Distance Could Help Divine Oath in Secretariat

When Kevin Scatuorchio and Bryan Sullivan founded Let’s Go Stable, it was with the classic races in mind, and while Divine Oath missed this year’s Triple Crown, he could make his mark at the classic distances on turf.

Divine Oath stretched out to 1 3/16 miles to win the Grade III American Derby on July 12 at Arlington International Racecourse, and now the 3-year-old son of Broken Vow will try 1¼ miles in the Grade I $500,000 Secretariat Stakes on Saturday during the International Festival of Racing.

“We were really happy with the [American Derby] performance,” Scatuorchio said. “It was a bit of a clever ride for [Florent] Geroux getting through. The margin was a half-length, but he did well past the wire, so we think the added distance will be in his favor.”

Let’s Go Stable purchased Divine Oath for $200,000 at the 2012 Keeneland September yearling sale, and the colt debuted for trainer Todd Pletcher in January at Gulfstream Park, winning his first two races. Let’s Go Stable nominated Divine Oath to the Triple Crown and entered him in the Kentucky Derby points races on Polytrack—the Grade II Spiral Stakes at Turfway Park and the Grade I Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland Race Course—but did not draw in.

So instead Divine Oath returned off a two-month layoff in the Grade III Coolmore Lexington Stakes, finishing second to eventual Grade I Belmont Derby winner Mr. Speaker. He then finished fourth in the Penn Mile before stretching out for the American Derby victory.

“Mr. Speaker that day was pretty impressive, and the Penn Mile did not pan out to our advantage,” Scatuorchio said. “That race was only a mile, and we had a lot to do with a lot of ground to make up. He was running hard at the end, so after that race we knew we’d want some added ground.”

Scatuorchio said that Let’s Go Stable will be at Arlington on Saturday “in full force” with about 20 people attending to cheer on Divine Oath. The stable began buying horses in 2006 and has enjoyed success with 3-year-olds in each of the past two seasons with El Padrino in 2012 and multiple Grade I winner Verrazano last year.

Divine Oath has won three of five starts and has earned $232.950.