The Triple Tiara season gets underway this weekend at Churchill Downs, as the Kentucky Oaks is the standout attraction on the Friday card of racing. It looks set to be one of the most exciting renewals in recent years, and you can find the latest horse racing odds and horse racing picks for the big Grade 1 below.
Kentucky Oaks Betting Preview
The ‘Lillies for the Fillies’ is the first big race of the season for fillies aged three in the U.S. this season. It has been staged annually since 1875 and has formed the opening leg of the Triple Tiara throughout its history. The horses declared will run over a distance of 1 1/8 miles on the dirt, with the 2022 renewal offering a prize fund of $1.25 million.
Recent winners to have won this race include Malathaat (2021), Shedaresthedevil (2020), and Serengeti Empress (2019). Eddie Arcaro and Manuel Ycaza are the joint-leading jockeys, with both having won the race on four occasions. Meanwhile, Woody Stephens is the most successful trainer in the history of the race, having won on five previous occasions.
One of the most important factors that must be addressed before learning how to bet on horse racing for this Grade 1 is the draw. In the past eleven editions of the race, no horse has won from stalls 1-5, while five of the previous six winners have started in stalls 9-14. The full draw for the Kentucky Oaks 2022 can be found below.
| Stall | Horse | Trainer | Jockey |
| 1 | Secret Oath | D. Wayne Lukas | Luis Saez |
| 2 | Nostalgic | Bill Mott | Jose Ortiz |
| 3 | Hidden Connection | Bret Calhoun | Rey Gutierrez |
| 4 | Nest | Todd Pletcher | Irad Ortiz |
| 5 | Goddess Of Fire | Todd Pletcher | John Velazquez |
| 6 | Yuugiri | Rudolphe Brisset | Florent Geroux |
| 7 | Echo Zulu | Steve Asmussen | Joel Rosario |
| 8 | Venti Valentine | Jorge Abreu | Tyler Gaffalione |
| 9 | Desert Dawn | Phil D’Amato | Umberto Rispoli |
| 10 | Kathleen O. | Shug McGaughey | Javier Castellano |
| 11 | Cocktail Moments | Kenny McPeek | Corey Lanerie |
| 12 | Candy Raid | Keith Desormeaux | Rafael Bejarno |
| 13 | Shahama | Todd Pletcher | Flavien Pratt |
| 14 | Turnerloose | Brad Cox | Manny Franco |
Kentucky Oaks Betting Odds
The Kentucky Oaks horse racing odds now look set for the big race, and Nest for Todd Pletcher is the current 11/4 favorite. Victory for this three-year-old would go against the recent trends in the race, given that she has been drawn in stall four. Echo Zulu and Kathleen O. will be most happy with their draws, and those two are the next in the betting at 7/2 and 9/2.
The big drift in the market has come in the form of Secret Oath, who after being handed the rail draw has gone to as big as 5/1. Hidden Connection could be an interesting selection at 12/1, while Desert Dawn is a 14/1 chance. Shahama could be a market mover on the day in the horse racing odds, as she is currently a 16/1 chance. Goddess of Fire, Nostalgic, and Venti Valentine are all 20/1 chances for the Kentucky Oaks.
Kentucky Oaks Picks
Echo Zulu
Few connections would have been happier with their draw for the Oaks than Steve Asmussen and Joel Rosario with Echo Zulu. She has a nice middle draw, with Nest and Kathleen O. both getting draws on either side. The three-year-old will be able to see both rivals throughout the early stages, and Echo Zulu remains a very talented filly on her day.
She is a perfect five-from-five in her career and returned to the track at Fair Grounds in late March with a comfortable success in the G2 Fair Grounds Oaks. She is a three-time Grade 1 winner coming into this week after she landed the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, Frizette, and Spinaway Stakes as a two-year-old. In all honesty, I’m surprised that she isn’t the favorite at this point.
Shahama
Shahama may be a name we may see a lot of in the horse racing picks before the Oaks is run. Todd Pletcher trains this three-year-old. One of the first things you learn when understanding how to bet on horse racing is the form of the trainer, and Pletcher is searching for a fourth win in the Oaks this year.
Shahama may be one that is very over-priced at the current prices, as all her biggest wins have come at Meydan to this point. She landed the G3 UAE Oaks to book her spot in this race, and that performance over a testing 1 3/16 miles should be appreciated. She also won the UAE 1000 Guineas earlier in the season.
Kathleen O.
I would be very keen to oppose the favorite in the Oaks this year, as Nest has been given an unfavorable draw. Furthermore, only two favorites have won this race in the previous seven renewals. Kathleen O. could bring the best form into this race based on her runs this calendar year. She is a three-time stakes winner, having won over distances ranging from one mile and 1 1/16 miles.
Her latest success came in the G2 Gulfstream Park Oaks, which was a hot contest that eventually saw her hold off the challenge from Goddess of Fire. Being drawn in stall ten helps her chances this weekend, and she should be a good price on the day.
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