The Kentucky Oaks has been known to be a prestige and lucrative event for three-year-old fillies with a purse of $600,000 to the winner, just 14 horses are allowed in the starting game, the race currently covers 1 1/8 miles (9 furlongs) and the horses carry 121 pounds (55kg). The race is usually held on the Friday before the Kentucky Derby. Have you ever wondered what it takes for a horse to qualify for the Kentucky Oaks? We will show you the Kentucky Oaks standing points.
If more than 14 horses enter the Kentucky Oaks, positions will be reserved for the top 14-point earners from the Road to the Kentucky Oaks qualifying series.
If any of the top 14 does not enter the Oaks, their position is given to the next ranked horses on the list. Up to 18 horses may enter the race, with the bottom four point-earners listed as “also eligible”. If any of the top 14 is scratched after entries are taken but before betting begins, the next ranked horse on the also-eligible list will be eligible to run. If two or more horses have the same number of points, the tiebreaker to get into the race will be earnings in non-restricted stakes races, whether or not they are graded. In the event of a tie, those horses will divide equally the points they would have received jointly had one beaten the other.
These prep races are divided into two categories -The Kentucky Oaks Prep Season and Kentucky Oaks Championship Series. The prep season runs through March 5th, presenting points on a 10-4-2-1basis to the top four respective finishers. The only exception is the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies which awards 20-8-4-2.
Kentucky Oaks Championship Series
The Championship Series starts in February and holds eight races on the Championship Series schedule offering 50-20-10-5 points, six other races, which are known as the final round of major prep races, award 100-40-20-10 and one exception is the Beaumont’s 10-4-2-1 point awards. The Road to the Kentucky Oaks series points are awarded on a descending scale to the top 4 finishers in designated prep races.
The Oaks Road typically starts with the Pocahontas Stakes at Churchill Downs and it goes along through early April with more races in the most prestigious racecourses such as Santa Anita, Aqueduct, Gulfstream Park, Keeneland among others.
Fillies who earn points as part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby will be credited with them as part of the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. However, points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks are not credited towards qualifying for the Derby.
Kentucky Oaks Current Standings
| Position | Horse | Points | Trainer | Breeder | Owner |
| 1 | Kathleen O. | 150 | Claude R. McGaughey III | Gainesway Thoroughbreds LTD & Bridlewood Farm | Wingate Stables, LLC |
| 2 | Echo Zulu | 130 | Steven M. Asmussen | Betz, J. Betz, Burns, CHNNHK, Magers, CoCo Equine & Ramsby | L and N Racing LLC and Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC |
| 3 | Nest | 120 | Todd A. Pletcher | Mr. & Mrs. Harvey L. Vanier | Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, and House, Michael |
| 4 | Yuugiri | 114 | Rodolphe Brisset | Sekie Yoshihara & Tsunebumi Yoshihara | Yoshihara, Tsunebumi and Sekie |
| 5 | Desert Dawn | 108 | Philip D’Amato | H & E Ranch | H and E Ranch, Inc. |
| 6 | Nostalgic | 101 | William I. Mott | Godolphin | Godolphin, LLC |
| 7 | Venti Valentine | 94 | Jorge R. Abreu | Final Furlong Racing Stable & Maspeth Stable | Hidden Brook Farm and Black Type Thoroughbreds |
| 8 | Secret Oath | 80 | D. Wayne Lukas | Briland Farm, Robert Mitchell &Stacy Mitchell | Briland Farm |
| 9 | Goddess of Fire | 62 | Todd A. Pletcher | Red Oak Stable | Red Oak Stable (Brunetti) |
| 10 | Turnerloose | 60 | Brad H. Cox | William Humphries & Altair Farms LLC | Thrash, Ike and Dawn |
| 11 | Hidden Connection | 57 | W. Bret Calhoun | St. Simon Place | Hidden Brook Farm and Black Type Thoroughbreds |
| 12 | Cocktail Moments | 52 | Kenneth G. McPeek | Mark Stansell | Dixiana Farms LLC |
| 13 | Candy Raid | 51 | J. Keith Desormeaux | Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC | Don’t Tell My Wife Stables and Desormeaux, J. Keith |
| 14 | Shahama | 50 | Nass, F | SF Bloodstock LLC | KHK Racing |
| 15 | Shotgun Hottie | 41 | William E. Morey | Vincent Colbert | Aldabbagh, Omar and Ganje, Jeff |
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