For a third straight year, Brad Cox walked away from the Kentucky Oaks post-position draw at Churchill Downs with the favorite in the preeminent race for 3-year-old fillies.
The last two, Tarifa and Wet Paint, didn’t finish on the board.
Good Cheer was the one who got the Louisville native back to the winner’s circle for the first time since 2020 in the $1.5 million, Grade 1 stakes Friday.
The Oaks was the 11th race of a 13-race card.
Here is a recap of the biggest races leading up to the Oaks.
Good Cheer remained perfect and gave Louisville trainer Brad Cox another Kentucky Oaks victory.
Read the full story: https://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/horses/kentucky-oaks/2025/05/02/good-cheer-brad-cox-kentucky-oaks-2025-churchill-downs/80017622007/
C.L. Brown column: Can Brad Cox add Kentucky Derby win after Oaks victory? Final Gambit may be horse to do it
Payouts: https://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/horses/kentucky-oaks/2025/05/02/kentucky-oaks-2025-payouts-with-good-cheers-win-at-churchill-downs/79511934007/
About 45 minutes before scheduled post time for the Unbridled Sidney, a gust of wind blew through Churchill Downs, picking up loose sand and pink betting slips with it.
Soon it began to rain sideways, lightning and thunder. Dark gray clouds enveloped the sky as horse players and spectators sought shelter.
But this race would wait for no man, woman or severe weather system. And when the time (about 13 minutes after the originally scheduled time of 4:51 p.m.) came, Queen Maxima was ready.
Queen Maxima, trained by Jeff Mullins, and jockey Juan J. Hernandez finished 5 ½ furlongs on the turf in 1:01.29 to claim the $400,000, Grade 3 Unbridled Sidney on Friday.
“It didn’t really affect it at all,” Hernandez said of the weather. “It’s a little soft, a little wet. But my filly loved it, so I didn’t have any problem today.”
Queen Maxima, owned by Dutch Girl Holdings LLC and Irving Ventures LLC, improved to 6-2-0 across nine starts with the win. Mullins acknowledged what he was about to say was pretty cliché, but that didn’t make it any less true.
“This horse,” Mullins urged, “has gears.”
They beat Crown Imperial by about 4 lengths — one-quarter off the race’s largest winning margin since 1976. Epona’s Hope finished third.
Queen Maxima returned $6.28 on a $2 win bet.
As far as what’s next for the filly?
“Everybody’s got Breeders’ Cup dreams,” Mullins said. “But we’ll just see how it goes.”
— Payton Titus
The post time for the 2025 Kentucky Oaks keeps moving back. The race was supposed to start at 5:51. Then it was postponed 10 minutes, to 6:01 p.m.
Now, the Oaks’ post time is set for 6:03 p.m.
— Ryan Black
The post time for the 2025 Kentucky Oaks was changed to 6:01 p.m. after a weather delay affected undercard races at Churchill Downs.
— Rich Barak
The start time of the Kentucky Oaks is scheduled for 5:51 p.m. No official word has been made on whether that will change with a severe weather warning in place. Those at Churchill Downs were asked to take shelter.
— Alexis Cubit
Unbridled Sidney, the 10th race of the day, will be delayed due to a severe weather warning at Churchill Downs. The race is now scheduled for 5:10 p.m. after originally being slated for 4:51 p.m.
— Alexis Cubit
Look Forward won the Grade 2 Eight Belles on Friday at Churchill Downs. At 12-1 odds, Look Forward beat Blue Fire (also at 12-1) to the wire as inclement weather swirled around the contestants. Evanescence took third.
Because of aforementioned weather in the area, post time moved up to 3:58 p.m. from the originally scheduled 4:07 p.m.
Those in attendance at the track were seen sprinting for cover as winds surged at the end of the race.
But Look Forward kicked up some dust of her own.
Her odds placed her outside the top-four favorites. None of whom, ironically enough, finished on the board. That quartet of Eclatant (5-2), Verity (3-1), Impulse Buy (7-2) and Bourbon Memory (8-1) had no answers for their less-heralded rivals.
Verity was the best finisher among the four, placing fifth, followed by Bourbon Memory (seventh), Impulse Buy (eighth) and Eclatant (ninth) in the 11-horse field.
Look Forward paid $17.04 to win, $9.54 to place and $6.76 to show. Blue Fire returned $12.54 (place) and $8.12 (show) while Evanescence earned $8.12 as well.
It marked Look Forward’s third win in six career starts. She didn’t place outside the top two in her first three races, all on the West Coast, but struggled when she traveled east. Look Forward was seventh in the Grade 3 Honeybee Stakes at Oaklawn Park on Feb. 23. She had a similarly disappointing sixth-place showing in the Grade 1 Ashland Stakes last month at Keeneland.
But she bounced back — in a big way — Friday.
It was the first victory in the Eight Belles for all of her connections: owner Reddam Racing, trainer Michael McCarthy and jockey Umberto Rispoli.
— Ryan Black
Heading into Friday, She Feels Pretty had five first-place finishes through eight races, the last two coming in the American Oaks and Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup.
In her first race of 2025, She Feels Pretty won the eighth race of the day at Churchill Downs, the $400,000, Grade 3 Modesty, covering 1 1/8 miles on turf in 1:45.51, a track record. The previous mark (1:45.52) was set by Call Protection on April 29. She Feels Pretty returned $3.58 on a $2 win bet.
She Feels Pretty, who went off at 3-5 odds, was ridden by Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez.
“Every win counts no matter what,” Velazquez said.
Velazquez was scheduled to be aboard Grande on Saturday in the Kentucky Derby, but Grande was scratched Friday morning due to a foot bruise.
“You are disappointed no matter what; you come to the Kentucky Derby with a good chance (to win) but doesn’t get to run. You know, that’s part of racing,” Velazquez said.
Gimme a Nother was second, and Saffron Moon finished third.
— Prince James Story
Thorpedo Anna’s return to Churchill Downs was the story coming into Friday’s $1 million, Grade 1 La Troienne, but Raging Sea stole the show.
Raging Sea and jockey Flavien Prat rallied for the victory, covering the 1 1/16 miles on dirt in 1:42.91. She paid $10.08 on a $2 win wager.
Taxed was three-quarters of a length back in second, and Randomized finished third after setting the pace.
Trained by Chad Brown, Raging Sea ran her career record to 8-2-1 in 14 starts for Alpha Delta Stables. The daughter of Curlin made her 5-year-old debut after a runner-up finish behind Thorpedo Anna in last November’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
“I was really looking forward to a little bit of a rematch, and I was happy that she was able to get up there,” Brown said. “She’s really etched her own solid career.”
The 2024 Horse of the Year, Thorpedo Anna finished last in the field of seven and saw her four-race winning streak snapped.
Entering the first turn, Thorpedo Anna was bumped hard by Dorth Vader and jockey John Velazquez. Thorpedo Anna jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. filed an objection after the race, but Dorth Vader kept her fourth-place finish.
“It looks like they beat her up going into the first turn,” Thorpedo Anna trainer Kenny McPeek said. “I don’t know what that was about. I’m shocked like the rest of us.”
— Jason Frakes
In need of a pick-me-up mere hours after his Kentucky Derby 151 contender scratched, Mike Repole found record-breaking redemption with Fierceness under the Twin Spires.
“I would take a win last year with Fierceness over this year,” the owner said. “But I’m very happy about this year.”
Fierceness and Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, returning to Churchill for the first time since their 15th-place finish in the 150th Run for the Roses as the morning-line favorite, covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:40.66 to capture the $750,000, Grade 2 Alysheba Stakes.
It was enough to beat Most Wanted by 1 ½ lengths. But, with Fierceness going off at 4-5 odds, returned only $3.88 on a $2 win bet.
Most Wanted, whose trainer/jockey duo of Brad Cox and Florent Geroux won this race last year, sped clear to set the pace out of Post 5 and controlled the tempo through the second turn.
Fierceness settled in hand off the inside out of the No. 4 spot, ranged up readily through the second turn four wide, came to level terms entering the stretch and shook off Most Wanted inside the furlong marker. The rest was history for Repole Stable’s top earner, who’s trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher.
And to think: Fierceness hadn’t raced since November, when he finished second in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar. He improved to 6-1-1 across 10 career starts.
“For him to have that wide trip purposely, where Johnny just kept him wide and out of trouble, and still break the track record … this is a really, really special horse,” Repole said.
The previous record for a 1 1/16-mile race on dirt was 1:41.04, set by Successful Dan on May 4, 2012.
What’s next for Fierceness? Repole said it’s likely the Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park.
With Grande’s defection from the Derby 151 field due to a foot bruise, neither Repole nor Pletcher will have any skin in Saturday’s first leg of the Triple Crown. After Fierceness’ victory, the former was thinking about the bigger picture.
“My grandmother passed away five years ago on this day,” he said. “When I got a call from my mom that morning, it was a lot worse than getting a phone call from Todd Pletcher today.
“Racing’s full of highs and lows. I’m blessed; because many people just have lows — no highs.”
— Brooks Holton
Nitrogen won the $600,000, Grade 2 Edgewood on Friday at Churchill Downs.
Ridden by Jose Ortiz, the 3-year-old filly went 1 1/16 miles on the turf in 1:41.58 to win. Nitrogen, which went off at 4-5 odds, was one of two horses trained by Mark Casse in the race, with Vixen being the other.
“She’s just amazing,” Casse said. “I think she’s proven time and time again she’s the head of her class.”
Sired by Medaglia D’Oro, she’s now won four straight races, which included the Grade 2 Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland and the Grade 3 Florida Oaks in Tampa Bay.
Nitrogen returned $3.94 on a $2 win wager. Lush Lips, ridden by Flavien Prat was second, and Vixen, which also is trained by Casse, was third.
— Alexis Cubit
Race No. 5, 1:03 p.m. post: $600,000 (Includes $100,000 from KTDF) THE EDGEWOOD – Grade 2 presented by Accenture For Fillies 3-Year-Olds, 1 1/16 Miles (Turf)
Race No. 6, 1:42 p.m. post: $750,000 (Includes $100,000 from KTDF) THE ALYSHEBA – Grade 2 presented by Sentient Jet For 4-Year-Olds and Up, 1 1/16 Miles
Race No. 7, 2:23 p.m. post: $1,000,000 (Includes $100,000 from KTDF) THE FASIG-TIPTON LA TROIENNE – Grade I For Fillies And Mares 4-Year Olds and Up, 1 1/16 Miles
Race No. 8, 3:12 p.m. post: $400,000 (Includes $100,000 from KTDF) THE MODESTY – Grade 3 presented by Veritas Prime For Fillies And Mares, 4-Year-Olds and Up, 1 1/8 Miles (Turf)
Race No. 9, 4:07 p.m. post: $600,000 (Includes $100,000 from KTDF) THE EIGHT BELLES – Grade 2 presented by Sysco For Fillies, 3-Year-Olds, 7 Furlongs
Race No. 10, 4:51 p.m. post: $400,000 (Includes $100,000 from KTDF) THE UNBRIDLED SIDNEY – Grade 3 For Fillies And Mares, 3-Year-Olds and Up, 5 1/2 Furlongs (Turf)
Race No. 11, 5:51 p.m. post: $1.5 million THE KENTUCKY OAKS – Grade 1 for 3-year-old Fillies, 1 1/8 Miles
Kentucky Derby 2025 expert picks and favorites from Churchill Downs
Courier Journal horse racing reporter Jason Frakes and handicapper Ed DeRosa of Horse Racing Nation break down the 151st Run for the Roses on May 3.
