kentucky oaks | Horse Racing Free Tips

Oaks Day 149 Sets Handle Record

Friday's GI Longines Kentucky Oaks card at Churchill Downs set a record, with all-sources handle for the day of racing reaching $74.9 million–up from last year's record $74.6 million. All-sources wagering on the Oaks specifically was $22.4 million, down from the record set 12 months ago of $24.3 million. Attendance was a reported 106,381. “Congratulations to the connections of Pretty Mischievous on today's win,” said Churchill Downs President Mike Anderson. “The 149th Kentucky Oaks will be remembered as a memorable day of racing on a near-perfect Kentucky day. Today's success should be attributed to our fans, sponsors, horsemen, horseplayers, and all participants of this distinguished racing tradition.”

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Background Check: Kentucky Oaks

In this continuing series, we examine the past winners of significant filly/mare races by the lasting influence they've had on the breed. Up today is the GI Kentucky Oaks, second only in stature at Churchill Downs to the GI Kentucky Derby.

The Derby isn't alone as the oldest continuously held major sporting event in the U.S. The Oaks is right there with it, having been held every year, without interruption for wars or pandemics, since racing first began at Churchill in 1875 when the Louisville oval was known as the Louisville Jockey Club. Although the 'Lilies for the Fillies' is somewhat of a prelude to the big event in the public consciousness, it's also a special Classic all on its own. Whether it was Silverbulletday's popular win as the shortest-priced favorite in Oaks history or Rachel Alexandra's 20 1/4-length tour de force or D. Wayne Lukas's record-tying fifth Oaks score last year with Secret Oath, the race has provided so many wonderful moments.

With 149 Kentucky Oaks winners (including two victresses from a 1959 split division), following are highlights of some of the most important by what impact they've had on the sport through their sons and daughters.

Lemons Forever (2003, Lemon Drop Kid–Critikola {Arg}, by Tough Critic), bred by Farfellow Farms Ltd.: The only Kentucky Oaks winner to be officially honored as Broodmare of the Year, she produced champion Forever Unbridled (Unbridled's Song) and additional GISW Unbridled Forever (Unbridled's Song). Her daughters are young and she still has a few more in the pipeline herself, so more could be in her future.

2006 winner Lemons Forever is the only Oaks winner
to be named a Broodmare of the Year | Horsephotos

Seaside Attraction (1987, Seattle Slew–Kamar, by Key to the Mint), bred by Hermitage Farm, Inc., A. G. Clay, and Robert N. Clay: She only had five foals, but four of them were graded winners, including champion Golden Attraction (Mr. Prospector) and GISW Cape Town (Seeking the Gold). Both of her daughters are dams of two or more stakes winners apiece, with French champion Desert Lord (GB) (Green Desert) among their offspring.

Blush With Pride (1979, Blushing Groom {Fr}–Best in Show, by Traffic Judge), bred by Mr. & Mrs. Darrell Brown: Broodmare of the Year Better Than Honour (Deputy Minister), dam of GI Belmont S. winners Rags to Riches (A.P. Indy) (also a champion and Kentucky Oaks winner) and Jazil (Seeking the Gold), is one of her daughters. Other top runners tracing to her to date are European champion Peeping Fawn (Danehill) and GISWs Thewayyouare (Kingmambo), Streaming (Smart Strike), and Paris Lights (Curlin).

Hidden Talent (1956, Dark Star–Dangerous Dame {GB}, by Nasrullah {GB}), bred by Harry F. Guggenheim: Dam of Broodmare of the Year Too Bald (Bald Eagle), her descendants include U.S. champion Capote (Seattle Slew), Canadian champion Lake Country (Caucasus), plus MGISWs Exceller (Vaguely Noble {Ire}) and Broad Brush (Ack Ack).

Lalun (1952, Djeddah {Fr}–Be Faithful, by Bimelech), bred by H. F. Guggenheim: Her two top sons were champion Never Bend (Nasrullah {GB}) and Travers winner Bold Reason (Hail to Reason). Both hit the board in the Kentucky Derby and both had significant influence on the breed.

Real Delight (1949, Bull Lea–Blue Delight, by Blue Larkspur), bred by Calumet Farm: This mare produced three black-type winners, but it's the next generations through her daughters that will keep her in pedigrees. Among the legions of top-class horses descending from her are Hall of Famer and leading sire Alydar (Raise a Native), Broodmare of the Year Sweet Tooth (On-and-On), champions Our Mims (Herbager {Fr}) and Christmas Past (Grey Dawn II {Fr}), and GISWs Sugar and Spice (Key to the Mint), Codex (Arts and Letters), and Grand Slam (Gone West).

How (1948, Princequillo {GB}–The Squaw II {Fr}, by Sickle {GB}), bred by D. Djordjadze: She is the dam of Broodmare of the Year Pocahontas (Roman), whose five stakes winners included champion and excellent sire Tom Rolfe (Ribot {GB}), as well as good sire Chieftain (Bold Ruler) and the dam of outstanding European sire Alzao (Lyphard).

Nellie L. (1940, Blenheim II {GB}–Nellie Flag, by American Flag), bred by Calumet Farm: Among the Grade I winners of the last 50 years tracing to this 1943 Oaks winner are champion and Kentucky Derby winner Bold Forbes (Irish Castle), who was her grandson, and Life At the Top (Seattle Slew), Saratoga Six (Alydar), Lakeway (Seattle Slew), Jilbab (A.P. Indy), and England's Dunbeath (Grey Dawn II {Fr}).

Miss Dogwood (1939, Bull Dog {Fr}–Myrtlewood, by Blue Larkspur), bred by Brownell Combs: Breed-shaping sire Mr. Prospector (Raise a Native) is a grandson of her daughter Sequence (Count Fleet), who is also the ancestress of GISWs Sewickley (Star de Naskra), Shared Interest (Pleasant Colony), Forestry (Storm Cat), and Cash Run (Seeking the Gold), as well as Canadian Broodmare of the Year Amelia Bearhart (Bold Hour) and her dual Canadian Horse of the Year son Chief Bearhart (Chief's Crown), who was also a U.S. champion.

Breed-shaping sire Mr. Prospector traced to 1942 Oaks winner
Miss Dogwood | Dell Hancock

Two Bob (1933, The Porter–Blessings, by Chicle {Fr}), bred by C. V. Whitney: What a mare. Her Hall of Fame daughter Two Lea (Bull Lea) produced Hall of Famer and 1958 Kentucky Derby winner Tim Tam (Tom Fool), as well as seven-time black-type winner and sire On-and-On. Another daughter founded the Chris Evert (Swoon's Son) line, the latter being a Hall of Famer whose descendants include champion Chief's Crown (Danzig), MGISWs Sightseek (Distant View) and Tates Creek (Rahy), and so many more top horses. Derby winning filly Winning Colors (Caro {Ire}) also is a direct descendant of Two Bob, as is solid sire Best Turn (Turn-to {Ire}), and a slew of other high-caliber horses.

Fiji (1931, Bostonian–O Girl, by Ormondale), bred by Jack S. Young and Tom B. Young: A daughter produced 1953 Kentucky Derby winner Dark Star, the only horse to defeat Native Dancer, and a granddaughter produced 1964 Kentucky Oaks winner Blue Norther.

Alcibiades (1927, Supremus–Regal Roman {GB}, by Roi Herode {Fr}), bred by Hal Price Headley: Four of her eight foals were black-type winners, including champion and influential sire Menow (Pharamond II {GB}). European champion and another influential sire in Sir Ivor (Sir Gaylord) descended from an Alabama-winning daughter, while a slew of other high-class stakes winners trace to her.

Black Maria (1923, Black Toney–Bird Loose {Fr}, by Sardanapale {Fr}), bred by Himyar Stud or Colonel E. R. Bradley (conflicting accounts): She had only one foal, but one was all she needed. Her descendants include Preakness winner and excellent sire Polynesian, of course responsible for Native Dancer.

Audience (1901, Sir Dixon–Sallie McClelland, by Hindoo), bred by Mrs. Byron McClelland): Among her foals were Whisk Broom II (Broomstick), an eventual Hall of Famer who won major races in both the U.S. and England before becoming a top sire, and Matinee, a blue hen for the Whitneys whose descendants include Hall of Famer Top Flight (Dis Donc {Fr}).

Modesty (1881, War Dance–Ballet, by Planet), bred by George H. Clay: A number of stakes winners trace to this grand chestnut, most notably Regret (Broomstick), the first female winner of the Kentucky Derby in 1915. The GIII Modesty S., to be run on the Oaks undercard after moving to Churchill from Arlington, is named after her.

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Kentucky Oaks ‘Picture’ Goes Through Cox Barn

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — In a division still crying out for a clear-cut leader, a full field of sophomore fillies will take centerstage in a deep renewal of Friday's GI Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Brad Cox will have three chances, including the top two choices on the morning-line, to collect a third Oaks trophy following wins with Monomoy Girl in 2018 and Shedaresthedevil in 2020.

After sweeping the Oaklawn Park series for 3-year-old fillies, Godolphin homebred and 5-2 Oaks morning-line favorite Wet Paint (Blame) shoots for a fourth straight victory following a visually impressive come-from- behind win in the GIII Fantasy S. Apr. 1.

“She can make you a little nervous with her running style, but overall she's just been really consistent,” Cox said. “She'll love the mile and an eighth here. If she puts in her run, she's going to be tough. She just brings it every time.”

Front-running Bourbonette Oaks heroine Botanical (Medaglia d'Oro) could vie for favoritism with her stablemate despite never racing on dirt before. Cox will also saddle GII Fair Grounds Oaks third-place finisher The Alys Look (Connect).

“The Alys Looks is flying under the radar, but I love the way she's developing,” Cox said. “Botanical needs to step up on the dirt, but I like what I am seeing. Physically, she looks great. She's doing really well.”

Last year's champion 2-year-old filly Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief) looks for her first victory since capturing the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland. She was a disappointing sixth behind Defining Purpose (Cross Traffic) in the GI Ashland S. at Keeneland Apr. 7.

Southlawn (Pioneerof the Nile) has taken a major step forward for trainer Norm Casse in two attempts since turning three, led by a 3 1/4-length victory over Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief) in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks Mar. 25.

Affirmative Lady (Arrogate), hung out wide in post 13, also enters in top form following a breakthrough win in the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks Apr. 1. She's gone two-for-two since adding blinkers for Graham Motion.

The gone-too-soon Arrogate, responsible for last year's Oaks winner Secret Oath, will also be represented by GISW and GII Santa Anita Oaks runner-up And Tell Me Nolies (Arrogate).

With a delightful forecast calling for cloudy skies and a high of 75 degrees, the stacked 13-race Kentucky Oaks program also includes: a deep field of 10 in the GI La Troienne S., featuring last year's GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Secret Oath (Arrogate); a fantastic renewal of the GII Alysheba S., led by GI Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike (Keen Ice) and GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. winner Art Collector (Bernardini); unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Munnys Gold (Munnings)'s graded stakes debut in the GII Eight Belles S.; and the grassy GII Edgewood S. and GIII Modesty S. Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner Caravel (Mizzen Mast) will also line up on the undercard in the Unbridled Sidney S.

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Oaks Contender Gambling Girl Represents Four Generations of Gallagher’s Stud

Under the guidance of Hall of Fame trainer Laz Barrera, Buryyourbelief (Believe It) became the first New York-bred filly to win the GI Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs in 1987 as the 8-1 upset, coasting home a 2 3/4-length winner in the nation's most prestigious race for 3-year-old fillies.

This Friday, 37 years later, the Todd Pletcher-trained Gambling Girl (Dialed In) will fly the flag for the Empire State as the lone New York-bred in a field of 14. Owned by Queens native Mike Repole, Gambling Girl represents the fourth generation in a long line of mares bred by Marlene Brody's Gallagher's Stud in Ghent, NY.

Gambling Girl is her breeder's first Kentucky Oaks contender, stemming from a family line that began at Gallagher's Stud with the purchase of the filly's fourth dam, Grand Bonheur (Blushing Groom {Fr}), as a yearling in 1980. From the 11 foals she produced came Felicita (Rubiano), dam of Grade I winner and Grade I producer Take Charge Lady, who Gallagher's Stud sold in utero and went on to produce the likes of champion Will Take Charge (Unbridled's Song), Grade I winners Take Charge Indy (A.P. Indy) and As Time Goes By (American Pharoah), and Charming (War Front), the dam of multiple Grade I winner Omaha Beach.

Before Take Charge Lady, there was Eventail (Lear Fan), Felicita's first foal who produced Tulipmania, Gambling Girl's dam, along with Grade II winner Straight Story (Giant's Causeway), before going through the ring at the 2006 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, in foal to El Prado (Ire), and selling for $925,000 to Shadai Farm.

“Tulipmania was actually a very useful racehorse. She was very close to a stakes-caliber filly. She ended up injuring a knee, but she beat stakes winners running in allowance races and stuff like that so she was a pretty nice race filly,” said Mallory Mort, who has worked with all facets of the farm's equine and cattle operations for 44 years and took over as manager of the entire farm in 2005. “It's very gratifying when that many generations of breeding comes to fruition.”

Tulipmania has produced 11 foals, with four winners from eight starters, topped by stakes winner and GII-placed Gambling Girl. The third foal from her dam to sell for six figures as a yearling at Fasig-Tipton's New York Bred Yearlings Sale, she was purchased for $200,000 by West Bloodstock, Agent for Repole Stable, from the Denali Stud consignment in 2021.

“From the beginning, she was just a piece of cake. Nothing ever went wrong with her and she was always easy to work with. We were expecting pretty good money for her [at the sale]. She was a good individual and obviously had a nice page,” said Mort. “I think if one of the mare's earlier progeny had jumped up and run really well, she would have brought considerably more money, but that's the way it goes. She ended up bringing in the range we were thinking and we were really fortunate that they bought her. She's in really great hands and a New York guy racing a nice New York-bred is really special.”

The bay filly, who has raced primarily in her home state, debuted as a 2-year-old last summer at Belmont Park and broke her maiden at Saratoga in her third career start, winning a seven-furlong state-bred maiden special weight by 10 1/2 lengths. In her next start, she won her stakes debut in the Joseph A. Gimma at the Belmont at the Big A meet and later closed out the season with a third in the Dec 3. GII Demoiselle Stakes, just a length behind winner Julia Shining (Curlin).

Returning this January, Gambling Girl was second in the Busanda Stakes, fourth in the GIII Honeybee Stakes in February at Oaklawn, and a hard-fought second in the Apr. 8 GIII Gazelle Stakes, just a head behind fellow Oaks contender Promiseher America (American Pharoah).

Though a small breeding operation with a broodmare band that hovers around 10 to 15 mares, Brody and her team have always prided themselves on producing horses of quality and class, and Gambling Girl is just the latest success story to validate those efforts.

“We had a horse many years ago named Allez Milord [Tom Rolfe], who won a Group 1 in Germany and a Grade I in this country. He was also a champion in Germany and ran second in the [1987] G1 Japan Cup. He was quite an international horse. Icabad Crane [Jump Start] ran third in the GI Preakness several years ago, so we've had some pretty good Classic-type horses over the years and a lot of graded stakes winners. We also had a filly a few years ago named Inimitable Romance [Maria's Mon], who won three graded stakes for us. Maximova [Danehill Dancer {Ire}} is another one of our mares who was a stakes winner and multiple graded stakes placed,” said Mort. “We don't have that many mares so we don't get a ton of them, but it's great when they come along.”

Tulipmania had a full-brother to Gambling Girl last year, who will be heading to the sale ring this summer, and just last week, she foaled a Medaglia d'Oro filly on Apr. 25.

“We've always thought that Dialed In is an underrated stallion. For his stud fee, a good one will sell really well, and that's mainly what we do, so we decided to go back to him. The yearling is a very nice colt as well,” said Mort. “Dialed In was a really good racehorse and I think he is physically a lot different than some of the Mineshafts. [His progeny] are earlier and faster and we liked that. He's proven to be a pretty darn good sire.”

Gambling Girl's start in Friday's Run for the Lilies also stands as a testament to Brody's dedication to her farm, which her and her late husband Jerry purchased in April of 1976, her horses, and the team that keeps everything going day-in and day-out.

“It's been great to work for someone that just wants to put the horses and the people first. We try to make some money to keep things going obviously, but really the emphasis is on the horses' health and the people that are working for us. Anybody that stays in this business for as long as she's been in it, they just have to love it. They can roll with the punches and those are great people to work for. They know how to enjoy the good times and not take the low too badly, to just keep on going. She's been a wonderful person to work for, for this many years, otherwise I wouldn't have been here for this long,” said Mort.

The farm will only be foaling out four mares this year, and breeding seven back, along with cutting back their racing operation slightly. But even at 91, Brody remains devoted, as she and the rest of the Gallagher's Stud team look forward to what's still to come.

“These are the horses we've tried to breed for a long time and so it's very gratifying when one can reach this kind of Classic contention and run in these kinds of races. It's great. And Gambling Girl being a New York-bred on top of that, obviously we've been breeding in New York for over 40 years or something, it's really nice when this happens. It makes it all worthwhile, even if it doesn't come around very often,” said Mort.

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