The biggest race of the year for sophomore fillies happens Friday, May 3 at Churchill Downs: the 2024 Kentucky Oaks! The purse has been raised to $1.5 million, and a field of the best three-year-old dirt fillies will compete for that huge prize, the iconic blanket of lilies, and a place in horse racing history. It is no wonder that the Kentucky Oaks is one of the best horse racing betting events of the spring!
Read on to find out the Kentucky Oaks best bets, and the best places to get real Las Vegas odds on the Kentucky Oaks online from anywhere!
Even before you take a look at the horses, your first step toward a profitable Kentucky Oaks is to sign up at the right online sportsbook. Betting online is more convenient than going to a casino or racetrack. And, with real Vegas odds, trusted payouts, and great betting site bonuses like rebates, deposit bonuses, and referral benefits, you can supercharge your bankroll!
There are many options for betting online, but our expert reviews are here to help. Get to know these top online sportsbooks, and get ready to have the best betting experience for the Kentucky Oaks, as well as horse racing and sports betting all year long!
This is the official field for the 2024 Kentucky Oaks including post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning-line prices:
If horses scratch from the Oaks field before 9:00 a.m. Eastern on Friday, then one or more horses from the also-eligible list will replace them in order of their priority on that list: Our Pretty Woman has first priority, then Candied.
The morning line can be a good guide for what action is expected on horses, but it is no guarantee of a price if you bet on track. On track, prices fluctuate until post time. However, online sportsbooks offer fixed-odds wagering on major races, meaning you can lock in your price the moment you bet. This means you can watch the race confident in what you’ll get when your horse wins!
Get the best Vegas odds on the Kentucky Oaks by betting at one of these top online sportsbooks:
 |  |  |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Tarifa | +350 | +400 | +350 |
| Just F Y I | +450 | +500 | +450 |
| Thorpedo Anna | +500 | +500 | +450 |
| Leslie's Rose | +500 | +500 | +475 |
| Ways and Means | +600 | +550 | +550 |
| Power Squeeze | +1000 | +1200 | +1100 |
| Where's My Ring | +1200 | +1600 | +1200 |
Leslie’s Rose tried two turns for the first time in the Ashland (G1), and she ran like a horse who really ought to stick to two turns going forward. That’s no wonder: sire Into Mischief can throw any kind, and she is out of a Galileo half to the likes of Materiality and My Miss Sophia.
Also in her favor, this Todd Pletcher trainee has the tactical speed to handle an outside gate. And, since Churchill plays fairly to outside-drawn horses in nine-furlong races, the gate should not be a serious problem for her. She beat several good horses in the Ashland last out, like Just F Y I, and conditions are good for her to do so right back.
Tarifa is the morning-line favorite in the Kentucky Oaks, and she could easily run to that money. She is four-for-five lifetime, with her only defeat in her second career race after a less-than-good start. She has tactical speed from a nice middle gate, and she should not have trouble getting the mile and an eighth.
Where’s My Ring just broke her maiden in the Gazelle (G3), her final Oaks prep, but she was already running against good horses: two back she ran second to Kinza, the dominant west coast filly who is ineligible for the Kentucky Oaks (because of Bob Baffert). Two back, she set a crackling pace and held for second. She has tactical speed, improving form, and 1 ⅛-mile stamina at what will be the right price.
If Our Pretty Woman draws in off the also-eligible list, make sure to use her in exotics. She has tactical speed from an outside gate, and should be able to run well whether the track comes up wet or dry. She dug in when challenged by Tarifa in the Fair Grounds Oaks, crossing the wire beaten less than a length in the end, and should improve in her second stakes start.
Lemon Muffin looked like a horse whose light came on at two turns when she broke her maiden in the Honeybee (G3). Trainer D. Wayne Lukas said she came out her Fantasy (G3) flop sick, so if she does bounce back to her Honeybee form she has a shot at a big price. Gin Gin has some back form at Churchill Downs, and could get a piece for proven Oaks connections in Brad Cox and Florent Geroux.
D. Wayne Lukas has won the Kentucky Oaks five times (1982, 1984, 1989, 1990, 2022), tied with Woody Stephens for the most Oaks wins ever. He can take the record for himself if Lemon Muffin, the upset winner of the Honeybee (G3) at Oaklawn, wins under up-and-coming rider Keith Asmussen.
Todd Pletcher has won the race four times (2004, 2007, 2013, 2021), including three years ago with Malathaat. He also finished second in 2022 with Nest. He sends out Ashland (G1) winner Leslie’s Rose this year with star jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. in the irons; he also trains Candied, who is looking for a defection.
Brad Cox, who won the Kentucky Oaks in both 2018 and 2020, has Gin Gin and possible favorite Tarifa in the 2024 edition of the Kentucky Oaks. Steve Asmussen, who won the Oaks in 2005 and 2014, has Our Pretty Woman on the also-eligible list.
Oaks-winning jockeys in the field include Tyler Gaffalione (2023), Florent Geroux (2018, 2021), Jose Ortiz (2019), and Luis Saez (2022).
These are the expert bets for the Kentucky Oaks:
The entire Kentucky Oaks card is full of top-class stakes races and betting opportunities. These are the horses you should key in on for your wagers in major stakes races all day long!
