| PROFILES |
Secret Oath, a 3-year-old daughter of the late Arrogate, provided D. Wayne Lukas with his fifth Kentucky Oaks victory.
& ROBERT MITCHELL GRA DE 1 STACY SECRET OATH WI NN ING W OWNE RS
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TRAINERMAGAZINE.COM ISSUE 65
ith a dollar and a dream, Stacy, a criticalcare nurse, and Robert Mitchell, a surgeon, became horse owners. With a willingness to learn, they became Thoroughbred breeders after purchasing 92-acre Briland Farm in Lexington. And with patience and a commitment to race only home-breds, they created a niche—one made so much sweeter when their three-year-old filly Secret Oath took them to the winner’s circle at Churchill Downs by taking their first Gr. 1 stakes, the Kentucky Oaks, rather easily by two lengths under Luis Saez. “They do it all themselves—pretty much a ‘mom-andpop’ operation with just a few horses,” their Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said. “To have that kind of success is phenomenal. They’re very protective of their horses. Stacy foals out most of them herself. We’ve had a great relationship.” Along the way, Stacy and Robert learned the ups and downs of racing. “The Thoroughbred industry can be as high as possible and the lowest of lows with foals dying,” Stacy said. “You just never know. Every time you get a good one, you say, ‘This is the one.’”