Advertisement

The road to Kentucky Oaks 150 is complete. These fillies are in position to make the gate.

The road to the 150th edition of the Kentucky Oaks is now complete.

All 32 qualifying points races for the Grade 1, $1.5 million Kentucky Oaks — which will have up to 14 starters (all 3-year old fillies) and will be run May 3 at Churchill Downs in Louisville — have been contested.

Now, the qualifying points leaderboard has been finalized, and it’s clear which horses will be able to make the starting gate next month.

The 1 1/8-mile Oaks is considered the premier race for 3-year-old fillies. At least 14 horses have entered the race in eight of the last nine years.

Here’s a look at the final Kentucky Oaks qualifying points leaderboard, along with notes on the horses who are expected to be in the field.

When horses are tied in qualifying points, the first tiebreaker used is earnings in non-restricted stakes races. The next tiebreaker is lifetime earnings.

Leslie’s Rose, winner of last week’s Ashland Stakes at Keeneland, is a top contender to win the 150th Kentucky Oaks, which will be held May 3 at Churchill Downs in Louisville.
Leslie’s Rose, winner of last week’s Ashland Stakes at Keeneland, is a top contender to win the 150th Kentucky Oaks, which will be held May 3 at Churchill Downs in Louisville.

Kentucky Oaks qualifying points leaderboard

1 -Tarifa (150 points).

Trained by two-time Kentucky Oaks winner Brad Cox, Tarifa is 4-0-0 in five career starts and has a pair of graded stakes wins to her name.

She triumphed in the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra Stakes at Fair Grounds in February and in the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks at the same track last month. Tarifa finished fourth in her only previous start at Churchill Downs, which came in an allowance optional claiming race last November.

2 - Where’s My Ring (125 points).

Trained by Val Brinkerhoff, Where’s My Ring is 1-3-1 in eight career starts, but saved her biggest moment for her most recent race: She claimed her first win in the Grade 3 Gazelle Stakes over the weekend at Aqueduct.

3 - Power Squeeze (120 points).

Trained by Jorge Delgado, Power Squeeze is 4-1-0 in six career starts, and she will carry a four-race winning streak into the Oaks. This includes a win in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks late last month.

Power Squeeze is a daughter of Union Rags, the 2012 Belmont Stakes winner.

4 - Leslie’s Rose (115 points).

Trained by four-time Kentucky Oaks winner Todd Pletcher, Leslie’s Rose was the big winner (as far as fillies were concerned) from the opening weekend of the Keeneland Spring Meet. She won the Grade 1 Central Bank Ashland Stakes at 9-1 odds to secure her spot in the Kentucky Oaks field.

She’s now 3-0-1 in four career starts.

“She’s always been a high-quality filly,” Pletcher said after the Ashland. “She’s always trained like she wants to run longer and I think she proved that today, getting the opportunity to go two turns and finishing with good energy. So, fingers crossed (for the Kentucky Oaks).”

5 - Thorpedo Anna (105 points).

Trained by Kenny McPeek, Thorpedo Anna is 3-1-0 in four career starts, with a second-place finish in the Grade 2 Golden Rod Stakes in November at Churchill Downs and a win in the Grade 2 Fantasy Stakes last month at Oaklawn Park.

6 - Just F Y I (90 points).

Trained by Bill Mott, Just F Y I was another horse in Saturday’s Ashland at Keeneland that locked up her spot in the Kentucky Oaks.

Just F Y I ran second in the Ashland and previously scored graded stakes wins in the Grade 1 Frizette Stakes in October and the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in November at Santa Anita Park.

She is 3-1-0 in four career starts.

7 - Gin Gin (66 points).

Trained by Brad Cox, Gin Gin is 2-2-2 over her seven career starts, although she hasn’t fared all that well against the best competition.

Gin Gin ran fifth in the Golden Rod Stakes and third in last weekend’s Grade 3 Gazelle Stakes.

8 - Jody’s Pride (65 points).

Trained by Jorge Abreu, Jody’s Pride is 3-1-0 in five career starts, but misfired in her last race. Another runner from last weekend’s Ashland at Keeneland, Jody’s Pride finished in seventh.

The high point in her racing career was a second-place effort in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies last year.

9 - Fiona’s Magic (60 points).

Trained by Michael Yates, Fiona’s Magic is 3-2-0 in six career starts, although she has a checkered history in stakes races.

Fiona’s Magic ran second in the Grade 3 Forward Gal Stakes in February at Gulfstream Park, and followed that effort with a win in the Grade 2 Davona Dale Stakes in early March at the same track.

But in her most recent start at Gulfstream, Fiona’s Magic was eighth out of nine runners in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks.

10 - Regulatory Risk (55 points).

Trained by Chad Brown, Regulatory Risk is 1-2-0 in five career starts. She most recently ran second in the Grade 3 Gazelle Stakes last weekend.

11 - Tapit Jenallie (54 points).

Trained by Eddie Milligan Jr., Tapit Jenallie is 2-1-1 in six career starts, but hasn’t won in any of her last four races. She was second in the Grade 3 Honeybee Stakes in February at Oaklawn Park and third in the Grade 2 Fantasy Stakes last month at Oaklawn.

12 - Everland (54 points).

Trained by Eric Foster, Everland is 3-0-1 in seven career starts, but has never raced in a graded stakes before.

13 - Lemon Muffin (50 points).

Trained by four-time Kentucky Oaks winner D. Wayne Lukas, Lemon Muffin is 1-4-0 in seven career starts. After finally collecting her first win in the Grade 3 Honeybee Stakes in February at Oaklawn Park, Lemon Muffin then ran seventh in the Grade 2 Fantasy Stakes last month at Oaklawn.

14 - Into Champagne (50 points).

Trained by Ian Wilkes, Into Champagne is 2-1-1 in four career starts, with a second-place finish in the Grade 2 Davona Dale Stakes and a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks, both of which were run last month.

Outside the points cutoff

15 - Ways and Means (50 points).

Trained by Chad Brown, Ways and Means is 1-2-0 in three career starts. She was second in both the Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes last fall at Saratoga and the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks last month.

16 - Our Pretty Woman (50 points).

Trained by two-time Kentucky Oaks winner Steve Asmussen, Our Pretty Woman is 2-1-0 in three career starts. After starting her racing career with consecutive wins, she ran second in the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks last month.

Leslie’s Rose tops strong field to win Kentucky Oaks prep race on Keeneland’s opening day

2024 Kentucky Derby Watch: A look at the projected field with just one prep race to go

Sierra Leone wins 100th Blue Grass Stakes to earn spot as a Kentucky Derby favorite

2024 Keeneland Spring Meet gets underway as massive construction project continues

Five things to know about the 2024 Keeneland Spring Meet, including Derby, Oaks prep races