Every year, the biggest weekend in North American horse racing kicks off on the first Friday in May with the Longines Kentucky Oaks. The 152nd running is set for Friday, May 1st, 2026, at Churchill Downs, with NBC and Peacock broadcasting the Oaks in primetime for the first time.
Post time is 8:40 PM ET, and the field is now set following the post-position draw. Zany drew post 2 as the 4-1 morning-line favorite, followed by Meaning, Explora, Percy’s Bar, Counting Stars, and Prom Queen as the main contenders.
The Oaks has always been more than a warmup act for the Kentucky Derby. All-source Kentucky Oaks betting handle regularly exceeds $50 million, and the race draws 100,000-plus fans to Churchill Downs. Continue below for our full 2026 Kentucky Oaks online betting guide.
Kentucky Oaks Betting Sites
$200 Welcome BonusTwinSpires Offer Code: BET200
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Where To Bet On The Kentucky Oaks Legally
- When: Friday, May 1st, 2026
- Where: Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky
- Watch the Kentucky Oaks Live: NBC and Peacock, primetime coverage beginning at 8:00 PM ET
- Stream the Race Online: TwinSpires app or website
- Kentucky Oaks Post Time: 8:40 PM ET (Race 13 on Friday)
- Purse: $1.5 million
- Distance: 1 1/8 miles (dirt)
- Field: Up to 14 three-year-old fillies
Online horse racing betting is legal in most US states. Fans can bet on the Kentucky Oaks through licensed advance-deposit wagering apps (ADWs) from anywhere within state lines. The following betting sites accept customers from most states and hold valid wagering licenses:
In most states, customers can also visit local horse racing tracks and off-track betting facilities (OTBs) to bet on the Kentucky Oaks in person:
Horse Racing
Kentucky Oaks Betting Promotions
FanDuel Racing and TwinSpires are invariably the best horse racing betting sites for Kentucky Oaks promotions each year.
Their Kentucky Oaks promotions for new users include:
- FanDuel Racing: $500 No-Sweat Kentucky Oaks Bet: New users who sign up for FanDuel Racing accounts and deposit $0.10 or more qualify for a no-sweat first bet to use on the Kentucky Oaks or any other horse race. After signing up and depositing, place a $0.10 or larger wager on the Kentucky Oaks and get a refund worth up to $500 if it loses. The refund is paid as wagering credits, and any winnings from wagering credits may be withdrawn immediately.
- TwinSpires: $200 Welcome Bonus: Sign up for an account with the offer code BET200 to claim up to $200 in bonus funds based on your first month’s wagering activities. If you place at least $400 worth of wagers on the Kentucky Oaks and other races during your first month, you’ll get a $100 bonus. If you wager $800 or more during your first month, you’ll get a $200 bonus.
Existing FanDuel Racing and TwinSpires customers can claim additional Kentucky Oaks betting promos by logging in during the final days leading up to the race:
- FanDuel Racing: $10 No Sweat Kentucky Oaks Bet: Place any bet on the Kentucky Oaks to get a refund (paid as wagering credits) if your bet loses.
2026 Kentucky Oaks Contenders
The Kentucky Oaks field is set after the post-position draw, but the final lineup remains subject to change. Bottle of Rouge scratched after finishing Sunday’s workout with a cough, which cleared the way for Lovely Gray to draw in from the also-eligible list.
Nonetheless, the 2026 Kentucky Oaks is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in recent years. Nearly half of the 14-horse field (six horses) enter the Kentucky Oaks with single-digit prices.
Zany
Todd Pletcher’s Zany drew post 2 as the 4-1 morning line favorite. She started her career with three straight wins in 2025-26, including an 8 ½-length victory at the Demoiselle Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct.
Zany’s win in the Demoiselle Stakes is noteworthy for more reasons than her impressive finish. The Demoiselle Stakes runs for the same 11/8-mile distance over dirt as the Kentucky Oaks, and Zany will be under the same jockey, Irad Ortiz, Jr., who rode her at Aqueduct.
She enters the Kentucky Oaks fresh off her first defeat, a second-place finish to Percy’s Bar in April’s Ashland Stakes (G1).
Meaning
Meaning, daughter of Gun Runner, drew post five as the 5-1 second-favorite under trainer Michael McCarthy. She has won three of four career starts, including the Las Virgenes Stakes and the Santa Anita Oaks in April.
Her two wins at Santa Anita Park demonstrate exceptional ability, but Meaning has never run a race as long as the Kentucky Oaks’ 1 1/8th-mile. All three of Meaning’s career wins happened over distances of 1 mile or less, and her only loss occurred in the longest race she’s run to date: the 1 1/6th-mile Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in 2025.
Percy’s Bar
Ben Colebrook’s Percy’s Bar will run from post no. 11 after opening at 6-1 in the morning line. Her record is more mixed than those of the Kentucky Oaks’ other favorites, but Percy’s Bar comes in fresh off handing Zany her first career loss in the Ashland Stakes by 2 ¼ lengths.
Explora
Explora drew the rail for Bob Baffert and Flavien Prat. She owns one of the most consistent records in the field, with four wins and three seconds from seven starts entering the Oaks. The inside post adds pressure in a full Kentucky Oaks field, but her race-week work has been sharp. Explora went five furlongs in :58.80 in her Sunday workout and remains Bob Baffert’s sole Kentucky Oaks runner following Bottle of Rouge’s scratch.
2026 Kentucky Oaks Odds
“Latest odds” last checked Monday (April 27th) – no changes overnight.
| (Pos.) Horse | Trainer / Jockey | ML Odds | Latest Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| (1) Explora | Bob Baffert / Flavien Prat | 6-1 | 6-1 |
| (2) Zany | Todd Pletcher / Irad Ortiz, Jr. | 4-1 | 4-1 |
| (3) Search Party | Mark Casse / Cristian Torres | 30-1 | 30-1 |
| (4) Counting Stars | Mark Casse / Francisco Arrieta | 8-1 | 8-1 |
| (5) Meaning | Michael McCarthy / Juan Hernandez | 5-1 | 5-1 |
| (6) My Miss Mo | Saffie Joseph Jr. / Micah Husbands | 20-1 | 20-1 |
| (7) Dazzling Dame | Brittany Russell / Luis Saez | 30-1 | 30-1 |
| (SCR) Bottle of Rouge | Bob Baffert / Mike Smith | 15-1 | 15-1 |
| (8) Always A Runner | Chad Brown / Jose Ortiz | 10-1 | 10-1 |
| (9) Prom Queen | Brad Cox / Javier Castellano | 8-1 | 8-1 |
| (10) Percy's Bar | Ben Colebrook / Luan Machado | 6-1 | 6-1 |
| (11) Bella Ballerina | Brendan Walsh / Tyler Gaffalione | 10-1 | 12-1 |
| (12) Pashmina | Rob Atras / Ramon Vazquez | 30-1 | 30-1 |
| (13) Brooklyn Blonde | Michael McCarthy / Kazushi Kimura | 30-1 | 30-1 |
| (14) Lovely Grey | Kelsey Danner / Dylan Davis | 30-1 | 30-1 |
| (AE) Nycon | D. Whitworth Beckman / Jamie Torres | 50-1 | 50-1 |
| (AE) Resist | Thomas Drury, Jr. / Brian Hernandez, Jr. | 50-1 | 50-1 |
Tip for new bettors: Morning line odds set the opening prices for wagering but shift as public money flows in. Unlike fixed-odds betting at sportsbooks, pari-mutuel wagering does not lock in odds when bettors place their wagers. The prices available at post time can differ significantly from the morning line, especially in high-handle races like the Kentucky Oaks.
How to Bet on the Kentucky Oaks Online
Betting on the Kentucky Oaks is no different than any other pari-mutuel horse race. Anyone in a state where online horse racing betting is legal can sign up for an account at TwinSpires, FanDuel Racing, or another licensed platform, make a deposit via credit card, bank transfer, or cash-based methods like PayNearMe, and start placing wagers.
Licensed horse racing betting sites will begin accepting wagers on the Kentucky Oaks the day before the race. Most platforms also provide live video from Churchill Downs, so customers can watch and bet from the same app.
Types of Kentucky Oaks Bets
The Kentucky Oaks supports the full range of pari-mutuel wagers. Straight bets (win, place, and show) are the simplest options. A win bet pays only if the selected horse finishes first, while place and show bets pay for top-two and top-three finishes, respectively, at lower odds.
Exotic bets offer higher payouts in exchange for picking multiple horses. The exacta requires selecting the top two finishers in order. The trifecta adds a third horse, and the superfecta requires the top four in order.
Boxing these bets (covering multiple finishing orders) increases the cost but improves the chances of hitting.
Churchill Downs typically offers an Oaks-Derby Daily Double that pairs the Kentucky Oaks with Saturday’s Kentucky Derby. Bettors pick the winner of each race on a single ticket, and the payouts can be substantial because the pool combines two high-handle, large-field races.
2025 Kentucky Oaks Results
Undefeated Good Cheer dominated the 151st Kentucky Oaks, winning by 2 1/4 lengths under jockey Luis Saez in 1:50.15 over a wet-fast, sealed track.
The Godolphin homebred, trained by Brad Cox, improved to 7-for-7 and gave Cox his third Oaks victory after Monomoy Girl in 2018 and Shedaresthedevil in 2020.
Godolphin completed the Oaks-Derby double when Sovereignty won the Kentucky Derby the following day, making the operation the first owner since Calumet Farm in 1952 to win both races in the same year.
Drexel Hill (30-1) finished second and Bless the Broken (30-1) ran third, producing a $2 exacta payout of $105.82 and a 50-cent trifecta payout of $360.17.
| Place | Horse (Post Pos.) | ML Odds |
| 1st | Good Cheer (11) | 6-5 |
| 2nd | Drexel Hill (4) | 30-1 |
| 3rd | Bless the Broken (13) | 30-1 |
| 4th | Tenma (9) | 12-1 |
| 5th | Anna’s Promise (12) | 30-1 |
| 6th | Quietside (14) | 8-1 |
| 7th | Quickick (5) | 30-1 |
| 8th | Early On (1) | 30-1 |
| 9th | La Cara (7) | 6-1 |
| 10th | Ballerina d’Oro (6) | 10-1 |
| 11th | Fondly (3) | 30-1 |
| 12th | Take Charge Milady (10) | 12-1 |
| 13th | Simply Joking (2) | 10-1 |
| SCR | Five G (8) | 12-1 |
More About the Kentucky Oaks
The Kentucky Oaks is the most prestigious race in North America for three-year-old fillies. First run in 1875 (the same year as the inaugural Kentucky Derby), the Oaks is one of the oldest continuously held sporting events in the country. Fillies run 1 1/8 miles on Churchill Downs’ dirt track, competing for a $1.5 million purse with nearly $900,000 going to the winner.
Race organizers present the winner with a garland of stargazer lilies, giving the race its signature phrase: “Lilies for the Fillies.”
The Road to the Kentucky Oaks determines which fillies earn a spot in the starting gate. The series consists of 33 prep races that kick off each September, with each race awarding points to the top five finishers. The 14 fillies with the most points (who are also nominated to the Oaks) earn a place in the field on race day.
Oaks Day and the Pink Out Tradition
Oaks Day has become synonymous with breast and ovarian cancer awareness. Fans wear pink to the track, and a portion of proceeds from Oaks Day merchandise and events benefits cancer research and patient support organizations.
The Survivors Parade, in which cancer survivors walk the Churchill Downs stretch to a standing ovation, has become one of the event’s most recognizable traditions.
2026 Kentucky Oaks Broadcast Change
For the first time, NBC will air the Kentucky Oaks as a primetime broadcast. Churchill Downs CEO Bill Carstanjen described the move as an effort to give the race “the national stage it deserves.”
Previous Oaks broadcasts aired during the afternoon on USA Network. The shift to an 8:40 PM ET post time on NBC should produce significantly larger television audiences and betting pools.
Kentucky Oaks Betting FAQ
Mike Murphy is the founder of BettingUSA.com and has over 10 years of experience in the legal gambling industry. A regular attendee of industry trade shows and conferences, Mike is a strong proponent in the idea of a well regulated online betting industry.