The best three-year-old fillies in America will line up on Friday, May 6 for the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks! The Oaks is always one of the most exciting betting races of the year, with a big field and a group of classy horses with improving form. Finding out which horse can hold their form and stay the mile and an eighth of the race can lead to a great betting profit!
This is the place to find out who to bet in the Kentucky Oaks, as well as the best places to bet the 2022 Kentucky Oaks online.
This is the official field for the 2022 Kentucky Oaks including post positions, trainers, and jockeys:
Note that Beguine is entered as also eligible. She will draw into the field if one of the other horses scratches before 9:00am EDT on Friday, May 6. Should a horse scratch after then, she cannot enter because on-track betting will have opened already.
Every major sportsbook offers odds on the Kentucky Oaks, and these are the Vegas odds at the top online sportsbooks:
 |  |  |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Nest | +300 | +300 | +275 |
| Echo Zulu | +350 | +400 | +350 |
| Kathleen O. | +425 | +400 | +450 |
| Secret Oath | +450 | +550 | +500 |
| Shahama | +1400 | +2000 | +1600 |
| Hidden Connection | +1600 | +1600 | +1200 |
| Desert Dawn | +1600 | +2000 | +1400 |
Morning-line favorite Nest has done enough to justify that status; she is truly the horse to beat in the Oaks. She is already a graded stakes winner at nine furlongs last year, and her form has been even better this year. She has the tactical speed to carve out a nice trip behind the lively speed. She also already has a win over an off track, as well as a very nice slop pedigree, important with rain in the forecast.
Based on results in other markets Echo Zulu may contend for favouritism, but she has a difficult task. With horses like Yuugiri, Venti Valentine, and maybe even Turnerloose likely to make the front end tough, she will not have it easy with her preferred forward trip. Perhaps she was a little short for her seasonal debut, but that leaves her with a lot to find against this field. Don’t take the underlay on Echo Zulu.
Secret Oath tried boys last out and finished a credible third behind Cyberknife, a serious Kentucky Derby contender, in the Arkansas Derby (G1). The rail is a question, but she should be able to get a good trip off of a contested pace, and she showed two back when thrashing fillies in the Honeybee (G3) that she can keep her head in the game even with a troubled trip.
Kathleen O. is undefeated in four starts. Though the Gulfstream spur of the Oaks trail typically is not the most live, horses as good as she is rarely prep in Hallandale Beach. Her off-pace style should get a nice setup given the composition of this year’s Oaks field, and she already has a win over a muddy track, a positive with rain in the forecast.
Shahama has done all of her racing in the UAE so far, but has beaten her Emirati foes easily enough to merit a step up into top-class American dirt racing. Her pedigree is excellent for a sloppy track, and even though sire Munnings is more associated with sprinting, she is the only horse in the field who has won going longer than the Oaks. With so much speed ahead of her, look for her to roar home.
Nostalgic has come into herself in her last two starts, winning an allowance at Gulfstream and then the mile and an eighth Gazelle at Aqueduct. she can win from a stalking or even closing race shape, and though she has never tried an off track, her pedigree suits it very well. She has the tools to finish in the Oaks frame.
Todd Pletcher has won the race four times (2004, 2007, 2013, 2021), including last year with Malathaat. Jockey John Velazquez has won the Kentucky Oaks twice (2004, 2021), both times with Pletcher. They combine with Goddess of Fire this year.
Other trainers in this year’s Kentucky Oaks who have won it before include D. Wayne Lukas (1982, 1984, 1989, 1990), Brad Cox (2018, 2020), Steve Asmussen (2005, 2014), and Shug McGaughey (1993),
The other jockeys in this year’s Oaks who have won it before include Florent Geroux (2018, 2021), Jose Ortiz (2019), Javier Castellano (2016), and Rafael Bejarano (2010).
These are your expert bets for the Kentucky Oaks:
The entire Kentucky Oaks card is full of rich stakes races and great betting opportunities. Here are some horses you should consider for multi-rage wagers or even individual horse bets on the Kentucky Oaks undercard:
To get the best Vegas odds on every horse you bet all year long, make sure to sign up for one or more of the top online betting sites. All of these sites have great interfaces, trusted deposit and cash-out features, and great rewards. You can maximize your profit while playing the races from the comfort of your own home.
