Kentucky Oaks odds highlight depth in 2026 field at Churchill Downs
Who will in the 2026 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs? The morning-line odds for Kentucky Oaks 2026 showed us just how deep the field is this year.
Nick Tammaro is making his debut as Churchill Downs ' oddsmaker this spring. The Houston, Texas, native has big shoes to fill: Mike Battaglia , who correctly identified the Kentucky Derby favorite 39 times in 51 runnings dating back to 1974 — a 76. 5% success rate.
Compared to handicapping the 152nd Kentucky Oaks , however, the Run for the Roses feels like a walk in the park. "There are three horses who sort of — they don't tower over everybody in the Derby; but they're going to garner the majority of the attention," Tammaro told The Courier Journal. "Whereas in the Oaks, that number's really probably more like five or six.
" Last year's winning trainer, Louisville native Brad Cox , put it this way after Saturday's post position draw for the $1. 5 million, 1⅛-mile race for 3-year-old fillies: "There's no standout; and there's no throw-out. " Now that the field of 14 is set, here are three takeaways if you're looking to wager on the first Oaks under the lights (post time: 8:40 p.
m. Friday, May 1): Zany, Kentucky Oaks morning-line favorite, drew an inside spot In morning-line favorite Zany (4-1), Tammaro is hoping bettors take a chance on a filly coming off a loss. The Todd Pletcher -trained daughter of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, fell to 3-1-0 across four career starts for Repole Stable with her second-place finish the Grade 1 Central Bank Ashland Stakes on April 3, crossing the wire 2¼ lengths behind Percy's Bar .