See also: Kentucky Oaks and Road to the Kentucky Oaks.
The 2020 Road to the Kentucky Oaks is a points system by which Thoroughbred fillies will qualify for the 2020 Kentucky Oaks, which will be held on September 4 (rescheduled from the traditional first Saturday in May due to the coronavirus pandemic). The field for the Kentucky Oaks, the filly equivalent of the Kentucky Derby, is limited to fourteen horses, with up to four "also eligible" horses in case of a late withdrawal from the field.
Originally, the 30 races in the Road to the Kentucky Oaks were to be held from September 2019 (when the fillies are age two) through April 2020 (when they have turned three). However, in March 2020, the growing coronavirus pandemic prompted the cancellation of several prep races, and the rescheduling of the Oaks itself. Churchill Downs is currently considering adding more qualifying races to the series with points to be determined.[1] The top four finishers in the specified races earn points, with the highest point values awarded in the major preparatory races. Earnings in non-restricted stakes act as a tie breaker.
Fillies who instead wish to enter the Kentucky Derby have to earn the necessary points in the races on the Road to the Kentucky Derby: points earned on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks are not transferable. However, if a filly does earn qualifying points for the Derby by racing in open company, those points also count towards qualifying for the Oaks.[2]
The following table shows the points earned in the eligible races for the main series .[3]
| Rank | Horse | Points | Owner | Trainer | Eligible Earnings | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swiss Skydiver | 310 | Peter J. Callahan | Kenneth G. McPeek | $386,820 | |
| 2 | Bonny South | 100 | Juddmonte Farms | Brad H. Cox | $240,000 | |
| 3 | Finite | 80 | Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC, Thomas J. Reiman, William Dickson, Debo Easter | Steve Asmussen | $540,349 | |
| 4 | Shedaresthedevil | 70 | Flurry Racing Stables LLC, Qatar Racing Limited & Big Aut Farms | Brad H. Cox | $265,600 | |
| 5 | Donna Veloce | 62 | Kaleem Shah Inc., Susan Magnier, Michael B. Tabor & Derrick Smith | Simon Callaghan | $460,000 | |
| 6 | Tonalist's Shape | 60 | Slam Dunk Racing, Dough Branham, Legacy Ranch, Inc. | Saffie A. Joseph Jr. | $258,680 | |
| 7 | Water White | 54 | E.V. Racing Stable | Rudy R. Rodriguez | $175,375 | |
| 8 | British Idiom | 50 | Michael Dubb, Elkstone Group, Madaket Stables & Bethlehem Stables | Brad H. Cox | $1,400,000 | |
| not nominated | Down on Da Bayou | 50 | Hamdan Al Maktoum | S. Bin Ghadayer | $200,000 | |
| 9 | Venetian Harbor | 50 | Ciaglia Racing LLC, Highland Yard & River Oak Farm | Richard Baltas | $200,000 | |
| 10 | Lucrezia | 50 | Edward A. Seltzer & Beverly S. Anderson | Arnaud Delacour | $131,200 | |
| 11 | Tempers Rising | 47 | Mark H. Stanley & Nancy W. Stanley | Dallas Stewart | $107,000 | |
| 12 | Lake Avenue | 35 | Godolphin | Bill Mott | $171,989 | |
| injured[4] | Bast | 34 | Baoma Corp | Bob Baffert | $840,000 | |
| 13 | Alta's Award | 30 | Ed & Susie Orr | Steve Asmussen | $72,000 | |
| not nominated | Dubai Love | 20 | Godolphin | $200,000 | ||
| not nominated | Queen of God | 20 | Winners Circle Racing Stable | Mike Maker | $124,504 | |
| 14 | Antoinette | 20 | Godolphin | Bill Mott | $95,000 | |
| not nominated | Kansas Kis | 20 | Perrine Time Thoroughbreds | Raymond Handal | $54,639 | |
| 15 | Spice Is Nice | 20 | Lawana L. & Robert E. Low | Todd Pletcher | $43,980 | |
| 16 | Speech | 20 | Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners | Michael McCarthy | $20,000 | |
| 17 | Motu | 16 | Susan Moulton, David A. Bernsen LLC & Magdalena Racing | Kenneth G. McPeek | $98,200 | |
| 18 | Wicked Whisper | 10 | Alex & JoAnn Lieblong | Steve Asmussen | $280,000 | |
| 19 | Lazy Daisy | 10 | ERJ Racing, Great Friends Stable, Tom Mansor | Doug O'Neill | $159,169 | |
| 20 | Serein | 10 | Koji Maeda | Matsunaga, M | $157,520 | |
| injured[5] | Taraz | 10 | Juddmonte Farms | Brad H. Cox | $138,000 | |
| 21 | Harvey's Lil Goil | 10 | Estate of Harvey A. Clarke & Paul Braverman | Bill Mott | $55,889 | |
| not nominated | Panthera Onca | 10 | Narola LLC | Brad H. Cox | $50,000 | |
| 22 | Dream Marie | 10 | Miracle's International Trading, Inc. | Matthew Williams | $21,200 | |
| 23 | Storie Blue | 10 | Don Alberto Stable | Bob Baffert | $12,000 | |
| not nominated | Bajan Girl | 10 | Robert Slack & Daniel Walters | Rohan Crichton | $9,300 | |
| 24 | Pass the Plate | 8 | Silverton Hill LLC | Paul McGee | $35,700 | |
| 25 | Perfect Alibi | 6 | Tracy Farmer | Mark Casse | $512,500 | |
| 26 | Comical | 5 | ERJ Racing, Gary Barber, Dave Kenney, Madaket Stables & Westside Racing | Doug O'Neill | $203,851 | |
| 27 | Gingham | 5 | Sarah Kelly & Jane Wiltz | Bob Baffert | $58,000 | |
| not nominated | Ascot Brass (SWE) | 5 | Stall Valley | Niels Petersen | $20,000 | |
| not nominated | Queen Bridget | 5 | Mary Ann Gould | John Ortiz | $15,000 | |
| 28 | Reluctant Bride | 5 | D P Racing LLC & Patrick L. Biancone Racing LLC | Patrick L. Biancone | $10,600 | |
| 29 | Paige Anne | 5 | Elie Feghali, Lori R. Feghali & Mark Mathiesen | Simon Callaghan | $6,000 | |
| 30 | Frank's Rockette | 4 | Frank Fletcher Racing | Bill Mott | $236,035 | |
| 31 | Maedean | 4 | Courtlandt Farms | Mark Hennig | $136,500 | |
| 32 | K P Dreamin | 4 | Karl Pergola | Jeff Mullins | $96,000 | |
| 33 | His Glory | 4 | Ben & Shelia Rollins | Tom Amoss | $56,350 | |
| 34 | Ursula | 4 | Mt. Brilliant Stable LLC & Orrin Ingram | Michael Stidham | $48,000 | |
| 35 | Auberge | 4 | Speedway Stable LLC | Bob Baffert | $40,000 | |
| 36 | Turtle Trax | 4 | Brereton C. Jones | Ian R. Wilkes | $30,730 | |
| 37 | O Seraphina | 4 | Scott Dilworth, Evan Dilworth, Randy & Susan Andrews | Joe Sharp | $30,000 | |
| Street of Dreams | 4 | Lothenbach Stables, Inc. | Ian R. Wilkes | $29,700 | ||
| 38 | Impeccable Style | 4 | Gainesway Stable, Catalyst Stable, Paul McInnis, Patty Slevin LLC & Magdalena Racing | Kenny McPeek | $20,100 | |
| 39 | Portrait | 3 | LNJ Foxwoods | Brad H. Cox | $25,400 | |
| 40 | Laura's Light | 2 | Gary Barber | Peter Miller | $136,370 | |
| 41 | High on Gin | 2 | Jerry Caroom | Carl J. Deville | $112,444 | |
| 42 | Lady Glamour | 2 | Inga Demeritte | Larry W. Demeritte | $67,030 | |
| 43 | Slam Dunk | 2 | Magic Cap Stables | Rodolphe Brisset | $48,000 | |
| 44 | Stellar Sound | 2 | Don Alberto Stable | Bob Baffert | $42,000 | |
| 45 | Alandra | 2 | Helen Alexander & Helen Groves | C. R. McGaughey III | $41,500 | |
| not nominated | Blame Debbie | 2 | Courtlandt Farms | H. Graham Motion | $30,000 | |
| Golden Principle | 2 | Karl Watson, Mike Pegram, Paul Weitman | Bob Baffert | $24,000 | ||
| 46 | Nikki and Papa | 2 | Ron Paolucci Racing, LLC, Todd Cady, Leigh Anderson-Butler, Jeffrey Lambert, Steve Melen, Nydia M. Sigband | Robert B. Hess Jr. | $16,850 | |
| 47 | FiftyShays OfGreen | 2 | Leonard C. Green & Sean Shay | John Servis | $14,000 | |
| Princesinha Julia | 1 | Three Chimneys Farm, LLC | Steve Asmussen | $67,500 | ||
| Gone Glimmering | 1 | Sandra New & Aaron Haberman | Tom Amoss | $20,000 | ||
| not nominated | Fujairah | 1 | Three Rivers Stable Inc | Carlos A. David | $35,244 | |
| not nominated | Orquidias Biz | 1 | Gulliver Racing LLC | Jeff Mullins | $32,500 | |
| 48 | Ice Princess | 1 | Flying P Stable, R.A. Hill Stable, Come Racing Stable | Danny Gargan | $24,889 | |
| Been Studying Her | 1 | KMN Racing | Dan Ward | $18,000 | ||
| not nominated | She Can't Sing | 1 | Lothenbach Stables, Inc | Chris M. Block | $16,050 | |
| Critical Value | 1 | Ten Strike Racing | Jeremiah C. Englehart | $15,000 | ||
| Go Big Blue Nation | 1 | Cannon Thoroughbreds, LLC | Michael W. McCarthy | $12,000 | ||
| not nominated | Persisto | 1 | Cavallino Racing LLC & Team USA Thoroughbreds | Kelly J. Breen | $9,750 | |
| not nominated | Blood Curdling | 1 | PTK, LLC | Dane Kobiskie | $9,700 | |
The dates for some upcoming races shown below are based on the placement in the racing calendar from 2018/2019. Similarly, the purses shown for upcoming races are based on the amounts from the previous year and will be updated when finalized.
| Kentucky Oaks prep season | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race | Distance | Purse | Track | Date | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Ref | |
| Pocahontas | miles | $200,000 | Churchill Downs | Sep 14, 2019 | Lazy Daisy | His Glory | Portrait | Blood Curdling | [6] | |
| Chandelier | miles | $300,000 | Santa Anita | Sep 27, 2019 | Bast | Comical | K P Dreamin | Been Studying Her | [7] | |
| Alcibiades | miles | $400,000 | Keeneland | Oct 4, 2019 | British Idiom | Perfect Alibi | Alandra | Gone Glimmering | [8] | |
| Frizette | 1 mile | $400,000 | Belmont | Oct 6, 2019 | Wicked Whisper | Frank's Rockette | Slam Dunk | Ice Princess | [9] | |
| Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies | miles | $2,000,000 | Santa Anita | Nov 2, 2019 | British Idiom | Donna Veloce | Bast | Perfect Alibi | [10] | |
| Golden Rod | miles | $200,000 | Churchill Downs | Nov 30, 2019 | Finite | Motu | Lady Glamour | She Can't Sing | [11] | |
| Demoiselle | miles | $250,000 | Aqueduct | Dec 7, 2019 | Lake Avenue | Maedean | Blame Debbie | Critical Value | [12] | |
| Starlet | miles | $300,000 | Los Alamitos | Dec 7, 2019 | Bast | Donna Veloce | KP Dreamin | Gingham | [13] | |
| Santa Ynez | furlongs | $125,000 | Santa Anita | Jan 5, 2020 | Bast | Auberge | Golden Principal | Orquidias Biz | [14] | |
| Silverbulletday | 1 mile 70 yards | $150,000 | Fair Grounds | Jan 18, 2020 | Finite | Ursula | Tempers Rising | Portrait | [15] | |
| Forward Gal | 7 furlongs | $200,000 | Gulfstream | Feb 1, 2020 | Tonalist's Shape | Street of Dreams | Nikki and Papa | Fujairah | [16] | |
| Martha Washington | 1 mile | $125,000 | Oaklawn | Feb 1, 2020 | Taraz | O Seraphina | High on Gin | Princesinha Julia | [17] | |
| Busanda | 1 mile 70 yards | $100,000 | Aqueduct | Feb 2, 2020 | Harvey's Lil Goil | Water White | Fiftyshays Ofgreen | Persisto | [18] | |
| Las Virgenes | 1 mile | $300,000 | Santa Anita | Feb 8, 2020 | Venetian Harbor | Gingham | Stellar Sound | Go Big Blue Nation | [19] | |
| Suncoast Stakes | 1 mile 40 yards | $150,000 | Tampa Bay | Feb 8, 2020 | Lucrezia | Turtle Trax | Motu | Comical | [20] | |
| Note: 1st=10 points; 2nd=4 points; 3rd=2 points; 4th=1 point, except the Juvenile Fillies, for which the points are doubled | ||||||||||
| Race | Distance | Purse | Track | Date | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rachel Alexandra | miles | $200,000 | Fair Grounds | Feb 15, 2020 | Finite | British Idiom | Swiss Skydiver | Tempers Rising | [21] | |
| UAE Oaks | 1,900 metres (~ miles) | $250,000 | Meydan | Feb 20, 2019 | Down on Da Bayou | Dubai Love | Serein | Ascot Brass | [22] | |
| Davona Dale | miles | $200,000 | Gulfstream | Mar 1, 2020 | Tonalist's Shape | Spice Is Nice | Dream Marie | Reluctant Bride | [23] | |
| Busher | miles | $125,000 | Aqueduct | Mar 7, 2020 | Water White | Kansas Kis | Panthera Onca | Lake Avenue | [24] | |
| Honeybee | miles | $200,000 | Oaklawn | Mar 7, 2020 | Shedaresthedevil | Alta's Award | Motu | Queen Bridget | [25] | |
| Santa Ysabel Stakes | miles | $100,000 | Santa Anita Park | Mar 8, 2020 | Donna Veloce | Speech | Storie Blue | Paige Anne | [26] | |
| Sunland Park Oaks | miles | $200,000 | Sunland | Mar 22, 2020 | Cancelled | |||||
| Note: 1st=50 points; 2nd=20 points; 3rd=10 points; 4th=5 points | ||||||||||
| Second leg of series | ||||||||||
| Race | Distance | Purse | Track | Date | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Ref | |
| Fair Grounds Oaks | miles | $400,000 | Fair Grounds | Mar 21, 2020 | Bonny South | Tempers Rising | Antionette | Finite | [27] | |
| Gulfstream Oaks | miles | $250,000 | Gulfstream | Mar 28, 2020 | Swiss Skydiver | Lucrezia | Lake Avenue | Bajan Girl | [28] | |
| Gazelle | miles | $300,000 | Aqueduct | Postponed[29] | ||||||
| Ashland | miles | $500,000 | Keeneland | Apr 4, 2020 | Speech | Venetian Harbor | Envoutante | Bonny South | ||
| Fantasy | miles | $600,000 | Oaklawn | May 1, 2020 | Swiss Skydiver | Venetian Harbor | Shedaresthedevil | Alta's Award | [30] | |
| Santa Anita Oaks | miles | $400,000 | Santa Anita | June 6, 2020 | Swiss Skydiver | Speech | Merneith | Regal Beauty | [31] | |
| Note: 1st=100 points; 2nd=40 points; 3rd=20 points; 4th=10 points | ||||||||||
| "Wild Card" | ||||||||||
| Race | Distance | Purse | Track | Date | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Ref | |
| Bourbonette Oaks | 1 mile | $100,000 | Turfway | Mar 14, 2020 | Queen of God | Pass the Plate | Impeccable Style | Laura's Light | [32] | |
| Beaumont | 7 furlongs | $150,000 | Keeneland | Apr 5, 2020 | Cancelled | |||||
| Bourbonette Oaks: 1st=20 points; 2nd=8 points; 3rd=4 points; 4th=2 points Beaumont Stakes: 1st=10 points; 2nd=4 points; 3rd=2 points; 4th=1 points | ||||||||||
The following preliminary list of races have been announced for the extension of the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. These races have been added to the 2020 Road to the Kentucky Oaks as a result of the Oaks being run in September instead of May.
Dogwood Stakes (20-8-4-2)
1: Four Graces,2: Edgeway,3: Bayerness,4: Lady Glamour
Acorn Stakes (G1, 50-20-10-5)
1: Gamine,2: Pleasant Orb,3: Water White,4: Lucrezia
Delaware Oaks (G3, 50-20-10-5)
1: Project Whiskey2: Dream Marie3: Princess Cadey4: Piece of My Heart
Indiana Oaks (G3, 20-8-4-2)
1: Shedaresthedevil2: Impeccable Style3: Bayerness4: Fire Coral
Beaumont Stakes (G3, 20-8-4-2)
1: Four Graces2: Sconsin3: Turtle Trax4: Wicked Whisper
Ashland Stakes (G1, 100-40-20-10)
1: Speech2: Venetian Harbor3: Envoutante4: Bonny South
Coaching Club American Oaks (G1, 100-40-20-10) Saratoga, July 18
1: Paris Lights2: Crystal Ball3: Antoinette4: Tonalist's Shape
Monmouth Oaks (G3, 50-20-10-5) Monmouth Park, August 1
1: Hopeful Growth2: Project Whiskey3: Eve of War4: Dream Marie
Audubon Oaks (10-4-2-1)
1: Mundaye Call2: Ocean Breeze3: Sconsin4: Truth Hurts
Alabama Stakes (G1, 100-40-20-10) Saratoga, August 15
1: Swiss Skydiver2: Bonny South3: Harvey's Lil Goil4: Envoutante