The Kentucky Oaks is a Gr1 event for three-year-old fillies, contested annually at Churchill Downs on the first Friday in May, a day before its famous counterpart, the Kentucky Derby. Both the Oaks and the Kentucky Derby were founded by Meriwether Lewis Clark, Jr and are the only horse races still to be held at their original site since their inception. Originally inspired by the British Epsom Oaks, the Kentucky Oaks was first held on 19 May 1875, when Churchill Downs was still known as the Louisville Jockey Club. It was run over 1½ miles for a stake of $1,175 and won by Vinaigrette in a time of 2:39¾.
Things have changed a little since then of course. The venue is the same, but the race is now contested over 1 1/8 miles (1800m) and the stake has risen to $1,000,000. Friday, 2 May 2014 will see the 140th running of the Kentucky Oaks.
The winner takes home $500,000 with the next 4 horses past the post sharing the remainder of the spoils. The winner also receives a large garland of lilies called the “Lilies for Fillies” and the silver Kentucky Oaks Trophy. The race was once viewed as the lead-in race to the Kentucky Derby. However that perception has changed as the Oaks has become almost as popular, with attendances reaching as high as 100,000.
With the Oaks being restricted to fillies, the first Friday in May has also become known as “Ladies Day” and guests are encouraged to wear pink in honor of the Oaks official flower – the stargazer lily – and in support of Churchill Downs’ official partnerships with Bright Pink and Horses & Hope. As with the Kentucky Derby, the Oaks also has an official drink, and the signature cocktail is “The Oaks Lily”.
A total of 13 runners will face the starter this Friday and the draws have been published as follows:-
1—Please Explain, Jose Lezcano
2—Ria Antonia, Mike Smith
3—Sugar Shock, Calvin Borel
4—Rosalind, Joel Rosario
5—Thank You Marylou, Julien Leparoux
6—Kiss Moon, Victor Espinoza
7—Fashion Plate, Gary Stevens
8—Aurelia’s Belle, Channing Hill
9—Unbridled Forever, Robby Albarado
10—Empress of Midway, Corey Nakatani
11—My Miss Sophia, Javier Castellano
12—Got Lucky, John Velazquez
13—Untapable, Rosie Napravnik
Steve Asmussen’s Tapit daughter, Untapable is current favourite, but has her work cut out after drawing stall gate 13. No horse has ever won from the 13 draw and if Untapable manages to pass the post first this Friday, she will be only the second horse to win from the widest draw since Churchill Downs started using starting gates in 1930. The only filly to manage it so far was long-shot Lemons Forever, who won from a 14 draw in 2006.
