Friday’s main event features the fillies for the lilies in the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. It’s Race 11 of 13 with a post time slated for 5:51 pm ET. A full field of 14 entered, along with a trio of also-eligible hopefuls.
Horseplayers betting the Kentucky Derby (Saturday) and Kentucky Oaks (Friday) cards can enjoy a $10 money-back special on win bets if those selections finish second or third in any race either day.
Let’s meet the contenders for Kentucky Oaks 149:
#1-Mimi Kakushi (Mikael Barzalona//Salem bin Ghadayer) 20-1
Dubai-based daughter of Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and Pegasus World Cup winner City of Light, who posted his signature BC score over the main track at Churchill Downs. She’s won 3 straight, including the UAE 1000 Guineas at 1 mile and the Grade 3 UAE Oaks at 1-3/16 miles, an additional 110 yards longer than the Kentucky Oaks. Jockey Barzelona won the 2011 Epsom Derby at age 19 and the Dubai World Cup a year later. His top US success was 2017 BC Turf winner Talismanic.
#2-The Alys Look (Javier Castellano//Brad Cox) 15-1
Veteran of 3 stops on the Fair Grounds tour this winter/spring, winning the Silverbulletday in the middle before a third-place run in the Fair Grounds Oaks, 7 lengths behind Southlawn. Trainer Cox won the 2018 Oaks (Monomoy Girl) and 2020 Oaks (Shedaresthedevil). Jockey Castellano piloted Cathryn Sophia to the Oaks crown in 2016. Her worst career race came at Churchill Downs in her only appearance, raising some concern about her affinity for the surface (albeit a wet track may have been the culprit).
#3-Gambling Girl (Irad Ortiz Jr.//Todd Pletcher) 15-1
Minor checks in all 4 career starts against open-company for this New York-bred. Her last 2 losses came at the heels of Oaks rivals Wet Paint and Promiseher America. Trainer Pletcher has 4 Oaks wins from 2004-2021, most recently with Malahaat. A fifth would tie Woody Stephens and D. Wayne Lukas for the all-time record. He also saddled last year’s runner-up Nest. Filly is sired by a beaten Kentucky Derby favorite (Dialed In) and her damsire is also a dispatched Derby chalk (Empire Maker).
#4-Southlawn (Reylu Gutierrez//Norm Casse) 8-1
Vastly improved in 2 starts this year, both wins, after a non-descript freshman campaign. Well-beaten in both Churchill main track appearances last year (8-3/4 and 13 lengths). Those efforts seem a distant memory after romping by 11-1/4 combined lengths in her ’23 New Orleans outings. The last Fair Grounds Oaks winner to add the lilies in Louisville was Untapable in 2014. Son, Norm Casse, takes on his father, Mark, in the Oaks as their fillies break next door.
#5-Wonder Wheel (Joel Rosario//Mark Casse) 12-1
Last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner and Champion 2-Year-Old Filly has been off the mark in both tries this season at 1-2 and 3-2 odds. Her stunning loss in the listed Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs was followed up with another step backward in the Grade 1 Ashland, where she was beaten almost 6 lengths to Oaks return rival Defining Purpose. The last 2YO Filly champ to win the Oaks was Silverbulletday in 1999, and she’ll need a wakeup call to update that historical footnote. Mark Casse trained 2018 Oaks runner-up Wonder Gadot.
#6-Botanical (Chris Landeros//Brad Cox) 4-1
The hottest filly in the Oaks seeks a fifth straight victory after running the table this winter-spring at Turfway Park. Wire-to-wire Bourbonette Oaks winner will see if she can transfer her speed to dirt for the first time. If so, expect her to be on or near the lead. Sire Medaglia d’Oro was famously responsible for 2008 Oaks annihilator Rachel Alexandra, as well as 2011 Oaks winner Plum Pretty and the great Songbird, who would have been a huge Oaks favorite in 2016 if not for missing the race with a fever. Trainer Cox won the 2018 Oaks (Monomoy Girl) and 2020 Oaks (Shedaresthedevil).
#7-Wet Paint (Flavien Prat//Brad Cox) 5-2
Sweeper of Oaklawn’s series – the Martha Washington, Honeybee and Fantasy Stakes – takes the same Arkansas path as last year’s Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath. Only 1 Oaks favorite has delivered in the last 8 years (Malathaat in 2021). Trainer Cox won the 2018 Oaks (Monomoy Girl) and 2020 Oaks (Shedaresthedevil). Provides the late portion of the early-late duo with stablemate Botanical. While she’s never raced at Churchill, her sire Blame famously beat Zenyatta in the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic here and her damsire Street Cry crushed the 2002 Foster at Churchill by more than 6 lengths.
#8-Promiseher America (Jorge Vargas Jr.//Ray Handal) 30-1
From third-start maiden breaker to 26-1 upsetter in Aqueduct’s Gazelle, it’s been a rapid rise to the Kentucky Oaks for this Big A winter warrior. The daughter of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah has improved in each start as the distances extended. It would be a career-defining score for jockey Jorge Vargas Jr. and trainer Ray Handal.
#9-And Tell Me Nolies (Ramon Vazquez//Peter Miller) 15-1
The only west coaster in the field, note the most recent Californians to win the Oaks came in 2010 (Blind Luck), 2011 (Plum Pretty) and 2017 (Abel Tasman). Runner-up in both starts this year after winning the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity and Grade 2 Chandelier as a juvenile. Chased Faiza in California twice, including the Santa Anita Oaks. That runner is trained by Bob Baffert and not permitted to run in the Kentucky Oaks as part of a house ban of the trainer. And Tell Me Nolies has made only one prior road trip, resulting in her worst performance, eighth in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies behind Wonder Wheel.
#10-Flying Connection (Florent Geroux//Todd Fincher) 15-1
Jockey Florent Geroux won the 2018 Oaks (Monomoy Girl) and 2020 Oaks (Shedaresthedevil) teamed with Brad Cox, and now will be on the opposing side. After little impact in two Del Mar starts last summer, this daughter of 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist returned home to her New Mexico base with the state’s most dominant trainer. Rolled to back-to-back route stakes wins at Sunland Park on the front end and should be part of the Oaks’ early pace. This will be her class test.
#11-Defining Purpose (Brian Hernandez Jr.//Kenny McPeek) 12-1
Yet another in a long line of longshot Ashland winners the past decade or so, surprising Keeneland’s feature at 20-1 odds. The previous 3 Ashland winners to her went on to run third (Speech, 2020), first (Malathaat, 2021) and second (Nest, 2022) in the Kentucky Oaks. She lost two decisions to Wet Paint at Oaklawn by nearly 8 combined lengths before leaving Hot Springs. Trainer McPeek has been the Oaks runner-up 3 times, 2002 (Take Charge Lady), 2017 (Daddys Lil Darling) and 2020 (Swiss Skydiver). The latter would go on to win the Preakness next out. Hernandez was pilot for the 2017 McPeek bridesmaid.
#12-Dorth Vader (Luis Saez//Mike Yates) 20-1
Lit up the tote at 46-1 when winning the Davona Dale around one turn, but was unable to carry her speed the two-turn trip in the 1-1/16 miles Gulfstream Park Oaks. Now this daughter of hot young sire Girvin will add another 110 yards at Churchill. Damsire Yonaguska primarily known for sprinters. So she might be at the end of her pedigree leash. Likely to be in the early pace mix. Jockey Saez looks for back-to-back Oaks wins after guiding Secret Oath a year ago.
#13-Affirmative Lady (John Velazquez//Graham Motion) 10-1
After four losses to open her career, she comes into the Oaks off back-to-back wins at Gulfstream Park since trainer Motion added blinkers. The Arrogate filly has run around two turns in each of those last four outings, which included a neck runner-up at the Oaks’ 9-furlong distance in last year’s Demoiselle while still a maiden. Jockey Velazquez’s Oaks victories came in 2004 (Ashado) and 2021 (Malathaat) for Todd Pletcher; they’re now matched up against one another.
#14-Pretty Mischievous (Tyler Gaffalione//Brendan Walsh) 10-1
Near-sweep of the New Orleans scene after wins in the Untapable and Rachel Alexandra was followed by a runner-up in the Fair Grounds Oaks. Trainer Walsh is coming off a fantastic Keeneland meeting and hitting on all cylinders. Jockey Gaffalione led the Keeneland meet and has won the last 6 titles at Churchill. He piloted 2020 Oaks runner-up Swiss Skydiver. Sire Into Mischief also has Oaks hopeful Wonder Wheel representing the pedigree brand.
Also-Eligible:
#15-Taxed (Rafael Bejarano//Randy Morse) 20-1
No match for Wet Paint in a trio of stakes tries at Oaklawn, she’s just 1-for-7 lifetime with a maiden claiming score. That win did come over the main track at Churchill last year. She has made more than 3 times that $50,000 claiming price so far in 2023 with runner-up tries in the Martha Washington and Fantasy Stakes. Jockey Bejarano tasted Oaks glory in 2010 (Blind Luck).
#16-Julia Shining (Luis Saez//Todd Pletcher) 15-1
Regally bred daughter of Curlin and Julia Shining, the dam of 2021 Oaks winner Malathaat and herself the beaten favorite in the 2013 Oaks. She’s finished third in both starts this year, the Suncoast at Tampa Bay Downs and the Ashland at Keeneland. Trainer Pletcher has 4 Oaks wins from 2004-2021, most recently with Malahaat. A fifth would tie Woody Stephens and D. Wayne Lukas for the all-time record. He also saddled last year’s runner-up Nest. Jockey Saez looks for back-to-back Oaks wins after guiding Secret Oath a year ago. He will ride Julia Shining and hop off Dorth Vader if this filly draws into the field.
#17-Hoosier Philly (Edgar Morales//Tom Amoss) 30-1
Sensational winner of Churchill’s Golden Rod to close her freshman season, there was serious talk about her being a Kentucky Derby horse into the spring. But those dreams dissipated after a stunning defeat at 2-5 in Fair Grounds’ Rachel Alexandra. The pubic held onto her juvenile memory upon her follow-up in the Fair Grounds Oaks, but the result slipped farther from her promise when a distant fourth. Trainer Amoss won the 2019 Oaks (Serengeti Empress).
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