Kentucky Oaks – GI
$1.500.000 For Fillies Three Years Old
1 1/8 Miles – Dirt
Churchill Downs – May 1, 2026

Final week. Just a few more days. After all the planning, training, hoping, strategizing and racing the big one for the three year old fillies is almost upon us. The 2026 edition of the G1 Kentucky Oaks will be run this Friday and has brought eighteen names to the entry box. Fourteen of those will go forward and fight it out to be the twenty fourth winner of this classic race. As of this writing there is a 21% chance of wet weather in Lexington but regardless of track condition one of the fillies below will be draped with the lilies and put in the record books. At least one as we had a dead heat in 2015 when both Broomsticks N Booty (Drabfantasy) and The Reaper (Hawaiian Shirt Guy) shared the flowers. Makes you wonder if in real life there is a stunt garland on hand in case of such an event. Anyway… here is the field. Congratulations to all connections who qualified to be here and in the conversation which is an accomplishment in and of itself. 

1. Be Royal:
Owner/Trainer- Mb Stables
Breeder- Mb Stables (NY) Bold Ruler/Be Yourself (Falling Angel)
Record- 13-4-0-1 $646.800
Jockey- A. Fresu
Path To The Oaks- 60 points. Fourteenth place in qualifying. Second in G2 Fairground Oaks.

The first of three fillies from the perennial leading barn. She is the product of parents who both participated in the Kentucky Spring classics with Bold Ruler running in the 2023 Derby and Be Yourself participating in the Oaks a year later. She gained entry by virtue of her second place finish in the G2 Fairgrounds Oaks when she was a half length behind winner Neon Damascus. MB stables finished 1-2-3 in that race and the top two fillies from that race show up here in the Oaks. She was a G3 winner as a two year old and showed good form in that one graded effort this season. Draws the rail and has the breeding and connections.

2. Exciting: 
Owner/Trainer- Maximillion Farm
Breeder- Maximillion Farm (Cal) Blaze Ahead/Furlough (Residue)
Record- 7-5-1-0 $835.800
Jockey- S.X. Bridgmohan
Path To The Oaks- 125 points. Fourth place in qualifying. Won the G2 Fantasy Stakes.

She is a neck away from being on a six race winning streak. Her two career graded stakes efforts were her two races this year and they have shown she can compete at the highest level and must be considered a threat. She draws well for her stalking style and she is showing speed in her morning works indicating she is ready. 

3. Monarchy:
Owner/Trainer- Mo Mentum Farm
Breeder- Mo Mentum Farm (ON) History/Fastidious (Freddo Cappuccino)
Record- 5-5-0-0 $404.250
Jockey- V. Espinoza
Path To The Oaks- 170 points. First place in qualifying. Won G2 Santa Anita Oaks.

All you have to do is look at her record and know she is the one to beat. She is undefeated including her last two wins which were both graded stakes. She won the Santa Anita Oaks by three open lengths while completely dominating the field from start to finish. Gets an advantageous post position which gives her options. Her running lines show she has speed to lead but she has also shown versatility having won from off the pace in her Sunland Oaks win. Has been a monster so far. 

4. Something Aint Right:
Owner/Trainer- Alydar Stables
Breeder- Smokey Stover (Cal) Zinfandel/Cinnamon Sky (Good Authority)
Record- 9-3-2-2 $317.950
Jockey- G. Corrales
Path To The Oaks- 66 points. Tenth place in qualifying. Second in G1 Ashland.

She was purchased for $400.000 after her third place finish in the G3 Forward Gal in January which marked her as one to watch on the Oaks trail. She did not disappoint, having earned her way here with a fourth in the G2 Davona Dale and a close second in the G1 Ashland in her two starts following the sale. She was closing on Wants It All in the Ashland and gets a little bit more ground to work with in the Oaks and that will only help her. 

5. Wants It All:
Owner/Trainer- Mo Mentum Farm
Breeder- Night Mare Racing (NY) Falling Angel/Explore Command (War Command)
Record- 9-4-1-2 $1.853.280
Jockey- J.R. Velasquez
Path To The Oaks- 147 points. Third place in qualifying. Won G1 Ashland.

Last year’s two year old champ was purchased for $600.000 just weeks before her win in the G1 BC Juvenile Fillies. She would have seemed a lock to make it into the Oaks with that record but she failed to win either of her first two races in 2026 including a disastrous sixth place finish in the G2 Fantasy at Oaklawn Park. That loss found her on the bubble of qualifying for the Oaks and required her to come back a week later in the G1 Ashland which the champ came through and won guaranteeing her a spot in the gate. She is an HRP Award winner, a G1 winner at two and now at three as well. She has the talent but is being asked to take on her third elite field in a little more than a month. She has a bullet work within the last week and appears to have held her weight so odds are she is good to go. 

6. Neon Damascus:
Owner/Trainer- Mb Stables
Breeder- Night Mare Racing (NM) Neon Drifter/Damascus Gal (Model American)
Record- 11-4-2-1 $413.880
Jockey- L. Dettori
Path To The Oaks- 110 points. Sixth place in qualifying. Won G2 Fairground Oaks.

The second entrant for Mb Stables. She was an astute $21.000 auction buy as an unraced two year old and became a graded stakes winner in her last start when she took the big prize in the G2 Fairground Oaks. She was a fast closing second to Monarchy in the Sunland Oaks and the race today is a furlong longer than that race was. Her last work at Keeneland was one of her slower works but was not outside of her range of previous works so I wouldn’t read too much into that. 

7. Do Not Disturb:
Owner/Trainer- Panionios Racing
Breeder- Panionios Racing (NM) Archimedes/Shoo Sunset (Shoo Fly)
Record- 11-3-3-0 $282.960
Jockey- D.E. Centeno
Path To The Oaks- 67 points. Ninth place in qualifying. Won the Virginia Oaks.

Has the most starts of anyone in the field along with Neon Damascus drawn directly to her inside. She draws midfield which gives her connections strategic options. Do Not Disturb has shown versatility in the past. Even though she has been coming from off the pace in her recents starts including her big win in the Virginia Oaks she has also gone wire to wire. Was fourth in her last start, the G3 Gazelle, which was at the Oaks distance. She was sixth in her only other graded attempt. She has a solid record but will need to find her best gear. 

8. Three Sixes:
Owner/Trainer- Pan Farms
Breeder- Pan Farms (Cal) Cherokee Thriller/Three Sixty Five (Day Of Destiny)
Record- 10-3-3-3 $828.510
Jockey- R. Bejarano
Path To The Oaks- 96 points. Seventh place in qualifying. Second in the G2 Fantasy.

Consistency is the name of her game as she never runs a bad race and she is always in the midst of the fray at the wire. She won the G2 Golden Rod at Churchill Downs as a two year old coming from way back and finding her way through a large field. That win has to give her barn some confidence and she will enjoy the extra distance on Friday. 

9. Tranect:
Owner/Trainer- Acber Farms
Breeder- Acber Farms (ON) Whisky A Go Go/Neon Heat (Neon Wolf)
Record- 8-4-1-1 $969.800
Jockey- P. Lopez
Path To The Oaks- 60 points. Thirteenth place in qualifying. Won the G2 Alexandra Stakes.

She won two straight graded stakes when she took the G2 Starlet in December and then the G2 Alexandra to open her three year old season. She then threw in a head scratching clunker when she finished a fading ninth in the G2 Fairground Oaks. You can point to her ability to rebound since she took the Starlet after finishing eleventh in the BC Juvenile Turf Sprint but it is the fade in Louisiana that causes the concern. Throw a line through it as that was completely out of character and she is showing fast works since then. 

10. Wicked Angelina:
Owner/Trainer- The Sidley Stud
Breeder- The Sidley Stud (WV) Techfluence Heat/Sexy Angelina (Dial It In)
Record- 10-3-4-1 $483.900
Jockey- M. Franco
Path To The Oaks- 93 points. Eighth place in qualifying. Second in G3 Gazelle.

She is good. Very good. Although she has not won a graded stake since winning the G1 Del Mar Debutante last summer, she has been second in her last four races, all stakes races with three of them graded. Wicked Angelina is another in the race who likes to come from off of the pace. She will need some racing luck to make her way through but she consistently does and that is a mark of talent more than just consistent luck. Has to be considered a threat. 

11. Balance The Budget:
Owner/Trainer- Rock Creek
Breeder- Allinthegate (Cal) Political Pressure/Raindrops And Roses (Chase My Tail Lights)
Record- 8-2-1-2 $283.720
Jockey- P. Husbands
Path To The Oaks- 63 points. Twelfth place in qualifying. Won the Bourbonette Oaks.

Broke through and became a stakes winner in her last start when she won the Bourbonette Oaks to guarantee her entry in this race. She had been threatening to have a significant win having finished third in the G2 Starlet and then second in her 2026 debut in the Silverbulletday. The Bourbonette was only her second race this season so that could indicate she is maturing and getting better. If the track is wet on Friday her dam is named Raindrops and Roses so that could be your hunch bet. 

12. Dreambits:
Owner/Trainer- Mb Stables
Breeder- Team 7 Illusions (Cal) Terabyte/Blue Dream (High Pride)
Record- 7-3-2-0 $545.000
Jockey- J. Lezcano
Path To The Oaks- 149 points. Second place in qualifying. Won the G2 Gulfstream Park Oaks.

Last of the three MB Stables fillies in the field has won three of her eight lifetime starts and all three of those have been stakes wins. She is a long neck away from being undefeated as a three year old having lost the G3 Honeybee by only a quarter length. Her two wins this year were in the G3 Forward Gal and the G2 Gulfstream Park Oaks so she is sort of the queen of the Florida prep series. She is typically forwardly placed in her races so expect her to seek to establish an advantageous position early from this outer post. 

13. Pineapple Puff:
Owner/Trainer- Nakamura Stables
Breeder- Nakamura Stables (Fla) Huff N Puff/Pineapple Cup (Red Cup)
Record- 10-4-3-1 $402.670
Jockey- I. Castillo
Path To The Oaks- 65 points. Eleventh Place in qualifying. Won The Busher.

Like Dreambits to her inside she has typically favored running close to the front of the field in her ten race career. Those ten races have resulted in her being a multiple stakes winner. She rarely turns in a subpar effort but her worst race to date was when she drew post eleven in Martha Washington where she was kept midpack and faded to tenth. That race seems like an outlier though since she has run very well from off the pace a couple of times including her Busher win which solidified her entry into the Oaks. It will be interesting to see what strategy gets employed from this post. 

14. Woman On The Moon:
Owner/Trainer- Arindel
Breeder- Smokey Stover (ON) Solar System/Tenrikyo (Grandeur)
Record- 9-4-1-1 $488.200
Jockey- B. Curtis
Path To The Oaks- 117 points. Fifth place in qualifying. Won the G3 Gazelle.

Easy to say she is the bargain of the field since she was purchased for $1.000 in the Smokey Stover dispersal sale in January of 2025. Since that purchase she has gone on to race nine times winning four of those races including the G3 Gazelle in her last start. The Gazelle was her second stakes victory and her first graded triumph. It is encouraging that she came from far back in that Gazelle win so she might not be as handicapped by this far outside draw as you might initially think if she can successfully drop back again. Her dam Tenrikyo won the Kentucky Oaks in 2019 on her way to career earnings of nearly $4.000.000 and if Woman On The Moon can repeat that Oaks win it would be the first mother/daughter pair to do so. 

AE1. West Coast Girls:
Owner/Trainer- Diablo Diablo
Breeder- Diablo Diablo (Cal) Indian Summer/Action Girl (Action Man)
Record- 6-2-2-1 $269.280
Path To The Oaks- 60 points. Fifteenth place in qualifying. Second in G2 Alexandra.

Just missed qualifying directly into the main field falling short on earnings rather than point totals. She valiantly tried to qualify for the Derby itself having tangled with the boys in her last two races including a second place finish in the Virginia Derby where she fell short by a scant head and picked up 25 Derby qualifying points. She then finished a fast closing sixth in the Blue Grass leaving her outside of the Derby field and first on the also eligible list for the Oaks. She won the Untapable  in December then finished a close second in the G2 Alexandra Stakes before her two races against the boys. If she gets in she can win it. 

AE2. Neds Diva:
Owner/Trainer- The Sidley Stud
Breeder- The Sidley Stud (TX) Neds Influence/Decima Heat (Decima)
Record- 6-3-0-1 $178.800
Path To The Oaks- 52 points. Sixteenth place in qualifying. Won the G2 Davona Dale.

Lightly raced filly has won three of her six starts including taking the win in the G2 Davona Dale in February which was curiously the last time we saw her go into the starting gate. Even with her lack of racing she very nearly made it into the Oaks field but finds herself needing two defections to draw in. 

AE3. Lady Lobo:
Owner/Trainer- Riggins Racing
Breeder- Wood Duck Stables (Fla) Conquest/Bay Area (Arian)
Record- 7-5-0-0 $888.000
Path To The Oaks- 50 points. Eighteenth place in qualifying. Won the G3 Honeybee.

She started her career winning four straight including the G3 Adirondack and the G1 Spinaway at Saratoga. She was then sold for an impressive $1.125.000. Since the sale she has run three times finishing sixth in both the G1 BC Juvenile Fillies and the Martha Washington. She won her the G3 Honeybee in her last start at the beginning of March. She beat Oaks contenders Dreambits, Lady Lobo and Woman On The Moon in that race but has been on hiatus since then and finds herself on the outside looking in needing several scratches to gain entry. 

AE4. Sue Ellen:
Owner/Trainer- Serenity Stables
Breeder- Allinthegate (Cal) Take The South Fork/Ginsippi Lady (Sinissippi Rubicon)
Record- 7-2-3-1 $94.800
Path To The Oaks- 50 points. Twentieth place in qualifying. Second in the G2 Gulfstream Park Oaks

Cleverly named daughter of Take The South Fork was picked up for a bargain $12.010 at auction in March and immediately was entered in the G2 Gulfstream Park Oaks two weeks later where she finished a good second to Drembits gaining her Oaks qualifying points. The GP Oaks was her stakes debut and she has been in the money in six of her seven races so she has shown talent. Would be a dark horse contender should she find four horses move out of the way to let her in. 

When you come to a race where each entrant has gained their place in the gate based on merit and having earned their way in via a complete body of work it is hard to throw horses out and narrow your picks because each one deserves to be there and is good. Having given my excuse ahead of time my top pick will be nothing short of daring and audacious. I am going to go out on a limb and pick the undefeated Monarchy. You have to. Until they finish in front of her she will be my favorite and my pick especially after the way she dominated the Santa Anita Oaks. Exciting is nearly perfect herself and I will pick her to run another strong effort and complete the exacta. I will put Woman On The Moon and Wants It All behind those top two but anyone in the field could make these picks look foolish. This is going to be a great race to watch. Good luck to all who make it into the gate.

Some fun additional facts. The KY Oaks is not an easy race to win. That is demonstrated best by the rare repeat wins by owners/trainers and breeders that have occurred in its twenty two previous runnings. We have twenty-three previous winners by virtue of that dead heat in 2015. The following are the previous winners and the number of wins. Asterisk indicates at least one entry in this year’s race including AEs.

Owner/Trainer:
Paradise Stable – 2
Aer Stables – 2
Smokey Stover – 2
Deez Racing Stable – 1
Wild Spirits – 1
Waldo – 1
Serenity Stables – 1
Cajum Stables – 1
Dew22 – 1
Pumpkin Racing – 1
Pan Farms – 1*
Riggins Racing – 1*
Drabfantasy – 1
Hawaiian Shirt Guy – 1
Easy Money Stables – 1
Crocker Ggs – 1
Mb Stables – 1*
Arindel – 1*
Royalty Stables – 1
Fractious – 1

Breeder:
Paradise Stable – 3
Aer Stables – 2
Wild Spirits -1
Ashton Court – 1
Team 7 Illusions – 1*
Cajun Stables – 1
Dew22 – 1
Pumpkin Racing – 1
Duncan Farm – 1
Kopites – 1
Drabfantasy – 1
Downwind Stables – 1
Easy Money Stables – 1
Crocker Ggs – 1
Smokey Stover – 1*
Mb Stables – 1*
Mo Mentum Farm – 1*
Chili King Stables – 1
Luz International – 1

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES