The 2019 Road to the Kentucky Oaks is a points system by which Thoroughbred fillies will qualify for the 2019 Kentucky Oaks , to be held on May 3. The field for the Kentucky Oaks, the filly equivalent of the Kentucky Derby , is limited to fourteen horses, with up to four "also eligible" horses in case of a late withdrawal from the field. The 29 races in the Road to the Kentucky Oaks will be held from September 2018 (when the fillies are age two) through April 2019 (when they have turned three). The top four finishers in the specified races earn points, with the highest point values awarded in the major preparatory races held in late March or early April. Earnings in non-restricted stakes act as a tie breaker.
Fillies who instead wish to enter the Kentucky Derby have to earn the necessary points in the races on the Road to the Kentucky Derby : points earned on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks are not transferable. However, if a filly does earn qualifying points for the Derby by racing in open company, those points also count towards qualifying for the Oaks.[ 1]
The Delta Princess Stakes, which was previously the 31st race in the series, had the 2017 running cancelled in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey .[ 2] It will not be part of the 2019 series.[ 3]
The Santa Ysabel Stakes , which had previously been on the schedule, had the 2019 running cancelled in the aftermath of Santa Anita Park being closed as a result of an investigation into 22 equine fatalities at the track.[ 4]
Standings
The following table shows the points earned in the eligible races.[ 1] Entries were taken on April 29. Bellafina was the leading points earner after winning the Santa Anita Oaks and went off as the heavy favorite. However, she was upset by Serengeti Empress , who had qualified by winning the Pocahontas and Rachel Alexandra Stakes .[ 5]
Rank
Horse
Points
Owner
Trainer
Eligible Earnings[ a]
Ref
1
Bellafina
132
Kaleem Shah
Simon Callaghan
$1,060,000
[ 6]
2
Champagne Anyone
113
Six Column Stables & Randy Bloch et al.
Ian Wilkes
$197,150
[ 7]
bypassing
Always Shopping
110
Repole Stable
Todd Pletcher
$220,000
[ 8]
3
Street Band
105
Larry & Cindy Jones, Ray Francis
Larry Jones
$248,000
[ 9]
4
Lady Apple
100
Phoenix Thoroughbred III & KatieRich Stables
Steve Asmussen
$336,000
[ 10]
5
Out for a Spin
100
Commonwealth Stable
Dallas Stewart
$300,000
[ 11]
bypassing
Chasing Yesterday
80
Summer Wind Equine
Bob Baffert
$452,650
[ 12]
6
Liora
71
Coffeepot Stables
Wayne Catalano
$246,280
[ 9]
7
Restless Rider
62
Fern Circle Racing & Three Chimneys Farm
Kenny McPeek
$849,560
[ 13]
8
Serengeti Empress
60
Joel Politi
Tom Amoss
$313,270
[ 13]
9
Motion Emotion
60
Mark DeDomenico LLC
Thomas L. Van Berg
$140,000
[ 14]
10
Jaywalk
55
Cash is King & Leonard Green
John Servis
$1,409,800
[ 15]
11
Chocolate Kisses
51
Debby Oxley
Mark Casse
$152,000
[ 14]
12
Jeltrin
51
ADR Racing Stable, LLC
Alexis Delgado
$128,720
[ 15]
not nominated
Divine Image
50
Godolphin Racing
Charles Appleby
$380,372
[ 16]
13
Positive Spirit
50
Michael Ryan
Rodolphe Brisset
$199,500
[ 8]
bypassing
Espresso Shot
50
NY Final Furlong Racing Stable, Maspeth Stables and Parkland Thoroughbreds
Jorge Abreu
$156,875
[ 17]
14
Flor De La Mar
40
Godolphin, LLC
Bob Baffert
$80,000
[ 6]
15[ b]
Cookie Dough
40
Arindel
Stanley I. Gold
$63,950
[ 7]
16
Dunbar Road
40
Peter M. Brant
Chad Brown
$49,500
[ 7]
17
Eres Tu
24
Seltzer, Edward A. and Anderson, Beverly S.
Steve Asmussen
$66,000
[ 9]
18
Brill
22
OXO Equine
Jerry Hollendorfer
$104,000
[ 18]
19
Sweet Diane
22
Stallionaire Enterprises
Mike Stidham
$64,700
[ 9]
20
Oxy Lady
21
Calumet Farm
Jack Sisterson
$154,166
[ 17]
not nominated
Swift Rose
10
Godolphin
Saaed bin Suroor
$175,000
[ 16]
21
Point of Honor
20
Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Stetson Racing, LLC
George Weaver
$72,375
[ 7]
22
Naughty Joker
20
Ramsey, Kenneth L. and Sarah K
Wesley A. Ward
$58,250
[ 19]
23
Bizwhacks
20
Reddam Racing LLC
Doug F. O'Neill
$57,000
[ 11]
24
Orra Moor
20
StarLadies Racing
Todd A. Pletcher
$55,000
[ 17]
25
Off Topic
20
Paul P. Pompa Jr.
Todd Pletcher
$36,000
[ 8]
bypassing
Feedback
12
Klaravich Stables, Inc.
Chad Brown
$104,280
[ 20]
bypassing
Mother Mother
11
G. Bolton, B. Hall, B. Lipman, M. Mathiesen & A. Molasky
Bob Baffert
$241,161
[ 21]
bypassing
Fancy Dress Party
10
LNJ Foxwoods
Ben Colebrook
$90,000
[ 22]
bypassing
Power Gal (JPN)
10
Gary Barber
Mark Casse
$75,800
[ 23]
bypassing
Backflash
10
Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (Ron Winchell)
Steve Asmussen
$40,400
bypassing
Slewgoodtobetrue
10
Alesia, Sharon, Ciaglia Racing, LLC, ERJ Racing, LLC and Burns Racing, LLC
Peter Eurton
$28,000
[ 6]
bypassing
Razeena
10
Sheikh Rashid Bin Humaid al Nuaimi
Doug Watson
$25,000
bypassing
Proud Emma
10
Gem Inc., Tom Kagele & Steven Tartaglione
Peter Miller
$18,000
[ 8]
bypassing
Vibrance
8
Eclipse Thoroughbred, Donna & Jim Daniell
Michael McCarthy
$240,000
[ 13]
bypassing
Enaya Alrabb
8
Enaya Racing
Doug O'Neill
$100,000
[ 21]
bypassing
Fun Finder
6
Magdalena Racing (Sherri McPeek)
Kenny McPeek
$20,300
[ 19]
bypassing
Afleet Destiny
6
Uriah St. Lewis
Uriah St. Lewis
$62,000
[ 24]
Winner of Kentucky Oaks in bold
Entrants for Kentucky Oaks in pink
Did not qualify/Not nomininated/Injured/Bypassing the race in gray -->
Race results
The dates for some races shown below are based on the placement in the racing calendar from 2017/2018. Similarly, the purses shown for upcoming races are based on the amounts from the previous year and will be updated when finalized.
Prep season
Kentucky Oaks prep season
Race
Distance
Purse
Track
Date
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Ref
Pocahontas
1+ 1 ⁄16 miles
$200,000
Churchill Downs
Sep 15, 2018
Serengeti Empress
Splashy Empress
Lightscameraaction
My Wynter Rose
[ 25]
Chandelier
1+ 1 ⁄16 miles
$300,000
Santa Anita
Sep 29, 2018
Bellafina
Vibrance
Brill
Der Lu
[ 18]
Alcibiades
1+ 1 ⁄16 miles
$400,000
Keeneland
Oct 5, 2018
Restless Rider
Reflect
Meadow Dance
Chocolate Kisses
[ 26]
Frizette
1 mile
$400,000
Belmont
Oct 7, 2018
Jaywalk
Brucia La Terra
Cassies Dreamer
Covfefe
[ 27]
Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies
1+ 1 ⁄16 miles
$2,000,000
Churchill Downs
Nov 3, 2018
Jaywalk
Restless Rider
Vibrance
Bellafina
[ 13]
Golden Rod
1+ 1 ⁄16 miles
$200,000
Churchill Downs
Nov 24, 2018
Liora
Restless Rider
High Regard
Champagne Anyone
[ 28]
Demoiselle
1+ 1 ⁄8 miles
$250,000
Aqueduct
Dec 1, 2018
Positive Spirit
Afleet Destiny
Filly Joel
Molto Bella
[ 29]
Starlet
1+ 1 ⁄16 miles
$300,000
Los Alamitos
Dec 8, 2018
Chasing Yesterday
Enaya Alrabb
Mother Mother
Oxy Lady
[ 30]
Santa Ynez
6+ 1 ⁄2 furlongs
$125,000
Santa Anita
Jan 6, 2019
Bellafina
Mother Mother
Tomlin
Reflect
[ 31]
Silverbulletday
1 mile 70 yards
$150,000
Fair Grounds
Jan 19, 2019
Needs Supervision
Eres Tu
Grandaria
Liora
[ 32]
Forward Gal
7 furlongs
$200,000
Gulfstream
Feb 2, 2019
Feedback
Bye Bye J
Champagne Anyone
Jeltrin
[ 20]
Martha Washington
1 mile
$125,000
Oaklawn
Feb 2, 2019
Power Gal
Marathon Queen
Taylor's Spirit
Sunset Wish
[ 23]
Busanda
1 mile 70 yards
$100,000
Aqueduct
Feb 3, 2019
Always Shopping
Filly Joel
Afleet Destiny
Miss Marilyn
[ 24]
Las Virgenes
1 mile
$300,000
Santa Anita
Feb 9, 2019
Bellafina
Enaya Alrabb
Calf Moon Bay
Mother Mother
[ 21]
Suncoast Stakes
1 mile 40 yards
$150,000
Tampa Bay
Feb 9, 2019
Point of Honor
Lady Kate
Sweet Diane
Winning Envelope
[ 33]
Note: 1st=10 points; 2nd=4 points; 3rd=2 points; 4th=1 point , except the Juvenile Fillies, for which the points are doubled
Championship Series
Kentucky Oaks Championship Series
First leg of series
Race
Distance
Purse
Track
Date
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Ref
Rachel Alexandra
1+ 1 ⁄16 miles
$200,000
Fair Grounds
Feb 16, 2019
Serengeti Empress
Liora
Eres Tu
Street Band
[ 34]
UAE Oaks
1,900 metres (~1+ 3 ⁄16 miles)
$250,000
Meydan
Feb 21, 2019
Divine Image
Swift Rose
Razeena
Habah
[ 16]
Davona Dale
1+ 1 ⁄16 miles
$200,000
Gulfstream
Mar 2, 2019
Jeltrin
Cookie Dough
Champagne Anyone
Jaywalk
[ 15]
Busher
1+ 1 ⁄16 miles
$125,000
Aqueduct
Mar 9, 2019
Espresso Shot
Oxy Lady
Orra Moor
Please Flatter Me
[ 17]
Honeybee
1+ 1 ⁄16 miles
$200,000
Oaklawn
Mar 9, 2019
Chocolate Kisses
Motion Emotion
Bizwhacks
Sunset Wish
[ 14]
Sunland Park Oaks
1+ 1 ⁄16 miles
$200,000
Sunland
Mar 24, 2019
Chasing Yesterday
K P Slickem
Backflash
Figure
[ 12]
Note: 1st=50 points; 2nd=20 points; 3rd=10 points; 4th=5 points
Second leg of series
Race
Distance
Purse
Track
Date
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Ref
Fair Grounds Oaks
1+ 1 ⁄16 miles
$400,000
Fair Grounds
Mar 23, 2019
Street Band
Liora
Sweet Diane
Eres Tu
[ 9]
Gulfstream Oaks
1+ 1 ⁄16 miles
$250,000
Gulfstream
Mar 30, 2019
Champagne Anyone
Dunbar Road
Cookie Dough
Point of Honor
[ 7]
Ashland
1+ 1 ⁄16 miles
$500,000
Keeneland
Apr 6, 2019
Out for a Spin
Restless Rider
Jaywalk
Bizwhacks
[ 11]
Santa Anita Oaks
1+ 1 ⁄16 miles
$400,000
Santa Anita
Apr 6, 2019
Bellafina
Flor de La Mar
Chasing Yesterday
Slewgoodtobetrue
[ 6]
Gazelle
1+ 1 ⁄8 miles
$300,000
Aqueduct
Apr 6, 2019
Always Shopping
Positive Spirit
Off Topic
Proud Emma
[ 8]
Fantasy
1+ 1 ⁄16 miles
$400,000
Oaklawn
Apr 12, 2019
Lady Apple
Motion Emotion
Brill
Orra Moor
[ 10]
Note: 1st=100 points; 2nd=40 points; 3rd=20 points; 4th=10 points
"Wild Card"
Race
Distance
Purse
Track
Date
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
Ref
Bourbonette Oaks
1 mile
$100,000
Turfway
Mar 9, 2019
Naughty Joker
Fun Finder
New Roo
Diva Day
[ 19]
Beaumont
7 furlongs
$150,000
Keeneland
Apr 7, 2019
Fancy Dress Party
Mother Mother
Feedback
Another Time
[ 22]
Bourbonette Oaks: 1st=20 points; 2nd=8 points; 3rd=4 points; 4th=2 points Beaumont Stakes: 1st=10 points; 2nd=4 points; 3rd=2 points; 4th=1 points
See also
Notes
^ Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings, used as a tie-breaker
^ Cookie Dough's connections paid a late nomination fee in April to make her eligible for the Kentucky Oaks
References