The weighty anticipation of the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) did little to disrupt the calm May 7 outside the barn of D. Wayne Lukas.
The coveted blanket of lilies, which had adorned the neck of Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Secret Oath the day before, lay draped artfully in front of Lukas' wall of accolades outside his Churchill Downs barn.
Friday's Oaks win was the fifth overall in the race for the Hall of Fame trainer, who nabbed his first victory in the American filly classic 40 years ago in 1982 with Blush With Pride. Lukas said Saturday morning that Secret Oath exited the Oaks in fine form and next steps were already being discussed with owner/breeders Rob and Stacy Mitchell of Briland Farm.
"She bounced back very quickly last night and she's very sharp here this morning," Lukas said. "Looks very good. We're tickled to see her come out of that tough race and to be bouncing around here this morning. She's excellent.
"She ran a picture-perfect race, a beautiful trip. It kind of went the way we had mapped it out. When (jockey) Luis (Saez) moved into position down the backstretch, I told Laurie (his wife) that we were going to be OK."
Lukas said that the second leg of the Triple Crown, the $1.5 million Preakness Stakes (G1) May 21 at Pimlico Race Course, could be among options for Secret Oath. Should that possibility come to fruition, it would mark the second time the daughter of Arrogate has faced the boys. One start ahead of her Oaks win, she finished third in the April 2 Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park.
"I'm going to let a few days go by and then I'll get with (owner) Rob Mitchell," said Lukas. "I'll let him have an opinion. The Preakness is an option, but so is the Black-Eyed Susan (G2). The big difference is a million dollars and a grade 1. Would be nice to get her a second grade 1."
The $250,000 George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) is also at Pimlico, contested a day before the Preakness on May 20. Due in part to the short turnaround from the Oaks, it typically draws a different cast than the fillies seen at Churchill Downs.
While the thrill of the Oaks win will continue to buoy the Lukas mare, Derby Day will likely be a more tame affair for the trainer and his team than originally anticipated. Lukas scratched his sole Derby entrant, Ethereal Road, the morning of May 6. Despite that decision, the Hall of Famer admitted a trip to Maryland could also be in the cards for the Quality Road colt in a couple of weeks.
"I thought if I ran him today (in the Derby), I'd have no shot of going on with him," Lukas said. "I have run him a lot between Oaklawn and Keeneland. I didn't think he'd win, so I took him out and now we have the option of the Preakness."
The colt ran twice last month at Keeneland, finishing seventh in the April 9 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1) and fourth a week later in the April 16 Stonestreet Lexington Stakes (G3).
Todd Pletcher's trio of Oaks finishers also exited Friday's race in fine fettle.
"They all came back well. Everyone ate up," said Pletcher. "They're all likely to be headed up to New York. We've got to do some checking on flight schedules, but they'll be headed out in the next little while."
Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, and Michael House's Nest took second place for Pletcher in the Oaks. Fellow trainees Shahama and Goddess of Fire ran sixth and 11th, respectively.
Third-place finisher Desert Dawn, who grabbed third in the Oaks for owner H and E Ranch and trainer Phil D'Amato, was pronounced happy and healthy Saturday morning. Exercise rider Roman Cecher had nothing but praise for the Arizona-bred filly.
"She came back from the race really well," Cecher said. "She ate everything up last night. The filly ran huge for us and we thought she was going to get second. Everybody was very pleased."
