02-05-2025
How to watch the 2025 Kentucky Oaks, Friday's Lilies for the Fillies race at Churchill Downs
Along with the Derby as the main event, the Kentucky Oaks is this country's longest-running continuous sporting contest. Almost a century and a half before Chappell Roan showed up, this was the original 'Pink Pony Club.' Friday's lily-tinted festivities include the moving Survivor's Parade celebrating breast and ovarian cancer survivors. On Friday at Churchill Downs, we wear pink.
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The total purse is $1.5 million, with the first-place finisher take a large chunk of the prize and a blanket of 133 stargazer lilies. The flamingo flowers honor women fighting breast and ovarian cancers. It originated as a 1 1/2-mile race in 1875, and has been set at 1 1/8 since 1982.
Last year's installment, the 150th running, was marked by intermittent rain and soggy track conditions. Thorpedo Anna (and jockey Brian Hernandez) won by four lengths on 4-1 odds. Unfortunately, it may be more of the same this time around — current Louisville forecasts for Friday predict cloudy skies in the morning and scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. Churchill Downs gates open at 9 a.m. ET.
The favorite in this year's field is Good Cheer, an undefeated filly going for her seventh win in Friday's Grade 1 gallop. Her morning line odds are 6-5. Second-best odds belong to La Cara (6-1), followed by Quietside (8-1). Post position No. 1 Early On is far behind at 30-1 odds.
Every winner since 2018 has finished between 1:48 and 1:51. The all-time record at this current race length is held by Shedaresthedevil (2020). On a personal note, this correspondent's all-time favorite name for a winning horse is Lemons Forever (2006).
Kentucky Oaks capsules from the NYT archives
1977 — 'While the big boys were back in the barn resting for the Kentucky Derby, a dozen of the fanciest fillies in the land competed today in the 103d Kentucky Oaks — the 'sister race' to the classic — and they were led home by a 10‐to‐1 outsider named Sweet Alliance…'
1982 — 'On the ladies' day before the Kentucky Derby, the grand old gentleman of racing, Bill Shoemaker, rode Blush With Pride to a three-quarter-length victory over Before Dawn today before a record Kentucky Oaks crowd of 52,430…'
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1992 — 'Two of the country's star fillies were outrun today when the long shot Luv Me Luv Me Not survived a tight photo finish to win the 118th Kentucky Oaks, the premier race for 3-year-old fillies at Churchill Downs…'
2001 — 'Flute finished in 1:48.85, the second-fastest Oaks since it was lengthened to a mile and an eighth in 1981. Second choice among 13 starters, Flute, the daughter of Seattle Slew, returned $8.60 on a $2 bet to win. The long shots Real Cozzy and Collect Call were second and third. Fleet Renee, the 8-5 favorite, ran fourth. The crowd of 102,904 was the second highest in Oaks history…'
(Photo of 2024 Kentucky Oaks: Leandro Lozada / Getty Images)
