Before the Kentucky Derby, there’s the Kentucky Oaks: A Grade I race at Churchill Downs for three-year-old female horses (also called fillies). First held in 1875, the event is preparing for its 152nd running this Friday evening. For the first time, it’ll be broadcast on NBC at 8:40 p.m. ET, with the Churchill Downs CEO believing it’ll help bring more attention to the race.
Since 1982, the Kentucky Oaks has been run at 1.125 miles. Shedaresthedevil (2020) holds the speed record at 1:48.28, Rachel Alexandra (2009) owns the largest margin of victory at 20.25 lengths, and Lemons Forever (2006) is the longest shot to win the race at 47-1 odds.
This year’s race includes four horses who could break the longshot record, but do any of them have a real chance to get it done? With odds from the industry’s best offshore sportsbooks, we’re looking at the favorites, sleepers, and longshots to bet on ahead of the 2026 Kentucky Oaks.
2026 Kentucky Oaks Odds
Odds boards are constantly shifting ahead of Friday’s race. Here’s our latest snapshot as of Tuesday, April 28 via BetOnline:
- Meaning (+375)
- Zany (+425)
- Prom Queen (+475)
- Percy’s Bar (+525)
- Counting Stars (+700)
- Always a Runner (+750)
- Explora (+800)
- Bella Ballerina (+900)
- Lovely Grey (+3000)
- Search Party (+4500)
- Brooklyn Blonde (+5000)
- My Miss Mo (+7000)
- Dazzling Dame (+8000)
- Pashmina (+8500)
It’s a 14-horse field, but oddsmakers indicate that there’s a pretty steep drop-off after the top eight. The odds jump from Bella Ballerina at +900 to Lovely Grey at +3000, and they get significantly longer from there.
Favorites to Win 2026 Kentucky Oaks
There are four horses with +525 odds or shorter to win the Kentucky Oaks, but we’re only focusing on the top two here.
Meaning (+375)
How’s this for a race connection: Renegade and Meaning, the favorites in the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks, both share family ties to Into Mischief. Renegade was sired by Into Mischief, while Meaning hails from the Into Mischief mare Figure of Speech.
Fun facts aside, Meaning is trending up at the right time. She’s won three of her last four races and set a Horse Racing Nation (HRN) speed figure of 104 at the Santa Anita Oaks on April 4. That isn’t the fastest mark among horses set to compete in the Kentucky Oaks, but her consistency is noteworthy.
Zany (+425)
Once the betting favorite, Zany is on the decline heading into the Kentucky Oaks. She won three straight races before earning a second-place finish in the Ashland Stakes, and she set her peak speed figure of 112 in December at Demoiselle.
Zany will be ridden by famed jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., who will also ride Renegade at the Kentucky Derby. Notably, she was sired by Triple Crown winner American Pharaoh.
2026 Kentucky Oaks Sleeper Bets
The sleeper tier is often where we find the best betting value. The favorite has only won six of the last 20 races, so it’s worth looking further down the list.
Counting Stars (+700)
Counting Stars comes into the Kentucky Oaks in tip-top form, winning the 2026 Fantasy Stakes by 5.5 lengths. She narrowly lost the Honeybee Stakes to fellow Kentucky Oaks contender Explora in early March, and overall, she’s won three of her last five races.
Consistency is the issue for Counting Stars. She’s finished no better than fifth in four of her last eight races, including an eighth-place result at the Martha Washington Stakes in early February. This is a true boom-or-bust pick at +700, which is what you’d expect of a sleeper.
Always a Runner (+750)
Always a Runner is something of a wild card at +750. She’s only started in two races – both of which have taken place since early February – but she won both, and she beat out Pashmina at the Gazelle Stakes on April 4.
A bout of pneumonia last fall kept Always a Runner from developing more race experience, but at this point, it seems unfair to consider her wins a case of beginner’s luck.
Best Longshot Bets at Kentucky Oaks
Don’t count out the longshots! History is often made at the Kentucky Oaks, and we’ve seen a 47-1 longshot win here before. Who’s to say that record can’t be broken in 2026?
Search Party (+4500)
Unlike Always a Runner, Search Party is an experienced racer. She’s taken part in eight competitions dating back to July 2025, and although she’s won just two of those, she’s never finished lower than fourth and routinely podiums.
Her form in 2026 is a good sign that she’s peaking at the right time. Search Party won the Martha Washington Stakes in February, came in fourth at the Honeybee Stakes in early March, and claimed second at last month’s Fantasy Stakes. There’s value in backing her to finish in the money.
Pashmina (+8500)
Pashmina is the longest shot to win the Oaks at +8500, but is that really warranted? While she’s won just one of her six races, she’s been competitive lately, finishing third at the Sunland Park Oaks in February and second at the Gazelle Stakes.
Her impressive form at the Gazelle Stakes could be a promising sign. That race is equal in distance to the Kentucky Oaks, and it was her longest to date. She could certainly be in the mix late.
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Top Kentucky Oaks Bets for 2026
Of the favorites, I like Zany at +425. Her bloodlines are strong, and she’s proven to be a winner at this distance. Her recent form is somewhat concerning, but the potential is there for her to be the runaway victor.
Always a Runner is my top sleeper at +750. She lacks experience, but that’s truly one of the only knocks against her. She’s won at this distance and comes from a successful family, so I trust that she can deliver under pressure.
Finally, I’m banking on history being made with Pashmina at +8500. She’s an underrated racer with a second-place finish at this distance under her belt, which tells me that she can at least outperform these long odds.
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*The line and/or odds referenced in this article might have changed since the content was published. For the latest information on line movements, visit OddsTrader’s free betting odds tool.
