Much has been made of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve celebrating its 150^th anniversary in 2024, but the same historical marker applies to its companion race for 3-year-old fillies, the $1.5 million Longines Kentucky Oaks.

Like the Derby, the 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Oaks has a rich history with some of the iconic names in the sport etched in Thoroughbred racing history books like Modesty, Cicada, Susan’s Girl, Davona Dale, and Rachel Alexandra among its past winners. Jennifer Kelly recounted her 10 best winners of the Kentucky Oaks in honor of the 150^th edition of the race detailing the careers of 10 great champion racemares.

Traditionally held the Friday before the Kentucky Derby, the Kentucky Oaks is scheduled for May 3 at Churchill Downs and drew an overflow field of 3-year-old fillies from across the country plus one shipping in from the Middle East.

The race will be televised on USA Network and streamed live on Peacock, anchoring a Friday broadcast that runs from 1-6 p.m. ET. Post time for the Oaks is 5:51 p.m.

Read on for more information on the contenders for this milestone edition of the Kentucky Oaks. Whether you just want to learn a little more about the fillies or bet a few dollars on the race, the Kentucky Oaks Cheat Sheet is a valuable source of information for what is shaping up as an exciting and competitive race. 

Coady Photography

1. Tapit Jenallie (SCRATCHED)

Jockey: Emmanuel Esquivel

Trainer: Eddie Milligan Jr.

Owner: Willis Horton Racing

Career record: 6 starts – 2 wins – 1 second – 1 third

Career earnings: $236,819

Earnings per start: $39,470

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 91

Kentucky Oaks points: 54

Pedigree: Tapit – Take Charge Tressa, by War Front

Color: Chestnut

Running style: Closer

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Willis Horton Racing’s homebred began her career with back-to-back runaway victories in sprints, including a 5 ½-length romp in the My Trusty Cat Stakes in November 2023 at Delta Downs. It was a promising start for a well-bred filly by leading sire Tapit out of Take Charge Tressa, a full-sister (same dam [mother], same sire [father]) to 2019 Arkansas Derby winner Omaha Beach and a half-sister to Horton Racing’s champion Take Charge Brandi. Tapit Jenallie’s third dam (maternal great-grandmother), Take Charge Lady, ran second in the 2002 Kentucky Oaks and produced three Grade 1 winners, including champion Will Take Charge. Pedigree can only carry a racehorse so far, however, as Tapit Jenallie then stretched out in distance and failed to win in four subsequent starts, all at a mile or longer, while picking up paychecks and Kentucky Oaks qualifying points with minor placings. Tapit Jenallie ran fourth in the Martha Washington Stakes to kick off her 3-year-old season and then was second by 3 ½ lengths in the Grade 3 Honeybee Stakes and third by 7 ¼ lengths in the Grade 2 Fantasy Stakes. She has significant ground to make up on Fantasy winner Thorpedo Anna in the Kentucky Oaks and would need to boost her career-best Equibase Speed Figure about 10 points to be a viable win threat. A more likely scenario for Tapit Jenallie would be filling out the trifecta or superfecta at appealing odds with a more incremental improvement. The Horton family was part owner of 2006 Kentucky Oaks winner Lemons Forever. Trainer Eddie Milligan Jr. and jockey Manny Esquivel both are seeking their first Kentucky Oaks win.

NOTE: Tapit Jenallie was scratched from the race on Thursday and will not compete in the Kentucky Oaks.

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2. Gin Gin (30-1 morning-line odds)

Jockey: Florent Geroux

Trainer: Brad Cox

Owner: Calumet Farm

Career record: 7 starts – 2 wins – 2 seconds – 2 thirds

Career earnings: $230,508

Earnings per start: $32,930

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 87

Kentucky Oaks points: 66

Pedigree: Hightail – Before You Know It, by Hard Spun

Color: Bay

Running style: Closer/stalker

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Calumet Farm is the all-time leading owner and breeder in Kentucky Oaks history collecting six wins with Nellie L (1943), Wistful (1949), Hall of Famer Real Delight (1952), Bubbley (1953), Princess Turia (1956), and Hall of Famer Davona Dale (1979). None of the six previous Oaks winners, however, has come since the farm was leased to billionaire businessman Brad Kelley in 2012. That could change May 3 at Churchill Downs when Kelly’s Calumet sends out Busanda Stakes winner Gin Gin. The bay Hightail filly figures to be a longshot for the Oaks after she was beaten by 4 ¾ lengths when third in the Busher Invitational Stakes and by 9 ½ lengths when third in the Grade 3 Gazelle Stakes, both at Aqueduct, in her two previous starts. She enters the race on a pattern of improvement as she has boosted her Equibase Speed Figure from an 82 in the Busanda Stakes win to an 86 for the Busher Stakes and an 87 in the Gazelle. Gin Gin will need to show significant improvement to be a bona-fide win candidate in the Kentucky Oaks but she is in the capable hands of Brad Cox and Florent Geroux, who teamed up to win the Oaks with Monomoy Girl in 2018 and Shedaresthedevil in 2020.

Eclipse Sportswire

3. Where’s My Ring (15-1)

Jockey: Jose Lezcano

Trainer: Val Brinkerhoff

Owner: Michael McMillan

Career record: 8 starts – 1 win – 3 seconds – 1 third

Career earnings: $202,620

Earnings per start: $25,328

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 101

Kentucky Oaks points: 125

Pedigree: Twirling Candy – Mapit, by Tapit

Color: Bay

Running style: Stalker/closer

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Where’s My Ring shipped from her Southern California base to New York for the Grade 3 Gazelle Stakes April 6 winless in seven starts. She left the Big Apple as one of the favorites for the Kentucky Oaks after a dominant 4 ¼-length runaway for trainer Val Brinkerhoff. The Twirling Candy filly is a reminder that racehorses can improve significantly in late winter-early spring of their 3-year-old seasons, but it’s not as though the Gazelle win came completely out of the blue. She had previously run second three times and third once, including a runner-up finish to well-regarded Kinza in the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes one start prior to the breakthrough win, and Where’s My Ring was actually a lukewarm post-time favorite in the Gazelle. She earned a 101 Equibase Speed Figure for the win, tied for tops in this group, and a repeat of her Gazelle win or a slight improvement would make her a serious win candidate for her connections, who are all seeking their first victory in the Kentucky Oaks.   

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4. Regulatory Risk (20-1)

Jockey: Jose Ortiz

Trainer: Chad Brown

Owner: Klaravich Stables

Career record: 5 starts – 1 win – 2 seconds – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $114,274

Earnings per start: $22,855

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 95

Kentucky Oaks points: 55

Pedigree: Omaha Beach – Walkwithapurpose, by Candy Ride

Color: Bay

Running style: Press the pace/stalker

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Trainer Chad Brown initially was noncommittal on the Kentucky Oaks with Regulatory Risk, but he decided to send the Omaha Beach filly to Churchill Downs after she showed positive signs following a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Gazelle Stakes April 6 at Aqueduct. “She worked great in her first work after the Gazelle,” Brown said of a half-mile workout April 20. “She is a rapidly improving filly. … She deserves a shot.” Regulatory Risk won once in three races as a 2-year-old and made little impression when fifth in the Busher Invitational Stakes March 2 at Aqueduct in her 3-year-old bow. Regulatory Risk took a brief lead near the quarter-pole in the Gazelle but could not match strides with winner Where’s My Ring and finished second, beaten by 4 ¼ lengths. The bay filly out of stakes winner and stakes producer Walkwithapurpose will try for the first stakes win of her career in the Kentucky Oaks after posting a career-best 95 Equibase Speed Figure in the Gazelle. It’s a tall order, but Regulatory Risk would need only a small improvement to be a viable contender against this bunch for four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brown, who finished second in this race in 2021 with Search Results but is still seeking his first Kentucky Oaks win. Likewise, owner Klaravich Stables will attempt to win the Kentucky Oaks for the first time after running second in 2021 with the aforementioned Search Results. Jockey Jose Ortiz won the Kentucky Oaks in 2019 on Serengeti Empress.

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5. Thorpedo Anna (5-1)

Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr.

Trainer: Ken McPeek

Owners: Brookdale Racing, Mark Edwards, Judy B. Hicks, and Magdalena Racing

Career record: 4 starts – 3 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $584,363

Earnings per start: $146,091

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 101

Kentucky Oaks points: 105

Pedigree: Fast Anna – Sataves, by Uncle Mo

Color: Dark bay or brown

Running style: Stalker

Notable achievements and interesting facts: If Thorpedo Anna runs to the expectations of loquacious trainer Kenny McPeek, the rest of the Kentucky Oaks field might be running for second. “They better bring a bear [in the Oaks] because I’m bringing a grizzly,” McPeek said. “I wouldn’t be afraid to run her against the colts.” Indeed, Thorpedo Anna enters the Kentucky Oaks off a dominant season-debut victory by four lengths in the Grade 2 Fantasy Stakes March 30 at Oaklawn Park. The filly by Fast Anna from the family of 2010 Wood Memorial Stakes winner Eskendereya earned a new career-best 101 Equibase Speed Figure, tied for the best among the Kentucky Oaks hopefuls, for her Fantasy win. She is eligible to improve with five weeks rest for her second start off a four-month layoff following a 2-year-old season in which she won two of three starts and finished second in the Grade 2 Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill Downs. Thorpedo Anna also has a win on the main track at Churchill in her second start, romping by nine lengths going a mile Nov. 2 under the Twin Spires. McPeek has never won the Kentucky Oaks although he has finished second on multiple occasions, most recently with Swiss Skydiver who followed with a win in the Preakness Stakes in 2020. Likewise, this ownership group and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. are seeking their first Kentucky Oaks victory.

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6. Lemon Muffin (30-1)

Jockey: Keith Asmussen

Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas

Owners: Aaron Sones and Julie Gilbert

Career record: 7 starts – 1 win – 4 seconds – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $324,000

Earnings per start: $46,286

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 90

Kentucky Oaks points: 50

Pedigree: Collected – Pelt, by Canadian Frontier

Color: Gray or roan

Running style: Closer/stalker

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Lemon Muffin has a chance to give Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas his sixth Kentucky Oaks victory, which would break a tie with Woody Stephens for the most in the 150-year history of the race. On the other side of the spectrum, 25-year-old jockey Keith Asmussen makes his Kentucky Oaks debut aboard Lemon Muffin after guiding her to a 3 ½-length win Feb. 24 at Oaklawn Park in the Grade 3 Honeybee Stakes. The Collected filly was unable to replicate her breakout performance from the Honeybee five weeks later in the Grade 2 Fantasy Stakes, finishing a well-beaten seventh March 30 at Oaklawn, and thus enters the Kentucky Oaks as a bit of a question mark. Was the real Lemon Muffin the one who dominated the opposition in the Honeybee or the one who was no match for Thorpedo Anna in the Fantasy? The answer probably lies somewhere in the middle, which makes Lemon Muffin a fringe contender in the Kentucky Oaks who could rally from off the pace to spice up the exotics at a big price. Lukas previously won the Kentucky oaks with Blush With Pride (1982), Lucky Lucky Lucky (1984), Hall of Famer Open Mind (1989), Seaside Attraction (1990), and Secret Oath (2022). Owners Aaron Sones and Julie Gilbert, like jockey Keith Asmussen, are seeking their first Kentucky Oaks victory.

Eclipse Sportswire

7. Fiona’s Magic (30-1)

Jockey: Luis Saez

Trainer: Michael "Bo" Yates

Owner: Stonehedge

Career record: 6 starts – 3 wins – 2 seconds – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $253,410

Earnings per start: $42,235

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 91

Kentucky Oaks points: 60

Pedigree: St Patrick’s Day – Mollie's Magic, by Factum

Color: Dark bay or brown

Running style: Pacesetter

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Fiona’s Magic was in terrific form to begin the season, finishing second in the Grade 3 Forward Gal Stakes before earning her first stakes win with a front-running half-length victory in the Grade 2 Davona Dale Stakes Presented by FanDuel TV March 2. The charmed start came to a halt, however, in her third race of the year as five fillies vied for the early lead in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks Presented by FanDuel TV and Fiona’s Magic faded badly late, finishing eighth by 44 ¾ lengths. Obviously, Fiona’s Magic’s connections are hoping for a bounce-back effort in the Kentucky Oaks and that the Gulfstream Park Oaks was simply an off day. Racehorses are not machines so that is very possible, but the Gulfstream Park Oaks was Fiona’s Magic’s first try in a race longer than a mile and she would need to improve her Equibase Speed Figure by about 10 points to have a chance to finish first in the Kentucky Oaks. That’s a lot to ask coming out of the worst start of Fiona’s Magic’s career to date. There is not a ton of speed entered in the Kentucky Oaks – although the fillies currently on the also-eligible list could inject some pace into the race – so that should be to Fiona’s Magic’s benefit, and setting an uncontested pace would be her best shot at a top-three finish. Owner Stonehedge and trainer Bo Yates are seeking their first Kentucky Oaks win. Yates won the Davona Dale in 2023 with Dorth Vader, who subsequently finished fifth in the Kentucky Oaks. Jockey Luis Saez won the 2022 Kentucky Oaks aboard Secret Oath.

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8. Tarifa (7-2)

Jockey: Flavien Prat

Trainer: Brad Cox

Owner: Godolphin

Career record: 5 starts – 4 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $518,925

Earnings per start: $103,785

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 99

Kentucky Oaks points: 150

Pedigree: Bernardini – Kite Beach, by Awesome Again

Color: Dark bay or brown

Running style: Press the pace

Notable achievements and interesting facts: This Godolphin homebred Bernardini filly from the family of Hall of Famer and two-time Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Tiznow has improved in each of her three starts this year and enters the Kentucky Oaks as one of the most likely winners. Tarifa uses her tactical speed to press or stalk the pace and find quality positioning early in races and has a nice combination of tenacity and stamina to outfinish opponents late. She won one of two starts in 2023 but is 3-for-3 this year in her 3-year-old campaign and enters this race off back-to-back graded stakes wins at Fair Grounds for two-time Kentucky Oaks-winning trainer Brad Cox. She was a dominant 2 ¾-length winner on a sloppy track in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes Presented by Fasig-Tipton in February, so she’s proven on an “off” track, and followed with a three-quarter-length win March 23 in the Fair Grounds Oaks Presented by Fasig-Tipton. Her lone defeat in five career starts came on the Churchill main track in November 2023, a fourth-place finish as the favorite, so that’s one minor concern, but Tarifa brings top credentials into the race with speed figures comparable with the other main contenders. Cox’s previous Oaks wins came with Monomoy Girl in 2018 and Shedaresthedevil in 2020; owner Godolphin won the race in 2023 with Pretty Mischievous. Jockey Flavien Prat is seeking his first Kentucky Oaks victory.

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9. Everland (30-1)

Jockey: Abel Cedillo

Trainer: Eric Foster

Owners: Foster Family Racing, William Wargel, R.K. Eckrich Racing, and Maxis Stable

Career record: 7 starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 1 third

Career earnings: $237,143

Earnings per start: $33,878

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 100

Kentucky Oaks points: 54

Pedigree: Arrogate – Ever Changing, by Tapit

Color: Gray or roan

Running style: Closer

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Bourbonette Oaks winner Everland will compete in a race on a dirt main track for the first time in the Kentucky Oaks after racing six times previously on all-weather surfaces at Turfway Park and Woodbine and once on the grass at Kentucky Downs. The Arrogate filly was claimed for $30,000 by trainer Eric Foster on behalf of her current owners out of a Dec. 30, 2023, maiden claiming race at Turfway, which she won by three-quarters of a length. She rewarded her new connections with a 3 ½-length win in her first start for them Feb 10 at Turfway Park. After an unplaced finish in her stakes debut March 10 in the Cincinnati Trophy Stakes, Everland closed from off the pace to win the Bourbonette Oaks at Turfway by 1 ½ lengths while earning a career-top 100 Equibase Speed Figure. Replicating that type of race on Kentucky Oaks day would make Everland a major factor in the race, but the key question is, will her talent translate to the dirt? Her sire, Arrogate, was dazzling on dirt with wins in the Travers Stakes, Breeders’ Cup Classic, Pegasus World Cup, and Dubai World Cup. However, the bottom half of Everland’s pedigree leans heavily toward grass, including her second dam (maternal grandmother), European champion Rainbow View, as well as Grade 1 winners Just As Well and No Matter What. That makes Everland quite the wild card in this race. If you fancy her chances, you most likely will be richly rewarded. The ownership group, trainer Foster, and jockey Abel Cedillo are trying to win the Kentucky Oaks for the first time.

Coglianese Photos/Ryan Thompson

10. Into Champagne (30-1)

Jockey: Julien Leparoux

Trainer: Ian Wilkes

Owners: Six Column Stables, Randall Bloch, Jim Gladden, Mike Davis, and Michael Steele

Career record: 4 starts – 2 wins – 1 second – 1 third

Career earnings: $193,960

Earnings per start: $48,490

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 83

Kentucky Oaks points: 50

Pedigree: Into Mischief – Bedford Land, by Speightstown

Color: Bay

Running style: Press the pace

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Into Champagne is a perfect 2-for-2 in sprint races but to date has not been able to carry her speed as effectively navigating two turns while stretching out in distance. She was right in the mix entering the stretch in both the Grade 2 Davona Dale Stakes Presented by FanDuel TV March 2 and the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks Presented by FanDuel TV on March 30, both at Gulfstream Park, but faded to finish second by a half-length in the former and a well-beaten third in the latter. Into Champagne will be stretching out an additional sixteenth of a mile to 1 1/8 miles for the first time in the Kentucky Oaks and seeks her first graded stakes win. While her tactical speed should have her within striking distance, or perhaps even dueling for the lead, near the top of the stretch, the Into Mischief filly has not yet shown the stamina needed to win a Grade 1 race at this distance. Into Champagne should play a role in the shape of the pace for the Kentucky Oaks and with a career-best effort could hold on for a top-three or top-four finish, but she would need to take a pretty significant step forward for even that to happen. Trainer Ian Wilkes, jockey Julien Leparoux, and Into Champagne’s ownership group all are seeking their first Kentucky Oaks win.

Coglianese Photos/Jetta Vaughns

11. Ways and Means (5-1)

Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione

Trainer: Chad Brown

Owner: Klaravich Stables

Career record: 3 starts – 1 win – 2 seconds – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $165,750

Earnings per start: $55,250

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 89

Kentucky Oaks points: 50

Pedigree: Practical Joke – Strong Incentive, by Warrior's Reward

Color: Bay

Running style: Stalker/press the pace

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Lightly raced Ways and Means made a nice impression in her 3-year-old debut when returning from more than 6 ½ months off to finish second in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks Presented by FanDuel TV on March 30. She took the lead in early stretch but could not hold off Power Squeeze and finished a length behind the winner. Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown is a master at having horses ready to fire off of long layoffs, but you have to wonder if Ways and Means lacked a bit of foundation in her first start around two turns while returning from more than half a year on the sidelines. If so, she could take a significant step forward in her second race of the year at what should be appealing odds. The bay filly flashed natural ability as a 2-year-old when winning her debut by 12 ¾ lengths at Saratoga Race Course and then running second in the Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes in her second start. The Kentucky Oaks will be only the fourth race of Ways and Means’ career and she has yet to win a stakes race, but you could argue this Klaravich Stables’ homebred Practical Joke filly has as much upside as any 3-year-old filly in the field. She’s a talented half-sister (same dam [mother], different sire [father]) to Grade 1 winner Surge Capacity and stakes winner Highly Motivated, the 2021 Toyota Blue Gras Stakes runner-up, so Ways and Means might be just scratching the surface. She profiles as an under-the-radar win candidate for Brown and owner Klaravich Stables, who teamed to finish second in the 2021 Kentucky Oaks with Search Results but both are seeking their first win in this race. Jockey Tyler Gaffalione won the Kentucky Oaks for the first time last year aboard Pretty Mischievous.  

Eclipse Sportswire

12. Power Squeeze (12-1)

Jockey: Daniel Centeno

Trainer: Jorge Delgado

Owner: Lea Farms

Career record: 6 starts – 4 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $337,450

Earnings per start: $56,242

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 91

Kentucky Oaks points: 120

Pedigree: Union Rags – Callmethesqueeze, by Awesome Again

Color: Chestnut

Running style: Stalker/closer

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Power Squeeze flew under the radar entering the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks Presented by FanDuel TV despite carrying a three-race winning streak into her graded stakes debut. That scenario seems unlikely to repeat itself in the Kentucky Oaks after Power Squeeze extended her winning streak to four with a one-length victory at 11-1 odds March 30 at Gulfstream. Based upon speed figures, Power Squeeze will need to take a step forward and improve by about 10 points to the triple-digit range May 3 at Churchill Downs, but with four straight wins by open lengths, all at one mile or longer, the Union Rags filly appears to be a major player. Each of her first three dams (mother, maternal grandmother, maternal great-grandmother) won multiple stakes races, so Power Squeeze profiles as a classy 3-year-old filly on a quite a roll entering the 2024 Kentucky Oaks. Power Squeeze’s owner Lea Farms, trainer Jorge Delgado, and jockey Daniel Centeno all are seeking their first Kentucky Oaks win.

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13. Just F Y I (9-2)

Jockey: Junior Alvarado

Trainer: Bill Mott

Owner: George Krikorian

Career record: 4 starts – 3 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $1,433,250

Earnings per start: $358,313

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 95

Kentucky Oaks points: 90

Pedigree: Justify –  Star Act, by Street Cry

Color: Bay

Running style: Stalker

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Just F Y I, a cleverly named daughter of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify, swept through three starts as a 2-year-old last fall undefeated. She capped her season with a hard-fought neck victory in the NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies en route to the Eclipse Award as champion 2-year-old filly. Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott gave her an extended break after the Breeders’ Cup and Just F Y I returned from the five-month layoff with a second-place finish to Leslie’s Rose in the Grade 1 Central Bank Ashland Stakes. Although Just F Y I suffered the first defeat of her career in the Ashland, the race looks like a potentially positive steppingstone to the Kentucky Oaks given she was very likely not close to 100% in her return from an extended break from competition. Just F Y I was just two points off her career-best 95 Equibase Speed Figure in the Ashland and with a modest improvement of five to eight points she would be right in the mix as a win candidate with a proven track record as a two-time Grade 1 winner. The George Krikorian homebred is from the family of multiple Grade 1 winners Starrer (her maternal grandmother) and Stellar Jayne and has a chance to give Krikorian, Mott, and jockey Junior Alvarado their first Kentucky Oaks win.

Eclipse Sportswire

14. Leslie’s Rose (4-1)

Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Owner: Whisper Hill Farm

Career record: 4 starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 1 third

Career earnings: $467,800

Earnings per start: $116,950

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 98

Kentucky Oaks points: 115

Pedigree: Into Mischief – Wildwood Rose, by Galileo

Color: Bay

Running style: Stalker

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Leslie’s Rose was a $1,150,000 purchase at the 2022 Keeneland September yearling sale by Mandy Pope’s Whisper Hill Farm, and the Into Mischief filly has thus far lived up to lofty expectations with three wins in four starts. Leslie’s Rose is by leading sire Into Mischief and was produced by the unraced Galileo mare Wildwood Rose, who is a half-sibling (same dam [mother], different sire [father]) to 2015 Florida Derby winner Materiality and 2014 Gazelle Stakes winner My Miss Sophia. It’s easy to understand why she was highly sought after at auction and she delivered a true breakout performance in her final prep for the Kentucky Oaks when surging clear to a three-length victory in the Grade 1 Central Bank Ashland Stakes April 5 at Keeneland. Leslie’s Rose earned a new career-top 98 Equibase Speed Figure for the Ashland score and should be one of the favorites for the Kentucky Oaks off that visually impressive win. Trainer Todd Pletcher is seeking his fifth win in the Kentucky Oaks after taking the lilies with Ashado (2004), Rags to Riches (2007), Princess of Sylmar (2013), and Malathaat (2021). Pope and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. both are trying to win the Kentucky Oaks for the first time.

Eclipse Sportswire

15. Our Pretty Woman (15-1)

Jockey: Joel Rosario

Trainer: Steve Asmussen

Owner: Courtlandt Farms (Donald Adam)

Career record: 3 starts – 2 wins – 1 seconds – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $150,200

Earnings per start: $50,067

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 98

Kentucky Oaks points: 50

Pedigree: Medaglia d'Oro – Dazzletown, by Speightstown

Color: Dark bay or brown

Running style: Pacesetter

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Our Pretty Woman needed one defection from the main body of the field to draw into the 2024 Kentucky Oaks and got it Thursday with the defection of Tapit Jenallie. She boasts the talent to have a significant impact on the race. The Medaglia d’Oro filly is one of the few confirmed front-runners targeting the 1 1/8-mile race and she might be the class of that group with a nice combination of speed and stamina. Our Pretty Woman won her Jan. 18 debut going about one mile and 70 yards on a sloppy track at Fair Grounds by 3 ¼ lengths after pressing the pace from second before a front-running 4 ¼-length allowance win going 1 1/16 miles on a sloppy surface at the New Orleans track Feb. 17. She then set the pace in the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks Presented by Fasig-Tipton and held off all but one opponent, possible Kentucky Oaks favorite Tarifa, when second by three-quarters of a length. The 98 Equibase Speed Figure she earned in the Fair Grounds Oaks in her first start on a fast main track paints Our Pretty Woman as a legitimate Oaks contender should she draw into the field of 14 fillies. Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen has won the Kentucky Oaks twice previously with Summerly (2005) and Untapable (2014). Jockey Joel Rosario, who will be inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame this summer, and owner Courtlandt Farms are aiming for their first Kentucky Oaks win.

BloodHorse/Anne M. Eberhardt

16. Candied (also-eligible, 20-1)

Jockey: Luis Saez

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Owner: Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners

Career record: 4 starts – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 1 third

Career earnings: $624,675

Earnings per start: $156,169

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 97

Kentucky Oaks points: 34

Pedigree: Candy Ride – Toni Tools, by Roaring Fever

Color: Bay

Running style: Closer

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Grade 1 winner Candied, the third-place finisher in the 2023 NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, made her much-anticipated 2024 debut in Central Bank Ashland Stakes April 5 at Keeneland. She rallied from off the pace to finish fourth as the favorite in a solid effort in her first race in five months. Unfortunately, she needed a top-two finish to guarantee a spot in the Kentucky Oaks and now sits on the outside looking in and needing multiple defections to compete in the race. Candied is another from among the also-eligible group who would be a serious player should she reach the starting gate May 3 at Churchill, but it seems more likely she will need to target another race like the George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico May 17. Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher is seeking his fifth win in the Kentucky Oaks after victories with Ashado (2004), Rags to Riches (2007), Princess of Sylmar (2013), and Malathaat (2021). Jockey Luis Saez, who is tabbed to ride Fiona’s Magic in the main body of the field, won the Kentucky Oaks in 2022 aboard Secret Oath.