Churchill Downs/GLOBE NEWSWIRE
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Churchill Downs Incorporated (“CDI”) (Nasdaq: CHDN) announced today a new full Kentucky Oaks race card handle record at Churchill Downs Racetrack (“Churchill Downs”) as Pretty Mischievous captured the Lilies in the 149th running of America’s premier race for 3-year-old fillies in a field of 14 and fast track conditions. Under sunny skies, 106,381 spectators gathered under the historic Twin Spires to watch the race.
Wagering from all sources on the full Kentucky Oaks day race card set a new record of $74.9 million beating last year’s record of $74.6 million. All-sources wagering on the Kentucky Oaks race was $22.4 million compared to the record of $24.3 million set in 2022.
Pretty Mischievous, owned and bred by Godolphin, LLC, trained by Brendan Walsh, and ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, stormed to the finish line to win the Longines Kentucky Oaks by a neck at odds of 10-1 and with a final time of 1.49.77. This was the first time the Kentucky Oaks trophy was won by Godolphin, Walsh, and Gaffalione. The Kentucky-bred filly was sired by Spendthrift Farm’s stallion Into Mischief and now has lifetime earnings of $1.27 million.
“Congratulations to the connections of Pretty Mischievous on today’s win,” said Churchill Downs President Mike Anderson. “The 149th Kentucky Oaks will be remembered as a memorable day of racing on a near-perfect Kentucky day. Today’s success should be attributed to our fans, sponsors, horsemen, horseplayers, and all participants of this distinguished racing tradition.”
CDI continued using Kentucky Oaks as a platform to raise money for women’s health initiatives, and welcomed 149 breast and ovarian cancer survivors to walk the historic racetrack prior to the running of Longines Kentucky Oaks for the 15th Survivors Parade. The 149 participating survivors were chosen for the first time by random selection to ensure greater equity and opportunity among nominees. This year’s moving tradition was emphasized by the first-ever live performance during the Kentucky Oaks Survivors Parade as singer-songwriter Rachel Platten serenaded the survivors with her chart-topping hit “Fight Song,” an uplifting message of hope, courage, and strength.
Churchill Downs’ Oaks charitable beneficiaries were Derby Divas representing the Norton Cancer Institute and Horses and Hope representing the Kentucky Cancer Program. Since its inception, the Oaks Survivors Parade charitable initiative has raised over $1 million for women’s health advocacy providing preventative access to underserved women throughout Kentucky, including those who work in the equine industry.
