2026 Kentucky Oaks Odds, Picks, Predictions - Friday, May 1st at Churchill Downs

2026 Kentucky Oaks Odds: Breaking Down Every Horse in the Field for Friday's Fillies Race on May 1st

The Kentucky Oaks is the sister event to the Kentucky Derby and one of the biggest race days on the American calendar in its own right. Run the day before the Derby at Churchill Downs, the Oaks is restricted to 3-year-old fillies, meaning young female thoroughbreds, and carries its own rich traditions, prestige, and national audience.

That setup gives Oaks weekend a very different feel from the Derby’s massive 20-horse chaos. The field is smaller, the race often comes down to a tighter cluster of serious contenders, and this year’s betting board reflects that, with Zany (+300) leading a competitive top tier that also includes Meaning (+500) and Percy’s Bar (+700). NBC and Peacock will carry the race nationally on Friday night.

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2026 Kentucky Oaks Odds

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Kentucky Derby Date, Time, and Where to Watch

• Date: Saturday, May 1, 2026
• Time: 8:40 PM ET
• Where to Watch: NBC, Peacock

2026 Kentucky Oaks Odds Breakdown

Zany (+300)

Zany is the favorite and one of the clearest headliners in the field. She drew post 2, is trained by Todd Pletcher, owned by Repole Stable, and enters with a 4-start record of 3 wins and 1 second, plus more than $369,000 in earnings. Her résumé and draw explain why she sits atop the market.

Meaning (+500)

Meaning sits just behind Zany and comes in with one of the stronger prep-race profiles in the race. She is trained by Michael McCarthy and, according to Oaks coverage, leads the field with 126 Road to the Kentucky Oaks points, which is a major reason she is viewed as one of the most serious threats in this group.

Percy’s Bar (+700)

Percy’s Bar looks like one of the most respected alternatives near the top of the board. Kentucky Derby coverage noted she has posted top-three finishes in four straight Grade 1 races, and that kind of consistent high-level form is exactly what makes her dangerous in a smaller Oaks field.

Always A Runner (+700)

Always A Runner comes in at the same price as Percy’s Bar and has already been flagged in Oaks discussion as a legitimate contender after her Santa Anita Oaks win. At this number, she sits right on the border between major threat and value play.

Prom Queen (+800)

Prom Queen is one of the more interesting middle-tier names and brings strong barn appeal into the race. She is part of the defending connections conversation in this Oaks cycle, and the current price suggests bookmakers still see her as very live if the favorites do not fire their best.

Counting Stars (+1000)

Counting Stars is trained by Mark Casse, owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, and drew post 4. She has enough respect in the market to sit in the 10-1 range, which makes her one of the more realistic upset candidates if the pace and trip work out.

Explora (+1200)

Explora is trained by Bob Baffert, will break from post 1, and gets Flavien Prat aboard. The inside draw can be tricky, but her connections alone make her impossible to dismiss, and she has enough class to stay inside the conversation.

Bella Ballerina (+1600)

Bella Ballerina sits in that next tier where a clean trip could suddenly make her dangerous. She is not priced with the main favorites, but in a race without one overwhelming standout, these midrange fillies are not far from relevance.

Pashmina (+5000)

Pashmina is one of the deeper outsiders on the board, and the number suggests she needs major improvement to threaten for the win. In a race where the top of the market is fairly concentrated, she enters more as a bomb than a likely winner.

My Miss Mo (+5000)

My Miss Mo is another longshot whose price reflects a difficult path to the front of this field. She would need the race to fall apart in front of her or a huge personal leap forward to land the upset.

Search Party (+5000)

Search Party drew post 3, gets Cristian Torres, and is also trained by Mark Casse for Tracy Farmer. She is one of the bigger-priced runners, but she at least comes from a barn with multiple entrants and enough experience in these major spots to stay on the radar underneath.

Brooklyn Blonde (+5000)

Brooklyn Blonde is priced like a true outsider, but that is not unusual in an Oaks where the first few names soak up a lot of respect. She would need to outrun both the market and much of the established prep-race hierarchy.

Dazzling Dame (+5000)

Dazzling Dame has been mentioned among the top-field talking points even though her price is much longer than the leaders. That usually means she has enough raw ability to be noticed, even if the market still sees her as a major longshot.

Lovely Grey (+10000)

Lovely Grey is firmly in the bomb range at 100-1 type pricing. At that number, she is being asked to topple a deep top tier and would be one of the biggest shocks on the board if she got there.

Nycon (+10000)

Nycon is in a similar position, entering as one of the field’s longest shots. The smaller Oaks field helps every horse at least a little, but the market is clearly saying she has a steep climb to contend.

Resist (+10000)

Resist rounds out the biggest longshot group. She will need a major pace collapse, a perfect trip, and a career-best effort to threaten the top of a field that looks much stronger at the front than the back.

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