Bella Ballerina, Super Corredora lead list of 89 early Kentucky Oaks nominees

This year's 152nd edition of the Grade 1, $1.5 million Kentucky Oaks has attracted a relatively small group of 89 early nominees, led by undefeated points leader Bella Ballerina and Eclipse Award champion 2-year-old filly Super Corredora.

Early nominations for the Oaks, which required a payment of $200, closed Feb. 18 and were announced Tuesday by host track Churchill Downs. Last year, there were 117 nominees at this stage, and in 2024, there were 104 early nominees. The 1 1/8-mile race for fillies will be run in prime time under the track's lights on Friday, May 1.

Fillies can still be made eligible for the Oaks with a $1,500 late-nomination fee through April 8, or with a $15,000 supplement on entry day for the race, April 25.

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Bella Ballerina has won all three of her starts, including the Grade 2 Golden Rod last fall and the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra in her 3-year-old debut. She currently leads the point standings that will determine the 14-horse field for the Oaks. If there are ties in the point standings, preference is determined by earnings in non-restricted stakes. Up to four also-eligibles are allowed.

Bella Ballerina is a homebred for Godolphin and is trained by Brendan Walsh, the same connections who won the 2023 Oaks with her half-sister, Pretty Mischievous. Godolphin, which has just the one nominee this year, also won last year's Oaks with homebred Good Cheer. She's trained by three-time Oaks winner Brad Cox, who has seven nominees this year.

Super Corredora won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies last fall at Del Mar to lock up a divisional championship for trainer John Sadler, and she was fourth in the Las Virgenes at Santa Anita in her 3-year-old debut. Super Corredora would be attempting to become just the third official Juvenile Fillies winner to take the Oaks, joining Open Mind (1988-89) and Silverbulletday (1998-99).

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