Good Cheer conquers the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) (Hodges Photography/Jan Brubaker)
Churchill Downs Press Release
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Godolphin’s undefeated Good Cheer has been installed as the 6-5 morning line favorite in a field of 14 3-year-old fillies entered Saturday for the 151st running of the $1.5 Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI) on Friday.
The Kentucky Oaks will highlight a 13-race program that begins at 11 a.m. (all times Eastern). The Oaks will go as the day’s 11th race with a 5:51 p.m. post time.
Trained by Brad Cox, Good Cheer comes into Friday’s race off a 3 ½-length victory in the Fair Grounds Oaks (GII). Now 6-for-6 in her career, Good Cheer has posted three of those victories at Churchill Downs including the Rags to Riches (Listed) and Golden Rod (GII) last fall.
“She’s been incredibly impressive this year and we’re expecting a big effort next week,” Cox said.
A Good Cheer victory would add to the Oaks victory total for Godolphin, Cox and jockey Luis Saez, who will bring Good Cheer out of post 11.
Pretty Mischievous provided Godolphin with its first Oaks victory in 2023; Cox won in 2020 with Shedaresthedevil and in 2018 with Monomoy Girl, and Saez won in 2022 on Secret Oath.
Second choice on the morning line at 6-1 is Tracy Farmer’s La Cara.
Winner of the Ashland (GI) in her most recent start and the Pocahontas (GIII) here last September, La Cara is trained by Mark Casse and will be ridden by Dylan Davis from post 7.
“I think the post is good,” Casse said. “We’re coming out running and she’s in a good spot.”
Third choice on the morning line at 8-1 is Shortleaf Stable’s Quietside, who will exit post 14.
Trained by John Ortiz, Quietside comes into the Oaks off victories in the Honeybee (GIII) and Fantasy (GII) at Oaklawn Park. Runner-up to Good Cheer in the Golden Rod last fall, Quietside will be ridden by Jose Ortiz, who rode Serengeti Empress to victory in the 2019 Kentucky Oaks.
Co-fourth choices at 10-1 are Rodeo Creek Racing’s Ballerina d’Oro and Grantley Acres, Ryan Conner and Berkels0813’s Simply Joking.
Trained by Chad Brown, Ballerina d’Oro comes into the Oaks off a nose victory in the Gazelle (GIII) at Aqueduct on April 5. Flavien Prat has the mount from post 6.
Simply Joking has won two of three starts for trainer Whit Beckman with the lone setback coming in the Fantasy. Florent Geroux, who was victorious aboard Shedaresthedevil in 2020 and Monomoy Girl in 2018, will ride Simply Joking from post 2.
In addition to Cox, three other trainers will be seeking an additional Oaks victory: Bob Baffert, Kenny McPeek and Tom Amoss.
Baffert, a three-time Oaks winner, will send out Baoma Corp’s Tenma (12-1). Tenma has won five of six starts including her past three in a row in the Santa Anita Oaks (GII), Las Virgenes (GIII) and Starlet (GII). Juan Hernandez has the mount from post 9.
McPeek trains Ashland runner-up Take Charge Milady (12-1) for the partnership of James Bell, Magdalena Racing and Kenneth Rhodes.
McPeek saddled Thorpedo Anna to victory in last year’s Kentucky Oaks with Brian Hernandez Jr. aboard. Hernandez has the mount on Take Charge Milady from post 10.
The most recent trainer to win the Oaks in consecutive years was D. Wayne Lukas in 1989-1990 with Open Mind and Seaside Attraction. The most recent rider to win the Oaks in consecutive years was Eddie Arcaro, who took the race in three consecutive from 1951-53 with How, Real Delight and Bubbley.
One other rider will attempt to add to his Oaks victory total: John Velazquez.
Velazquez, who won on Malathaat in 2021 and Ashado in 2004, has the mount on Cypress Creek Equine and Madaket Stable’s Bless the Broken (30-1) from post 13 for trainer Will Walden.
The field for Longines Kentucky Oaks (Race 11, post time 5:51 p.m.):
- Early On (Edgard Zayas, Saffie Joseph Jr., 30-1)
- Simply Joking (Florent Geroux, Whit Beckman, 10-1)
- Fondly (Irad Ortiz Jr., Graham Motion, 30-1)
- Drexel Hill (Ben Curtis, Whit Beckman, 30-1)
- Quickick (Umberto Rispoli, Tom Amoss, 30-1)
- Ballerina d’Oro (Flavien Prat, Chad Brown, 10-1)
- La Cara (Dylan Davis, Mark Casse, 6-1)
- Five G (Manny Franco, George Weaver, 12-1)
- Tenma (Juan Hernandez, Bob Baffert, 12-1)
- Take Charge Milady (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek, 12-1)
- Good Cheer (Luis Saez, Brad Cox, 6-5)
- Anna’s Promise (Junior Alvarado, Carlos David, 30-1)
- Bless the Broken (John Velazquez, Will Walden, 30-1)
- Quietside (Jose Ortiz, John Ortiz, 8-1)
