Zany Still Favored in Wide‑Open Kentucky Oaks
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Zany, the favorite in March’s lone Kentucky Oaks future wager pool, retained her place atop the board for Friday’s 152nd edition of the Grade 1, $1.5 million Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. But following her first career defeat, she holds a modest 4‑1 morning‑line advantage in what shapes up as one of the deepest, most competitive Oaks fields in years.
“It’s a very well‑matched group of fillies,” said trainer Brad Cox, who will send out Prom Queen, winner of the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks. “There’s no standout, and there’s no throwout.”
Field Finalized Amid Last‑Minute Changes
Entries for the Kentucky Oaks and the following day’s Kentucky Derby were taken Saturday morning, with post positions drawn between races on Churchill’s opening‑day card. The draw took place beneath the Twin Spires, overlooking the paddock.
By that time, the Oaks lineup had largely settled. Cox confirmed that Paradise would shorten up to run in the Grade 2 Eight Belleson the undercard.
Meanwhile, trainer Todd Pletcher withheld She Be Smooth after being unhappy with how she moved following a Thursday breeze in Florida, and Lorelei Lee, who has raced exclusively on Tapeta, was redirected by Mike Maker to the turf in the Grade 2 Edgewood.
Despite those defections, 17 fillies were entered. The Oaks is capped at 14 starters, with preference determined by qualifying‑points earned in designated stakes since last September.
The also‑eligibles, in order of preference, are Lovely Grey (a $1,500 late nominee), Nycon, and Resist. They can draw into the field only if a defection occurs before 9 a.m. on race day.
Zany Draws Inside for Pletcher, Ortiz, and Repole
Owned by Repole Stable, trained by Pletcher, and ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., Zany will break from post 2. The same team also campaigns Derby morning‑line favorite Renegade, who drew the rail for Saturday’s Derby.
Zany went unbeaten in her first three starts — capturing the Grade 2 Demoiselle at Aqueduct last fall and the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs — before finishing second in the Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland.
Odds Maker Calls Race “Super Wide‑Open”
This year’s Oaks morning line was the first compiled by Nick Tammaro, who succeeds Mike Battaglia following his 51‑year run in the role. Tammaro described the race as “super wide‑open,” but still made Zany the public’s starting choice.
“I really think there are six to eight win candidates in that race, between the 4‑1 favorite and the 15‑1 mark or so,” Tammaro said. “She’s a little more lukewarm off the loss, but I don’t think the public will penalize her much. She ran well and projects to improve going a mile and an eighth. The inside draw isn’t bad; she’ll save more ground, and losing ground last time definitely hurt.”
Meaning, winner of the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks, is the second choice at 5‑1.
Percy’s Bar, who took the Ashland, is 6‑1, as is Explora, the Grade 3 Honeybee winner.
Counting Stars (Grade 2 Fantasy) and Prom Queen (Gulfstream Park Oaks) are both 8‑1, followed by a cluster of others at double‑digit prices.
Equipment Note and New Prime‑Time Spotlight
Among equipment changes, Bella Ballerina, who has raced in blinkers in all four starts and set the pace in both outings this year, will run without blinkers Friday.
For the first time in its history, the Kentucky Oaks will be run at night. Post time is set for 8:40 p.m. ET, during a prime‑time NBC broadcast (8‑9 p.m.). The Oaks concludes a 13‑race card that begins at noon.
Strong Undercard Highlights
Six other graded stakes complement Oaks day:
- Grade 1 $1 million La Troienne – fillies and mares, 4 and up
- Grade 2 $750,000 Alysheba – older horses
- Grade 2 $700,000 Eight Belles and Grade 2 $600,000 Edgewood – alternatives for sophomore fillies
- Grade 3 $500,000 Modesty and Grade 2 $500,000 Unbridled Sidney – both turf events for fillies and mares
152nd Kentucky Oaks – Field, Riders, and Morning Line
| Post | Horse | Jockey | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Explora | Flavien Prat | 6‑1 |
2 | Zany | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 4‑1 |
3 | Search Party | Cristian Torres | 30‑1 |
4 | Counting Stars | Francisco Arietta | 8‑1 |
5 | Meaning | Juan Hernandez | 5‑1 |
6 | My Miss Mo | Micah Husbands | 20‑1 |
7 | Dazzling Dame | Luis Saez | 30‑1 |
8 | Bottle of Rouge | Mike Smith | 20‑1 |
9 | Always a Runner | Jose Ortiz | 10‑1 |
10 | Prom Queen | Javier Castellano | 8‑1 |
11 | Percy’s Bar | Luan Machado | 6‑1 |
12 | Bella Ballerina | Tyler Gaffalione | 10‑1 |
13 | Pashmina | Ramon Vazquez | 30‑1 |
14 | Brooklyn Blonde | Kazushi Kimura | 30‑1 |
AE | Lovely Grey | Dylan Davis | 30‑1 |
AE | Nycon | Jaime Torres | 50‑1 |
AE | Resist | Brian Hernandez Jr. | 30‑1 |
