The 150th running of the Kentucky Oaks, the fillies for the lilies, highlight’s the Friday action at Churchill Downs on the eve of the Kentucky Derby. It’s a record purse of $1.5 million for the Oaks, which has a capacity field of 14 over 1-1/8 miles.
Horseplayers on the 1/ST BET and Xpressbet platforms can enjoy a $25,000 Exacta-Thon promotion on Friday’s Churchill card as well as up to a $10 money-back special if win bets finish second or third in select stakes races, including the Oaks.
Let’s meet the contenders for the Kentucky Oaks (Race 11):
#1-TAPIT JENALLIE: Veteran of Oaklawn’s 4-stakes series, running top-5 in each, including a third-place finish behind Thorpedo Anna in the Grade 2 Fantasy. Debuted a winner at Remington Park in September and added her only stakes win in Delta’s My Trust Cat in November. From the same female family as Take Charge Lady, runner-up in the ’02 Oaks. Daughter of Tapit, who sired 2014 Oaks winner Untapable.
#2-GIN GIN: Jockey Florent Geroux and trainer Brad Cox have won the Oaks twice, both in tandem (Monomoy Girl ’18, Shedaresthedevil ’20). Gin Gin won the Busanda in January and a Churchill maiden sprint last September, but more recently was third in both the Busher and Gazelle while wintering in New York. Historic Calumet Farm’s 6 Kentucky Oaks wins span 1943-’79 under previous ownership.
#3-WHERE’S MY RING: Santa Anita-based filly looks for her second win of the road trip, having won the Grade 3 Gazelle at Aqueduct in early April. She had been a 7-race maiden prior to that score, yet still was bet to 5-2 favoritism. Eighth in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies over her home track vs. Just F Y I et al. Brings 67-year-old trainer Val Brinkerhoff to the big stage in search of his first Grade 1 victory from more than 1,700 starts since 2008.
#4-REGULATORY RISK: Lone victory in 5 starts was a wire-to-wire, 1-turn mile at Aqueduct in a December maiden race. Earned her ticket here with a runner-up in the Grade 3 Gazelle at 19-2 odds behind Where’s My Ring. Jockey Jose Ortiz won the 2019 Oaks aboard Serengeti Empress. Trainer Chad Brown seeks his first Kentucky Oaks victory.
#5-THORPEDO ANNA: Dominant winner of Oaklawn’s Fantasy Stakes by 4 lengths despite drawing post 10 of 10 in her only start of 2024. Won 2 of 3 as a juvenile, finishing second in Churchill’s Golden God as the odds-on favorite. Bargain $40,000 purchase has bagged nearly $600,000 to date. Trainer Kenny McPeek seeks his first Kentucky Oaks victory.
#6-LEMON MUFFIN: Trainer D. Wayne Lukas is a 5-time Oaks winner, most recently Secret Oath in 2022, and tied with the late Woody Stephens for most all-time. Lemon Muffin won Oaklawn’s Grade 3 Honeybee while still a 5-race maiden, but just didn’t show up when seventh in the Grade 2 Fantasy follow-up. Partners with 25-year-old jockey Keith Asmussen, who will also pilot Just Steel for Lukas in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.
#7-FIONA’S MAGIC: Speedster failed to stretch out in trip from her 1-turn success when 8th in the Gulfstream Park Oaks last time out. Previously wired the field in the Grade 2 Davona Dale at trainer Michael Yates’ Gulfstream base. Jockey Luis Saez piloted 2022 Oaks winner Secret Oath. Expect her to factor early in the pace.
#8-TARIFA (pictured): Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks winner has won 4 of 5 starts and 3 straight coming into the race and is the expected betting favorite. Pedigree loaded with stamina by Preakness winner Bernardini and with damsire Awesome Again a Breeders’ Cup Classic winner over the Churchill track. Owner Godolphin secured last year’s Oaks trophy with the Brendan Walsh-trained Pretty Mischievous. Trainer Brad Cox has won the Oaks twice (Monomoy Girl ’18, Shedaresthedevil ’20).
#9-EVERLAND: Upset winner of Turfway’s Bourbonette Oaks has yet to race on dirt through 7 starts (6 straight on synthetic since a turf debut). Claimed for $30,000 in December, she’ll try to replicate the late-running style and back history of 2022 Kentucky Derby shocker Rich Strike. Sire Arrogate was responsible for 2022 Oaks winner Secret Oath.
#10-INTO CHAMPAGNE: Sire Into Mischief was responsible for last year’s Oaks winner Pretty Mishievous. Two-time sprint winner in Kentucky and Florida exits a third-place finish in the Gulfstream Park Oaks in her first start around 2 turns. Expected part of the early pace with jockey Julien Leparoux in search of his first Kentucky Oaks win.
#11-WAYS AND MEANS: Jockey Tyler Gaffalione seeks to become the first rider with back-to-back Oaks victories since legendary Eddie Arcaro won 3 straight from 1951-’53. Trainer Chad Brown seeks his first Kentucky Oaks victory. Gulfstream Park Oaks runner-up had a rough trip in her only start of 2024, coming up a length short at 1-2 odds. Also runner-up in last year’s Spinaway at Saratoga as an odds-on chalk for trainer Chad Brown. This jockey-trainer tandem pairs with Sierra Leone in Derby 150.
#12-POWER SQUEEZE: Hottest filly in this year’s Oaks, she brings a 4-race winning streak to Louisville. Tampa-based jockey Daniel Centeno picked up the mount in winning the Suncoast Stakes, kept it through their 11-1 upset in the Gulfstream Park Oaks and sticks Friday for trainer Jorge Delgado. Possesses late-running style and owns a trio of wins around 2 turns.
#13-JUST F Y I: Can become the first Champion 2-Year-Old Filly to win the Kentucky Oaks since Silverbulletday in 1998-‘99. Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott looks to add the Oaks to his resume for the first time while playing catch-up on the calendar with this filly. Missed her seasonal debut at Gulfstream with a fever, but returned with a promising second in Keeneland’s Ashland. Best known for her Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies victory at Santa Anita. Daughter of 2018 Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown winner Justify.
#14-LESLIE’S ROSE: 9-1 upset winner of the Ashland at Keeneland, rebounding from an odds-on defeat in Gulfstream’s Davona Dale, her only loss in 4 starts. Trainer Todd Pletcher seeks a record-tying fifth Oaks win, joining D. Wayne Lukas and Woody Stephens. He won this race in ’04, ’07, ’13 and ’21, most recent with Malathaat. Sire Into Mischief was responsible for last year’s Oaks winner Pretty Mishievous.
#15 (also eligible)-OUR PRETTY WOMAN: Runner-up in the Fair Grounds Oaks could follow that same final prep and result as last year’s Kentucky Oaks winner Pretty Mischievous. Steve Asmussen has a pair of Kentucky Oaks wins to his credit (’05 Summer, ’14 Untapable). Front-runner adds legitimate pace presence if she were to draw into the field.
#16 (also eligible)-CANDIED: Beaten favorite when fourth in the Ashland at Keeneland, her only start of 2024. That kept her on the outside looking in on the Kentucky Oaks qualifying points chase. Narrow third to Just F Y I in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and won the Alcibades prior. Trainer Todd Pletcher seeks a record-tying fifth Oaks win, joining D. Wayne Lukas and Woody Stephens. He won this race in ’04, ’07, ’13 and ’21, most recent with Malathaat.
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