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Betting Guide

2024 Kentucky Oaks Odds

By TVG Staff
Updated February 2, 2024

The 147th Kentucky Oaks kicks off at Churchill Downs on Friday, May 3. This 1.25-million-dollar purse Grade I event for three-year-old fillies (female horses) is as old as the Kentucky Derby itself.

While the Derby features a full field of 20 runners, the Kentucky Oaks is restricted to 14 fillies in the gate and a slightly shorter distance of 11⁄8 miles, or nine furlongs. The 2023 edition drew an overflow field: 14 in the main group, plus three on the also-eligible list, meaning they can get into the field if one, two, or three of the horses in the main field scratches before 9:00 a.m.EDT on Friday.

The Kentucky Oaks race is one of the longest continuously-held sporting events in American history. The race was established on May 19th, 1875, by the same founder of the Kentucky Derby, Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark, and is modeled after the British Epsom Oaks. The historic Churchill Downs racetrack is decorated in pink bunting, and the more than 100,000 guests incorporate pink into their attire to raise funds and drive national attention to the fight against breast and ovarian cancer.

Familiarizing yourself with who is in contention comes easiest by checking out the latest odds on the Kentucky Oaks.


Who’s Running in The Kentucky Oaks?

This is the field for the 2023 Kentucky Oaks, including the post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning line odds for each horse. Keep in mind that the morning line is the track’s best estimation of what the odds will look like at post time. Your best bet is to track the odds as post time gets closer on Friday, and make sure you are getting the right value in the pool. The good news is, with such a big field and such a large betting pool, you should find some great betting value!

PostHorseTrainerJockeyML
1Mimi KakushiSalem bin GhadayerMickael Barzalona20-1
2The Alys LookBrad CoxJavier Castelano15-1
3Gambling GirlTodd PletcherIrad Ortiz, Jr.15-1
4SouthlawnNorm CasseReylu Gutierrez8-1
5Wonder WheelMark CasseJoel Rosario12-1
6BotanicalBrad CoxChris Landeros4-1
7Wet PaintBrad CoxFlavien Prat5-2
8Promiseher AmericaRaymond HandalJorge Vargas, Jr.30-1
9And Tell Me NoliesPeter MillerRamon Vazquez15-1
10Flying ConnectionTodd FincherFlorent Geroux15-1
11Defining PurposeKenny McPeekBrian Hernandez, Jr.12-1
12Dorth VaderMichael YatesLuis Saez20-1
13Affirmative LadyGraham MotionJohn Velazquez10-1
14Pretty MischievousBrendan WalshTyler Gaffalione10-1
15 (AE)TaxedRandy MorseRafael Bejarano20-1
16 (AE)Julia ShiningTodd PletcherLuis Saez15-1
17 (AE) Hoosier PhillyTom AmossEdgar Morales15-1

Current 2024 Kentucky Oaks Entries and Odds Summary

Wet Paint, who romped through the Oaklawn series of Oaks preps for two-time Kentucky Oaks winning trainer Brad Cox, leads the field for the Kentucky Oaks. She was named the 5-2 morning-line favorite off of her three victories in Hot Springs. Cox also trains 4-1 second choice Botanical. She is an atypical second choice for the Oaks, as she hasn’t run on dirt at all. The third choice in the field at 8-1 on the morning line is Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) winner Southlawn.

Longer shots in the field include Wonder Wheel (12-1), last year’s juvenile champion who has had a tough time finding her way at age three, Defining Purpose (12-1), the surprise winner of the often-live Ashland (G1), and Affirmative Lady (10-1), the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) winner who is immaculately bred for the Oaks distance.

2024 Kentucky Oaks Contender List

We won’t know the 2024 Kentucky Oaks contenders for another few weeks, but in the meantime, here are the horses who competed in the 2023 Kentucky Oaks, ordered by post position.

Mimi Kakushi (Post 1, 20-1)

All three of her wins came in the three-year-old series in the United Arab Emirates, culminating with a victory in the UAE Oaks (G3). She keeps Mickael Barzalona from all three of those victories.She is also the only one turning back in trip, since the UAE Oaks is 1 3/16 miles. However, she will have to handle a tough rail draw as well as classier dirt horses than she was facing in the United Arab Emirates.

The Alys Look (Post 2, 15-1)

She is the third-stringer for Brad Cox, but she has real long-shot appeal. She looked like a real up-and-comer when she won the Silverbulletday at Fair Grounds. However, she didn’t run back to that in the Fair Grounds Oaks and will have to run against the two who beat her in this race. She could surprise, though: it was two months between those two races, but now she should be fitter second off the lay, and she has a pedigree to be interesting at this trip.

Gambling Girl (Post 3, 15-1)

Todd Pletcher has been strong in the Kentucky Oaks, but this year he comes with a long shot. She always seems to get a piece underneath when running against good horses: she is certainly plucky, and she is consistent. She is hard to endorse on top, with her only two victories coming against New York-breds, but with three underneath finishes in points races at 1 ⅛ miles, she is easy to love for underneath-rungs for exotics.

Southlawn (Post 4, 8-1)

She was a little slower to figure things out than some of her Oaks foes, but she is a new horse at age three compared to last year. She crushed an allowance race in February at Fair Grounds, and then won the Fair Grounds Oaks with total authority. With tactical speed, wet-track form, and a good nine-furlong pedigree, she is a rising star and could be a serious factor in the Kentucky Oaks. The biggest question is her Churchill form, which was not great last year.

Wonder Wheel (Post 5, 12-1)

She ran away with the juvenile fillies’ championship last year, but has been nowhere near as head-turning in two starts at age three. Though she narrowly missed in the Suncoast, where she could have had excuses between the lay and the love-it-or-hate-it Tampa surface, she returned to the Keeneland course she loved so much last year and ran an uninspiring sixth in the Ashland. That does not bode well for the Oaks.

Botanical (Post 6, 4-1)

She won both points races at Turfway with complete authority. She has the versatility to track the pace or set the pace, and should be able to stay nine furlongs. Whether she likes dirt, though, is a serious unknown: those Turfway races were on Tapeta, and she has never tried dirt at all. Her pedigree suggests she might take to it, but it is no slam dunk, and she will be a very short price with such a big question.

Wet Paint (Post 7, 5-2)

Undefeated in her four starts on dirt, she had never tried dry dirt until the Fantasy but won that impressively enough to prove that she is not just a slop monster. (Though, with rain in the forecast for Oaks day, that slop form is good.) She also comes from Arkansas: previously a less important spur of the Oaks trail, though it has gained in importance in recent years. She drew well, she is bred to stretch out, and she should be one of the major contenders.

Promiseher America (Post 8, 30-1)

As her pedigree would suggest, she is getting better with time and distance … something that carried her to a half-length victory at 26-1 in the Gazelle (G3). If she runs back to that race in the Oaks, she is a huge contender. The downside is that the race was such a huge step forward for her that she could regress, and she also faces much deeper company in the Oaks. With that, though? She drew well, and her massive odds mean she may be worth the risk.

And Tell Me Nolies (Post 9, 15-1)

She was the leading two-year-old on the West Coast last year, and even this year, she has been second behind Faiza twice; Faiza is Oaks-ineligible because she is still in the Bob Baffert barn, though she would be a short price if she were allowed to run in the Oaks. Even so, she disappointed in the Breeders’ Cup last year, the only time she has faced horses from all over the country, raising questions about how good she is.

Flying Connection (Post 10, 15-1)

She has been all speed at Sunland, winning a trip of stakes in New Mexico with her early speed. And, that’s exactly what she’ll do in the Oaks: send, and see if anyone can catch her. However, her two disappointing outings at Del Mar before she switched to the New Mexico circuit raise serious concerns about how ready for prime time she’ll be, even with strong big-race jockey Florent Geroux riding.

Defining Purpose (Post 11, 12-1)

She was well beaten by Wet Paint in a pair of races at Oaklawn, but bounced back to upset the Ashland and punch her ticket to the Oaks. Both of those Oaklawn races came on wet tracks, though, while her Ashland win and her Year’s End win at Oaklawn both came on dry tracks. With rain likely on Oaks Day, though, she is probably going to be back to a track condition she does not like much.

Dorth Vader (Post 12, 20-1)

She won the Davona Dale like a good thing at 40-1, romping well clear of the rest. However, she flattened out late for fourth when she stretched out to two turns for the Gulfstream Park Oaks. If she were running in the shorter Eight Belles, she would be a major threat. In the nine-furlong Kentucky Oaks, she will probably be close up early and run out of gas in the lane.

Affirmative Lady (Post 13, 10-1)

She was well-enough regarded last year that Graham Motion ran her in points races while she was still a maiden, and she finished a close second in the nine-furlong Demoiselle (G2). This year she broke her maiden at Gulfstream, went right back into stakes company, and won the Gulfstream Park Oaks by two lengths. She is well bred for this distance, she ran a great race in the sloppy Demoiselle, and she has tactical speed. If she can handle the outside post, she could be a factor.

Pretty Mischievous (Post 14, 10-1)

After wins in the Untapable and the Rachel Alexandra (G2), she looked like the big horse on the Fair Grounds spur of the Derby trail. However, she was run down by Southlawn in that race, instead having to settle for a clear second. She has to navigate a far-outside post, and she needs a step up from that Fair Grounds Oaks effort. However, she is a winner on a sloppy Churchill track, suggesting the Oaks-day footing will suit her.

Taxed (AE, No. 15, 20-1)

She picked up a few points here and there at Oaklawn, finishing second in both the Martha Washington and the Fantasy at big odds. Chasing down Wet Paint isn’t a bad place to be, given how good Wet Paint is. However, her only victory came in a $50,000 maiden claimer, and if she draws in she will have to handle a parking lot post.

Julia Shining (AE, No. 16, 15-1)

She is immaculately bred for the distance: a full sister to 2021 Kentucky Oaks winner Malathaat. She is a graded-stakes winner at two over a sloppy mile and an eighth, as she won the Demoiselle last year. Jockey Luis Saez will even ditch Dorth Vader to ride Julia Shining instead, if she draws in. On paper, there is a lot to like … but she has fallen short in both starts this year and may be overbet on pedigree and connections.

Hoosier Philly (AE, No. 17, 30-1)

Late last year, she looked like the rising star of the sophomore filly division, and she rattled off three straight wins to begin her career. All of those wins were at Churchill, including a sloppy romp in the Rags to Riches, so at least the footing would suit in the Oaks. However, her two races this year suggest she hasn’t trained on the way others in her class have.

2024 Kentucky Oaks Predictions

These are the top contenders for the 2024 Kentucky Oaks.

Win: TBA

Place: TBA

Show: TBA

Longshot: TBA

Bet the 2024 Kentucky Oaks with TVG

Our team is always on hand to offer you in-depth analysis and expert horse picks as we head towards post time in Kentucky.

Find out the best way to bet the 150th Kentucky Oaks and keep racing TVG—your trusted one-stop destination for legal online picks.

Don’t forget to come back to our page following the Kentucky Oaks race for up-to-date information on the 2021 Kentucky Derby the next day.

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By TVG Staff
Updated February 2, 2024

The 147th Kentucky Oaks kicks off at Churchill Downs on Friday, May 3. This 1.25-million-dollar purse Grade I event for three-year-old fillies (female horses) is as old as the Kentucky Derby itself.

While the Derby features a full field of 20 runners, the Kentucky Oaks is restricted to 14 fillies in the gate and a slightly shorter distance of 11⁄8 miles, or nine furlongs. The 2023 edition drew an overflow field: 14 in the main group, plus three on the also-eligible list, meaning they can get into the field if one, two, or three of the horses in the main field scratches before 9:00 a.m.EDT on Friday.

The Kentucky Oaks race is one of the longest continuously-held sporting events in American history. The race was established on May 19th, 1875, by the same founder of the Kentucky Derby, Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark, and is modeled after the British Epsom Oaks. The historic Churchill Downs racetrack is decorated in pink bunting, and the more than 100,000 guests incorporate pink into their attire to raise funds and drive national attention to the fight against breast and ovarian cancer.

Familiarizing yourself with who is in contention comes easiest by checking out the latest odds on the Kentucky Oaks.


Who’s Running in The Kentucky Oaks?

This is the field for the 2023 Kentucky Oaks, including the post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning line odds for each horse. Keep in mind that the morning line is the track’s best estimation of what the odds will look like at post time. Your best bet is to track the odds as post time gets closer on Friday, and make sure you are getting the right value in the pool. The good news is, with such a big field and such a large betting pool, you should find some great betting value!

PostHorseTrainerJockeyML
1Mimi KakushiSalem bin GhadayerMickael Barzalona20-1
2The Alys LookBrad CoxJavier Castelano15-1
3Gambling GirlTodd PletcherIrad Ortiz, Jr.15-1
4SouthlawnNorm CasseReylu Gutierrez8-1
5Wonder WheelMark CasseJoel Rosario12-1
6BotanicalBrad CoxChris Landeros4-1
7Wet PaintBrad CoxFlavien Prat5-2
8Promiseher AmericaRaymond HandalJorge Vargas, Jr.30-1
9And Tell Me NoliesPeter MillerRamon Vazquez15-1
10Flying ConnectionTodd FincherFlorent Geroux15-1
11Defining PurposeKenny McPeekBrian Hernandez, Jr.12-1
12Dorth VaderMichael YatesLuis Saez20-1
13Affirmative LadyGraham MotionJohn Velazquez10-1
14Pretty MischievousBrendan WalshTyler Gaffalione10-1
15 (AE)TaxedRandy MorseRafael Bejarano20-1
16 (AE)Julia ShiningTodd PletcherLuis Saez15-1
17 (AE) Hoosier PhillyTom AmossEdgar Morales15-1

Current 2024 Kentucky Oaks Entries and Odds Summary

Wet Paint, who romped through the Oaklawn series of Oaks preps for two-time Kentucky Oaks winning trainer Brad Cox, leads the field for the Kentucky Oaks. She was named the 5-2 morning-line favorite off of her three victories in Hot Springs. Cox also trains 4-1 second choice Botanical. She is an atypical second choice for the Oaks, as she hasn’t run on dirt at all. The third choice in the field at 8-1 on the morning line is Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) winner Southlawn.

Longer shots in the field include Wonder Wheel (12-1), last year’s juvenile champion who has had a tough time finding her way at age three, Defining Purpose (12-1), the surprise winner of the often-live Ashland (G1), and Affirmative Lady (10-1), the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) winner who is immaculately bred for the Oaks distance.

2024 Kentucky Oaks Contender List

We won’t know the 2024 Kentucky Oaks contenders for another few weeks, but in the meantime, here are the horses who competed in the 2023 Kentucky Oaks, ordered by post position.

Mimi Kakushi (Post 1, 20-1)

All three of her wins came in the three-year-old series in the United Arab Emirates, culminating with a victory in the UAE Oaks (G3). She keeps Mickael Barzalona from all three of those victories.She is also the only one turning back in trip, since the UAE Oaks is 1 3/16 miles. However, she will have to handle a tough rail draw as well as classier dirt horses than she was facing in the United Arab Emirates.

The Alys Look (Post 2, 15-1)

She is the third-stringer for Brad Cox, but she has real long-shot appeal. She looked like a real up-and-comer when she won the Silverbulletday at Fair Grounds. However, she didn’t run back to that in the Fair Grounds Oaks and will have to run against the two who beat her in this race. She could surprise, though: it was two months between those two races, but now she should be fitter second off the lay, and she has a pedigree to be interesting at this trip.

Gambling Girl (Post 3, 15-1)

Todd Pletcher has been strong in the Kentucky Oaks, but this year he comes with a long shot. She always seems to get a piece underneath when running against good horses: she is certainly plucky, and she is consistent. She is hard to endorse on top, with her only two victories coming against New York-breds, but with three underneath finishes in points races at 1 ⅛ miles, she is easy to love for underneath-rungs for exotics.

Southlawn (Post 4, 8-1)

She was a little slower to figure things out than some of her Oaks foes, but she is a new horse at age three compared to last year. She crushed an allowance race in February at Fair Grounds, and then won the Fair Grounds Oaks with total authority. With tactical speed, wet-track form, and a good nine-furlong pedigree, she is a rising star and could be a serious factor in the Kentucky Oaks. The biggest question is her Churchill form, which was not great last year.

Wonder Wheel (Post 5, 12-1)

She ran away with the juvenile fillies’ championship last year, but has been nowhere near as head-turning in two starts at age three. Though she narrowly missed in the Suncoast, where she could have had excuses between the lay and the love-it-or-hate-it Tampa surface, she returned to the Keeneland course she loved so much last year and ran an uninspiring sixth in the Ashland. That does not bode well for the Oaks.

Botanical (Post 6, 4-1)

She won both points races at Turfway with complete authority. She has the versatility to track the pace or set the pace, and should be able to stay nine furlongs. Whether she likes dirt, though, is a serious unknown: those Turfway races were on Tapeta, and she has never tried dirt at all. Her pedigree suggests she might take to it, but it is no slam dunk, and she will be a very short price with such a big question.

Wet Paint (Post 7, 5-2)

Undefeated in her four starts on dirt, she had never tried dry dirt until the Fantasy but won that impressively enough to prove that she is not just a slop monster. (Though, with rain in the forecast for Oaks day, that slop form is good.) She also comes from Arkansas: previously a less important spur of the Oaks trail, though it has gained in importance in recent years. She drew well, she is bred to stretch out, and she should be one of the major contenders.

Promiseher America (Post 8, 30-1)

As her pedigree would suggest, she is getting better with time and distance … something that carried her to a half-length victory at 26-1 in the Gazelle (G3). If she runs back to that race in the Oaks, she is a huge contender. The downside is that the race was such a huge step forward for her that she could regress, and she also faces much deeper company in the Oaks. With that, though? She drew well, and her massive odds mean she may be worth the risk.

And Tell Me Nolies (Post 9, 15-1)

She was the leading two-year-old on the West Coast last year, and even this year, she has been second behind Faiza twice; Faiza is Oaks-ineligible because she is still in the Bob Baffert barn, though she would be a short price if she were allowed to run in the Oaks. Even so, she disappointed in the Breeders’ Cup last year, the only time she has faced horses from all over the country, raising questions about how good she is.

Flying Connection (Post 10, 15-1)

She has been all speed at Sunland, winning a trip of stakes in New Mexico with her early speed. And, that’s exactly what she’ll do in the Oaks: send, and see if anyone can catch her. However, her two disappointing outings at Del Mar before she switched to the New Mexico circuit raise serious concerns about how ready for prime time she’ll be, even with strong big-race jockey Florent Geroux riding.

Defining Purpose (Post 11, 12-1)

She was well beaten by Wet Paint in a pair of races at Oaklawn, but bounced back to upset the Ashland and punch her ticket to the Oaks. Both of those Oaklawn races came on wet tracks, though, while her Ashland win and her Year’s End win at Oaklawn both came on dry tracks. With rain likely on Oaks Day, though, she is probably going to be back to a track condition she does not like much.

Dorth Vader (Post 12, 20-1)

She won the Davona Dale like a good thing at 40-1, romping well clear of the rest. However, she flattened out late for fourth when she stretched out to two turns for the Gulfstream Park Oaks. If she were running in the shorter Eight Belles, she would be a major threat. In the nine-furlong Kentucky Oaks, she will probably be close up early and run out of gas in the lane.

Affirmative Lady (Post 13, 10-1)

She was well-enough regarded last year that Graham Motion ran her in points races while she was still a maiden, and she finished a close second in the nine-furlong Demoiselle (G2). This year she broke her maiden at Gulfstream, went right back into stakes company, and won the Gulfstream Park Oaks by two lengths. She is well bred for this distance, she ran a great race in the sloppy Demoiselle, and she has tactical speed. If she can handle the outside post, she could be a factor.

Pretty Mischievous (Post 14, 10-1)

After wins in the Untapable and the Rachel Alexandra (G2), she looked like the big horse on the Fair Grounds spur of the Derby trail. However, she was run down by Southlawn in that race, instead having to settle for a clear second. She has to navigate a far-outside post, and she needs a step up from that Fair Grounds Oaks effort. However, she is a winner on a sloppy Churchill track, suggesting the Oaks-day footing will suit her.

Taxed (AE, No. 15, 20-1)

She picked up a few points here and there at Oaklawn, finishing second in both the Martha Washington and the Fantasy at big odds. Chasing down Wet Paint isn’t a bad place to be, given how good Wet Paint is. However, her only victory came in a $50,000 maiden claimer, and if she draws in she will have to handle a parking lot post.

Julia Shining (AE, No. 16, 15-1)

She is immaculately bred for the distance: a full sister to 2021 Kentucky Oaks winner Malathaat. She is a graded-stakes winner at two over a sloppy mile and an eighth, as she won the Demoiselle last year. Jockey Luis Saez will even ditch Dorth Vader to ride Julia Shining instead, if she draws in. On paper, there is a lot to like … but she has fallen short in both starts this year and may be overbet on pedigree and connections.

Hoosier Philly (AE, No. 17, 30-1)

Late last year, she looked like the rising star of the sophomore filly division, and she rattled off three straight wins to begin her career. All of those wins were at Churchill, including a sloppy romp in the Rags to Riches, so at least the footing would suit in the Oaks. However, her two races this year suggest she hasn’t trained on the way others in her class have.

2024 Kentucky Oaks Predictions

These are the top contenders for the 2024 Kentucky Oaks.

Win: TBA

Place: TBA

Show: TBA

Longshot: TBA

Bet the 2024 Kentucky Oaks with TVG

Our team is always on hand to offer you in-depth analysis and expert horse picks as we head towards post time in Kentucky.

Find out the best way to bet the 150th Kentucky Oaks and keep racing TVG—your trusted one-stop destination for legal online picks.

Don’t forget to come back to our page following the Kentucky Oaks race for up-to-date information on the 2021 Kentucky Derby the next day.