N Fancy in 2015.

Lyrical Poet, a 5-year-old Kitten's Joy gelding owned, bred and trained by Ward, is out of the speedy Bring the Heat mare One Hot Wish, who won a pair of sprints for Ward led by an 8 1/2-length allowance romp at Gulfstream Park in 2008 that garnered a 91 Beyer. He was last seen posting a three-quarter length allowance score on April 21 over good Keeneland turf.

“That's a nice horse. He's a barn favorite,” Ward said. “We're hoping to find him an allowance race.”

***

Hot Peppers on point for G1 Longines Test; Valenzan Day to add blinkers for G2 Saratoga Special

Michael Dubb and Michael Caruso's Hot Peppers worked a half-mile in 49 flat on July 20 over the Saratoga main track in preparation for the Grade 1, $500,000 Longines Test, a seven-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies on August 6.

Trainer Rudy Rodriguez said he was pleased with the effort from the Khozan bay in her first breeze back following a three-quarter length score in the Grade 3 Victory Ride on July 9 at Belmont Park.

“I really liked the way she breezed the other day. It was a nice and easy breeze - just maintenance,” Rodriguez said. “We'll try to breeze one or two more times. She's happy and has acclimated really well to Saratoga. As long as she keeps training good, the big test is coming up. Hopefully, we can get there nice and healthy.”

Hot Peppers won at second asking for her former owner-trainer Ron Spatz, taking a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight by 14 1/4-lengths on January 6 at Gulfstream Park. Dubb purchased Hot Peppers privately from that outing and left the filly with Spatz, who saddled her for two more wins at Gulfstream ahead of a distant seventh in the seven-furlong Sophomore Fillies in March at Tampa Bay Downs. The talented bay was then transferred to Rodriguez, who prepared Hot Peppers for a smart 6 3/4-length score in the six-furlong Jersey Girl ahead of her graded coup.

Rodriguez, who won the Test last year with Bella Sofia, said he is optimistic that Hot Peppers can replicate her stablemate’s success.

“It was a big accomplishment for ‘Bella’ and this filly looks like she's coming along steady,” Rodriguez said.

Valenzan Day, trained and co-owned by Rodriguez with Celeritas Racing, was an impressive debut winner in May at Belmont traveling five furlongs over Big Sandy.

The 2-year-old Khozan chestnut followed with a rallying third after a troubled trip in the 5 1/2-furlong Tremont one month later at the same track.

Last out, Valenzan Day finished off-the-board in the six-furlong Grade 3 Sanford on July 16 at the Spa after losing his footing while exiting the outermost post 12 and enduring a wide trip.

“I was kind of disappointed the way he ran. He got a bad post,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez said he has since trained Valenzan Day in blinkers with an eye to sharpening the colt up ahead of a start in the Grade 2, $200,000 Saratoga Special, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint on August 13. 

“I'm putting blinkers on him to try and get him into the race a little earlier,” Rodriguez said. “I'll breeze him soon in the blinkers and hopefully he can regroup a little bit.”

 ***

Gufo may defend G1 Sword Dancer title; Miss J McKay and Lady Edith ready for G3 Caress; Well-bred Treasured Gem debuts Sunday

Trainer Christophe Clement said Otter Bend Stables' Gufo could follow his start in Saturday’s Grade 1 United Nations at Monmouth Park with a title defense in the Grade 1, $750,000 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer, a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf in November at Keeneland. The Sword Dancer is the premier turf race of the meet for older horses, run at 1 1/2-miles on August 27.

“At the moment, the plan is to run tomorrow in New Jersey and then we’ll bring him back maybe for the Sword Dancer,” said Clement. 

A winner at ages 2, 3, 4 and 5, Gufo is a four-time graded stakes winner, including Grade 1 triumphs as a sophomore in the Belmont Derby and in last year’s Sword Dancer. He owns a lifetime record of 17-8-3-5 and has banked over $1.5 million in earnings. His lone off-the-board effort came in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar where he finished 10th-of-14. 

A 5-year-old son of Declaration of War, Gufo will break from the outermost post 10 tomorrow at Monmouth with regular rider Joel Rosario aboard.

Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables, Tony Weintraub and Brandon Dalinka’s Miss J McKay, and Abbondanza Racing and Omar Aldabbagh’s Lady Edith are both slated to race in Sunday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Caress, a 5 1/2-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares over Saratoga’s Mellon turf course.

Miss J McKay [post 2, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] and Lady Edith [post 7, Trevor McCarthy] both have proven to be effective in turf sprints. Lady Edith was transferred to Clement’s barn earlier this year and made her New York debut last month in the Grade 3 Intercontinental at Belmont Park where she finished fourth.

Prior to transferring to Clement’s barn, Lady Edith was a multiple stakes-winner for former conditioner Thomas Drury when she captured the Wishing Well in January on Turfway Park’s synthetic course and the Mamzelle at five-furlongs over the Churchill Downs turf in May 2021.

“They’re both nice horses. Lady Edith probably has more natural speed than the other one [Miss J McKay],” said Clement, who has trained Miss J McKay since last fall. 

Miss J McKay is a four-time stakes winner on turf at three different distances. She captured the six-furlong License Fee at Belmont two starts back in an effort that garnered a career-best 96 Beyer Speed Figure. 

Clement said it will take a strong performance from his fillies to best the multiple graded-stakes winner Caravel in the Caress.

“It’s a very tough race and very competitive. Caravel will be the one to beat and we’ll try our best,” said Clement.

The Caress is carded as Race 10 with a post time of 6:13 P.M. Eastern.

Manzanita Stables’s homebred juvenile filly Treasured Gem will make her debut in Race 7 on Sunday at Saratoga, a maiden special weight event going 1 1/16-miles over the inner turf course.

The daughter of Medaglia d’Oro, is out of the multiple graded stakes-placed mare Mei Ling, who earned over $500,000 during her four-year career.

Treasured Gem has trained extensively at Saratoga since arriving from Payson Park in early May and has posted two works over the Oklahoma turf course.

“She’s nice. I don’t know if she’s nice like ‘win first time out’ nice or ‘nice for the future,’ but I think she should have a career and she’s a nice horse,” said Clement.

Rosario has the call from post 10.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Darlene Bilinski’s multiple stakes-winning New York-bred Senbei breezed a half-mile in :50.93 seconds on Friday over Saratoga’s Oklahoma training track.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

The 3-year-old son of Candy Ride is undefeated when racing at 6 1/2 furlongs or shorter, with his only loss coming in the seven-furlong Bertram F. Bongard at Belmont last fall. Senbei bested open company last out in the Gold Fever at Belmont, a win that saw him earn a career-best 86 Beyer Speed Figure.

Senbei sports a ledger of 6-5-1-0 with over $400,000 in earnings.

Bobby Flay’s Pizza Bianca is back stateside and has re-entered training following an eighth-place finish in the Group 1 Coronation on June 17 at Royal Ascot.

“Pizza Bianca came back from England and is in training,'' said Clement. “She’s not quite ready to come back but she’s all good.”

The homebred 3-year-old filly by Fastnet Rock broke her maiden at first asking last summer here and went on to run second in the Grade 1 Natalma at Woodbine before closing from last-of-14 to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar, giving Clement his first Breeders’ Cup win.

West Point Thoroughbreds’ Voodoo Zip breezed a half-mile in :49.04 and Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Morris Bailey, Wonder Stables and Michael J Caruso’s Soldier Rising breezed a half-mile in :51.71 Friday over the Oklahoma turf training course.

Clement said Voodoo Zip could be headed to the Grade 3, $300,000 Troy on August 5, while Soldier Rising will eye a start in the Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green on July 31.