Kentucky Oaks

Edited Press Release Submissions to participate in the 2024 Kentucky Oaks Survivors Parade on Friday, May 3 are now open. The launch of the Survivors Parade submissions coincides with the milestone mark of 100 days until the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve on Saturday, May 4. This year's Parade will honor 150 Breast and Ovarian cancer survivors and fighters with tickets for the selected recipient and a guest to attend the 150th Kentucky Oaks on Friday, May 3, and include an unforgettable march on the...

The Grade II, $750,000 Wood Memorial Presented by Resorts World Casino is the richest of 12 added-money events scheduled worth a combined $2.675 million for the Aqueduct spring meeting, to be held Apr. 4 through Apr. 28. NYRA has increased the purse of six stakes to be contested during the Aqueduct spring meet. Four listed events have received a $50,000 boost, including the Top Flight S., Danger's Hour S., Plenty of Grace S. and Memories of Silver S. The GIII Distaff H. and the Woodhaven S. have each been increased...

Last year, no one seemed prepared to head to the head of the class when it came to the group of 3-year-old fillies heading to the GI Kentucky Oaks. Eclipse Award winner Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief) was defeated in her two preps for the Oaks and finished out the year at 0-for-4 before being retired. Hoosier Philly (Into Mischief) failed to live up to the considerable hype and never even made it to the Oaks. The regally bred Julia Shining (Curlin) went 0-for-2 in her preps and also failed to...

Second Stride, which rehabs, retrains and rehomes retired Thoroughbred racehorses, will open its 2024 fundraising efforts with twin raffles for third-floor boxes for six people, one box each for Kentucky Derby and Oaks Day donated by Churchill Downs. In the spirit of May 3-4 being the 150th runnings of America's favorite race and its filly counterpart, only 150 tickets will be sold at $150 apiece for the Derby and for $125 apiece for the Oaks. Buy raffle tickets for the all-inclusive boxes (including food and alcoholic beverage) here. The drawings...

The third pool of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager will open Friday with 40 betting options led by individual favorite Fierceness (City of Light), who is 8-1 on the morning line, and "All Other 3-Year-Olds" from the 2021 foal crop not listed in the field as the 7-5 overall betting choice. The three-day pool closes Sunday at 6 p.m. There are six Future Wager pools scheduled in advance of the 2024 Kentucky Derby: Oct. 31-Nov.2 (Pool 1); Nov. 23-26 (Pool 2); Jan. 19-21 (Pool 3); Feb. 16-18 (Pool 4); Mar....

The 150th GI Kentucky Derby scheduled for Saturday, May 4 will be the richest in history as the purse for America's greatest race has been elevated to a guaranteed $5 million, Churchill Downs Inc. (CDI) said in a release Wednesday. The $2 million increase to the race highlights a record-setting, 50-race stakes schedule cumulatively worth $25.6 million for Churchill Downs' 2024 Spring Meet, which will be run over 43 dates from April 27-June 30/ The Derby purse structure was the subject of a Chris McGrath TDN interview with John Sikura,...

Turfway Park will offer 19 stakes races  worth $3.725 million during its upcoming Winter/Spring Meet. The 52-day meeting is headlined by the $700,000 GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks, which will be run Mar. 23. Supporting races on the card include the $300,000 TwinSpires Kentucky Cup Classic, the $300,000 Bourbonette Oaks--a Road to the Kentucky Oaks Championship Series Race--the $250,000 Animal Kingdom S., the $250,000 Latonia S., and the $250,000 Rushaway S. The Road to the Kentucky Derby's first stop at the Florence oval will be Mar. 2 for the $150,000 John...

Points towards the 2024 GI Kentucky Derby and GI Kentucky Oaks will be up for grabs with a pair of graded races for juveniles Saturday at Churchill Downs. Eight colts face off in the 1 1/16-mile GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. and an equal number of fillies head postward in the GII Golden Rod S. a race earlier on the card. Winchell Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm's Risk It (Gun Runner), who already owns five Derby points thanks to his runner-up effort in the Sept. 16 GIII Iroquois S., is...

V V's Dream (Mitole) already is showing an affinity for Churchill Downs. She picked up her second victory over the track in the GIII Pocahontas S., earning the first 10 points available on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. Debuted sprinting as the favorite over the dirt May 19, the gray filly earned 'TDN Rising Star' status with a 6 1/2-length win from off the pace. Shipped to Ellis Park for a run in the Debutante S., she was a beaten favorite July 2 by just a half-length to undefeated...

Joel Politi was still a relative newcomer to racehorse ownership when Serengeti Empress (Alternation) took him to the winner's circle of the 2019 GI Kentucky Oaks. The dream ride could continue when the mare's first foal, a colt by Into Mischief (hip 309), goes through the sales ring Tuesday during the second Book 1 session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale through the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment. "I am excited, proud and nervous, how about that? Probably a lot of emotions," Politi said ahead of next week's auction. "Serengeti...

Cody's Wish (Curlin) will be heavily favored over five rivals to add another chapter to racing's feel-good story in Saturday's GI Whitney S. at Saratoga. The Godolphin homebred, winner of last term's GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and the stallion-making GI Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan H. at Belmont Park June 10, seeks his first career win beyond one mile in the nine-furlong Whitney, a 'Win and You're In' for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita. The 1-2 morning-line favorite, named after Cody Dorman, who was born with the...

Conclude (Collected) brought his stakes-winning form with him from Santa Anita and returned to the winner's circle in Del Mar's customary opening day feature--the Caesars Sportsbook Oceanside S. A winner a black-type winner at the turf sprint distance last out May 21 in Santa Anita's Desert Code S., Conclude's first race after his freshening from that contest proved fruitful as the 9-2 second choice here. Showing some early speed after the jump but quickly overtaken and outrun by a loose leader on the clubhouse turn, the chestnut son of GI...