D. J. Stable's multiple Grade 1 winner and champion filly Wonder Wheel highlights a cast of 103 3-year-old fillies that were made eligible during the early nomination phase to compete in the $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1).
The 103 fillies became eligible to compete in the 149th Longines Kentucky Oaks with a $200 payment that was due Feb. 18. Three-year-old fillies that were not made eligible at the early nomination deadline can become eligible through a $1,500 payment due by Saturday, April 15. The 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Oaks will be staged Friday, May 5.
Wonder Wheel, trained by Mark Casse, made her 3-year-old debut in the $150,000 Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs where she was narrowly defeated by 38-1 longshot Dreaming of Snow. Previously, Wonder Wheel dominated her competition as a 2-year-old with victories in the $175,000 Debutante at Churchill Downs and the $500,000 Alcibiades (G1) and $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Keeneland.
Other top fillies nominated to the Kentucky Oaks include Peter Redekop's $300,000 Del Mar Debutante (G1) winner And Tell Me Nolies; Team Equistaff and Winning Stable's Suncoast winner Dreaming of Snow; Lucky Seven Stable's $300,000 Pocahontas (G3) winner Fun and Feisty; Gold Standard Racing Stable's $400,000 Golden Rod (G2) winner Hoosier Philly; Stonestreet Stables' $250,000 Demoiselle (G2) winner Julia Shining; Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum's $150,000 UAE Oaks (G3) winner Mimi Kakushi; Godolphin's $300,000 Rachel Alexandra (G2) winner Pretty Mischievous; and Ashbrook Farm and Upland Flats Racing's $125,000 Forward Gal (G3) winner Red Carpet Ready.
A complete list of nominations will be available at https://www.churchilldowns.com/horsemen/stakes/nominations/.
Like the $3 million Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) on May 6, the Longines Kentucky Oaks has been run each year since 1875. The lucrative race is the centerpiece of a spectacular day of racing and entertainment at Churchill Downs that celebrates fashion, food, celebrity and fun with a focus on women's health issues and outreach.
ABOUT CHURCHILL DOWNS RACETRACK
Churchill Downs Racetrack (“CDRT”), the world's most legendary racetrack, has been the home of The Kentucky Derby, the longest continually held annual sporting event in the United States, since 1875. Located in Louisville, CDRT features a series of themed race days during Derby Week, including the Kentucky Oaks, and conducts Thoroughbred horse racing during three race meets in the Spring, September, and the Fall. CDRT is located on 175 acres and has a one-mile dirt track, a 7/8-mile turf track, a stabling area, and provides seating for approximately 60,000 guests. The saddling paddock and the stable area has barns sufficient to accommodate 1,400 horses and a 114-room dormitory for backstretch personnel. CDRT also has a year-round simulcast wagering facility. www.ChurchillDowns.com.
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