TDN Kentucky Oaks Top 10

For the sport's best 3-year-old fillies it's where the rubber meets the road time. The last round of preps for the GI Kentucky Oaks is upon us. In the GII Fair Grounds Oaks and the Bourbonette Oaks, there were a pair of key races last weekend. This week, we have the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks and the GIII Fantasy S. It's a division where, since 2-year-old filly champ Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief) finished second at 1-2 in the Feb. 11 Suncoast S. at Tampa, there has been no clear leader....

With the runnings of the GIII Las Virgenes S. at Santa Anita and the Martha Washington S. at Oaklawn, there's now a bit more clarity to the division, particularly in California where Las Virgenes winner Faiza (Girvin) look like she is the best of that group. The Martha Washington was won by the Brad Cox-trained Wet Paint (Blame), but she didn't beat a stellar group and will have to wait for another day to make this list. This will be a quiet weekend for the 3-year-old fillies. Gulfstream does offer...

The GI Longines Kentucky Oaks will be overshadowed by the GI Kentucky Derby, but maybe that shouldn't be the case. The Oaks is absolutely loaded, perhaps the deepest in many years. In any other year, Secret Oath (Arrogate), Echo Zulu (Gun Runner), Kathleen O. (Upstart) or Adare Manor (Uncle Mo) would be an obvious heavy favorite. This year, a horse like the undefeated Kathleen O. might be third choice in the wagering at, say, 7-2 or 4-1. After a busy Saturday last week, which included Secret Oath's third-place finish against...

The big story last week was the return of Eclipse Award winner Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) in the GII Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks, which she won by a nose over Hidden Connection (Connect) to stay unbeaten in five career starts. There will be plenty going on Saturday, with Secret Oath (Arrogate) stepping outside of her division to take on males in the GI Arkansas Derby and Kathleen O. (Upstart) looking to stay hot in the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks. A GI Kentucky Oaks contender could also come out of the...

It was a big weekend for the 3-year-old fillies with prep races for the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks held at Aqueduct, Santa Anita, Gulfstream and Turfway. Secret Oath (Arrogate) remains on top for Wayne Lukas, but it was tempting to move Kathleen O. (Upstart) to the top spot after another impressive win, this time in the GII Davona Dale S. In California, the Bob Baffert-trained Eda (Munnings) won the GIII Santa Ysabel S., but until the Baffert horses are nominated to the Oaks they won't be included in our rankings....

What to do with the Bob Baffert-trained horses? Up until now, we have been including them in the TDN Kentucky Oaks rankings, believing that they'd find a way into the race. Either their owners would move them to another trainer or Baffert would find a way through the courts that would allow them to enter. But when the story broke last week that Baffert had not nominated a single horse to the GI Kentucky Oaks we decided to drop them from the rankings and won't include them again until there...

It was an eventful weekend on the road to the GI Kentucky Oaks, with major preps at Aqueduct (Busher Invitational S.), Oaklawn (GIII Honeybee S.) and at Santa Anita (GIII Santa Ysabel S.). The winners of all three of those races have made their way into our Oaks Top 10. Kalypso (Brody's Cause), who was third in the Santa Ysabel, drops out as trainer Bob Baffert has said he won't point her to the Oaks. There's nothing on tap for the 3-year-old fillies this weekend but there will be a...

  It wasn't that long ago that the picture for the 3-year-old fillies seemed pretty straightforward. Vequist (Nyquist) was the clear leader of the division and there appeared to be a handful of other top fillies that could challenge her supremacy. Has that ever changed. Vequist did nothing right in her 3-year-old debut in the Davona Dale S., finishing ninth, 26 lengths behind the winner. Second choice Millefeuille (Curlin) didn't fare much better, finishing seventh. The winner, Wholebodemeister (Bodemeister), paid $107.60. Meanwhile, GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies runner-up Dayoutoftheoffice (Into...

With the year having just begun, it will take a while for the picture for the GI Kentucky Oaks to come into focus. For now, the fillies who thrived last year dominate this Top 10 list, but that can, and likely will, change as the calendar works its way toward the first Friday in May and new names emerge in the major preps for the Oaks. It is, at the very least, a solid group, headed by GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Vequist, who will be named the champion...

Since the last edition of the TDN's Kentucky Oaks Top 10, the question has become, "How good is Gamine?" The daughter of Into Mischief followed up her explosive win in the GI Longines Acorn S. with another stellar effort in the GI Longines Test S., which she won geared down and by seven lengths over the talented Venetian Harbor (Munnings). After the defeat, Venetian Harbor part-owner Domenic Savides said it's unlikely she will contest the Oaks. That leaves three horses, Gamine, Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) and Speech (Mr. Speaker), heading the...

Since the last TDN Kentucky Oaks Top 10, Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil) won the GII Santa Anita Oaks and Gamine (Into Mischief) dominated in the GI Acorn S. Two very good fillies, they have moved to the head of the class and no one else comes close. A Swiss Skydiver-Gamine showdown in the GI Kentucky Oaks would make it one of the best races of the year. With more than two months left before the Oaks, most in the group will have at least one more prep. The GI Ashland July...

It was an eventful weekend for candidates for the GI Kentucky Oaks. The highly regarded Lake Avenue (Tapit) was a major disappointment, finishing fourth in the Busher Invitational at Aqueduct. She falls out of the Top 10. Donna Veloce (Uncle Mo) rolled to an easy victory in her 3-year-old debut in the GIII Santa Ysabel S. and Bob Baffert unleashed a potential monster in Gamine (Into Mischief). The $1.8-million purchase at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Old Sale romped in her debut Saturday at Santa Anita. The weekend ahead will be...