What Is Kentucky Oaks Day?
The Longines Kentucky Oaks is the most prestigious and profitable race for 3-year-old fillies in the United States, and it is run annually on the day before the Kentucky Derby. The race takes place at Churchill Downs. This main race is a Grade 1 stakes race with a purse of $1.25 million, and the winning filly will be presented with a garland of lilies.
What is Kentucky Oaks vs Derby?
History – The Kentucky Oaks were first raced on May 19, 1875, when Churchill Downs was still known as the Louisville Jockey Club. This was the year when the race was inaugurated. Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. was the man behind the creation of this competition, as well as the Kentucky Derby, the Clark Handicap, and the Falls City Handicap.
The Kentucky Oaks and the Kentucky Derby are the oldest sports events in the history of the United States that are being actively competed in. The British Epsom Oaks served as the inspiration for the creation of the Kentucky Oaks. Since 1779, the race has been held yearly at Epsom Downs, which is located in Epsom, in the county of Surrey.
Vinaigrette was the winner of the first event, which was a mile race that was 1 and 12 miles (2.4 kilometers) long. He finished the race in a time of 2 minutes, 39 seconds, and 3 fourths, which earned him a prize of $1,175. Since then, the Kentucky Oaks has become an annual event in its own right.
The Kentucky Oaks was moved from the first week of May to the fourth week of September in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic. Because so many people watch it every year, the Kentucky Oaks is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious competitions in the history of horse racing in the United States.
Since the 127th running of the Kentucky Oaks in 2001, it has consistently drawn around 100,000 people each year to the event’s attendance. In 1980, there were around 50,000 individuals in attendance, and by 1989, that number had climbed to over 67,000 people.
- Attendance at the Kentucky Oaks typically outnumbers that of all other stakes races combined, including the Breeders’ Cup and the Belmont Stakes.
- The attendance for the Kentucky Oaks is ranked as the third highest in North America.
- Attendance in the Kentucky Oaks traditionally trails only that of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes; for additional information, read the article on the most attended events in American horse racing.
The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing consists of three races: the Kentucky Oaks, the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes, and the Acorn Stakes. These races are conducted at Churchill Downs, Pimlico Race Course, and Belmont Park, respectively. The Kentucky Oaks is the first race in the series.
How does a horse qualify for the Kentucky Oaks?
The Kentucky Oaks Qualifying Race If there are more than 14 horses who want to run in the Kentucky Oaks, spots will be held for the top 14 point scorers from the Road to the Kentucky Oaks qualifying series. These horses will have the opportunity to compete for a spot in the race.
In the event that one of the horses placed in the top 14 is unable to compete in the Oaks, their spot will be filled by the horse with the next highest ranking on the list. There is room for up to 18 horses in the race, including the four horses with the fewest points who are classified as “also eligible.” If one of the top 14 horses drops out of the race after entries have been accepted but before betting has begun, the next rated horse on the list of horses who are also eligible will be allowed to compete in the race.
The earnings of the horses in previous non-restricted stakes races, regardless of whether or not the races were graded, will be used as the tiebreaker in the event that two or more horses have the same amount of points. In the case that both of these horses finish in first place, the whole number of points that would have been awarded to each of them would be split evenly between them.
The first part of the series is known as the Kentucky Oaks Prep Season, while the second part is known as the Kentucky Oaks Championship Series. Between September (when the fillies are two years old) and February (when they are three years old), there are a series of races known as the prep season. Each race is at least one mile long (when the fillies are age three).
A scale that goes from 10 to 4 to 2 to 1 awards points to the top four finishers in each race. The championship season is broken up into two “legs,” and each leg is followed by a “wild card” round. The first leg of the race consists of small preliminary competitions and uses the scale 50-20-10-5.
- The second leg consists of big prep races, which are often Grade I competitions, and uses a scale of 100-40-20-10.
- The “wild card” category only includes one race and uses the scale of 10-4-2-1.
- The points that fillies earn on the Road to the Kentucky Derby will carry over to the Road to the Kentucky Oaks, where they will be rewarded with those points.
However, points earned on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks do not count toward the requirements for entry into the Derby. The Santa Anita Oaks (G1), the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2), the Ashland Stakes (G1), the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) at Keeneland Race Course, the Gazelle Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack, and the Fantasy Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn Park are all part of the Super Six Prep races, and the winner of each of these races receives 100 points toward their championship total.
- The Super Six Prep A filly must accumulate a sufficient number of points along the Road to the Kentucky Oaks, and the filly’s owner must pay a number of costs in order for the filly to be eligible to compete in the Kentucky Oaks.
- These expenses include a nomination fee, an entry fee, and a starting fee.
For instance, in 2016, the nomination cost was $200, and it needed to be paid by the 20th of February in that same year. In the event that the deadline in February wasn’t met, the late nomination cost of $1,500 might be paid by the 13th of April in 2016.
Are male race horses gelded?
Explainer Funny Cide: Is the bettors at Belmont going to benefit from his loss? Should Funny Cide prevail in tomorrow’s Belmont Stakes, he would become the first horse to win the Triple Crown in the sport of horse racing since Affirmed in 1978. In addition, he would be the first gelding, commonly known as an equine eunuch, to receive this award.
- What is the purpose of removing the testicles from a thoroughbred, especially considering that a gelding has little value as a stud animal? The majority of the time, gelding is utilized as a method of attitude adjustment.
- The male hormone testosterone causes undesirable behaviors in colts, including aggressive acts toward people and fillies equally.
If a colt has not been gelded, he may bite, rear, kick, or whinny uncontrollably, and in order to prevent these behaviors, it may be necessary to keep him separated from other horses. In addition, these adolescent male horses frequently disobey their trainers when they are given directives.
- Those who have made it through their teenage years may attest to the fact that a concern with sexual demands has a tendency to decrease attention.
- Therefore, a significant proportion of racehorses are gelded at a relatively early age.
- The Jockey Club reports that 25.8 percent of thoroughbreds who competed in races in North America in the previous year were geldings.
This percentage does not include the less glamourous quarter horses, which are also regularly castrated. The surgery is normally carried out within the first year of the horse’s life, before the animal may develop an excessive number of the violent behaviors typical of an adult stallion.
However, owners take care to avoid gelding their colts too soon, as doing so may prevent the animals from reaching their full physical potential. It is evident that a horse that has been castrated cannot have a post-racing career as a stud, but for the vast majority of animals, this does not actually present a problem.
Only a minuscule percentage of the horses used in professional racing have the illustrious family trees required to command stud fees. There are hundreds of horses who could never even exhibit, let alone win, at Delaware Park, yet for every descendent of Alydar that brings in millions from an Arab sheik, there are also dozens of horses that are unable to trace their lineage back to Alydar.
This brings up still another benefit to gelding, and that is increased lifespan. Thoroughbred superstars, such as the few that compete in Triple Crown races, tend to retire at a very young age. This is typically due to the fact that they are either put out to stud or begin to significantly slow down at the age of 4.
On the other side, geldings have the potential to continue competing effectively for a few more years; for instance, the great John Henry was still winning races at the age of 9. There is no one who can say for certain why this is the case; nonetheless, many fitness instructors believe that castration results in a leaner and hence less injury-prone musculature.
- Funny Cide is an exemption to the gelding restrictions since he was castrated for medical reasons rather than for the purpose of altering his behavior.
- He was unable to walk properly as a yearling due to a testicular abnormality that caused him to be cryptorchid.
- This is a condition in which one of the testicles does not fall out of the body but instead remains lodged within the body.
It is quite possible that Funny Cide would not have had any sort of racing career at all if he had not been gelded. Bonus Explainer: If Funny Cide had been born a half century earlier, the gelding preference that exists now could have prevented him from ever winning the Triple Crown.
Are male horses stronger than female horses?
Male horses are often larger, taller, and more powerful than their female counterparts. Male horses also tend to be quicker. On the racecourse, they also predominate over female horses, and they hold virtually every speed record that is important.
Who is the favorite to win the Kentucky Oaks?
When Echo Zulu breaks from the starting gate in the 2022 Kentucky Oaks on Friday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, she will be attempting to take another step toward winning an Eclipse Award for the best 2-year-old filly or mare. Echo Zulu is currently undefeated in her career, and Steve Asmussen is responsible for her training.
The year before, she triumphed in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies race, which paved the way for her to be named the top 2-year-old filly. In the odds for the 2022 Kentucky Oaks on Friday, she is receiving a price of 4-1. In the 14-horse lineup for the Kentucky Oaks 2022, the winner of the Ashland Stakes, Nest, is the morning-line favorite to win at 5-2 odds, while the winner of the unbeaten Gulfstream Park Oaks, Kathleen O., is earning odds of 7-2.
Nest has won four of her five career races. The $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks 2022 will get underway at 5:51 p.m. Eastern Time (ET). Because there is not much of a gap between the top candidates for the 2022 Kentucky Oaks, you should listen to what knowledgeable racing writer and analyst Michelle Yu has to say before making any of your own choices for the 2022 Kentucky Oaks.
There aren’t many people in the racing world that are as connected as Yu. Yu has devoted his whole life to the sport of horse racing, serving as an on-air host and reporter, as well as providing racing commentary for TVG, HRTV, and the Breeders’ Cup. Before beginning a career in television, she was an assistant for the trainers Steve Asmussen and Ron Moquett.
In addition to this, she is married to Ryan Hanson, a trainer who is headquartered in Santa Anita. At addition to that, she is exceptionally skilled in handicapping. Animal Kingdom was a heavy underdog in the 2011 Run for the Roses, yet she accurately predicted that he would come out on top.
In the Filly and Mare Turf race at the 2017 Breeders’ Cup, she defeated the 11-1 long shot Wuheida to take first place. The year before, during an open and competitive Run for the Roses, she selected Medina Spirit, who finished the race in first place, as the victor at odds of 12-1. Since she started working with SportsLine in November, her selections have won the Santa Anita Handicap, the Breeders’ Cup Classic, and the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, as well as the Sham Stakes, the El Camino Real Derby, the San Felipe Stakes, and more.
Anyone who has followed her example has made significant progress. Now, Yu has completed her handicapping of the chances for the 2022 Kentucky Oaks, as well as her selections and her bets. You will only be able to view them on SportsLine.
Can a female horse run in the Kentucky Derby?
Is it possible for a filly to compete in the Kentucky Derby? – Fillies, who are female horses, have competed in and won the Kentucky Derby in the past; however, none have sought to compete in the race since the current points system was implemented. Before the Kentucky Derby, fillies are required to compete against male horses in qualifying races.
Who is in the Oaks?
148th Running of the Longines Kentucky Oaks
| Program | Horse | Finish |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Secret Oath | 1st |
| 4 | Nest | 2nd |
| 9 | Desert Dawn | 3rd |
| 7 | Echo Zulu | 4th |