Kentucky Oaks: Wet Paint will break from post 7 as the 5-2 morning-line favorite
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Wet Paint was installed as the 5-2 morning-line favorite in a full field of 14 fillies for the Grade 1, $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks, set to be contested for the 149th time on Friday at Churchill Downs.
Wet Paint has won the Martha Washington Stakes, Grade 3 Honeybee Stakes, and Grade 2 Fantasy Stakes, all at Oaklawn Park, in her three most recent outings. A Godolphin homebred, Wet Paint will break from post 7 under Flavien Prat for the 1 1/8-mile race.
She is one of three entrants for trainer Brad Cox, who will also send out Botanical and The Alys Look in search of his third Kentucky Oaks win.
"I know all three of these fillies are doing great," said Cox, who saddled Oaks winners Monomoy Girl (2018) and Shedaresthedevil (2020). "Obviously, you've got to get the trip - it's a 14-horse field. But they're all doing very, very well."
Wet Paint was the leader on points during prep season for the Kentucky Oaks, which ended with an unusually a high cutoff point to make the 14-horse starting gate. Wonder Wheel, last year's Eclipse Award champion 2-year-old filly but winless in two starts this year, was the last horse into the main body of the field. She was one of two fillies with 48 points, but held the tie-breaker with the highest unrestricted-stakes earnings.
Taxed, who also has 48 points, Julia Shining, and Hoosier Philly are the also-eligibles for the Oaks, in that order of preference. They can draw in to the field if a scratch occurs prior to 9 a.m. Eastern on Friday, the deadline for both the Oaks and Kentucky Derby.
Following Wet Paint as the top choices on the morning line are her stablemate Botanical at 4-1, and Fair Grounds Oaks winner Southlawn at 8-1. Botanical, whose wins have come on or near the lead, drew post 6, inside of other likely speed fillies in the race.
The Oaks, which will be broadcast on the USA Network, tops seven stakes on Friday's Churchill Downs card, with a first post of 10:30 a.m. for the 13 races. The field for the Grade 1, $750,000 La Troienne for fillies and mares includes the 2022 Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath. The Grade 2, $600,000 Alysheba Stakes for older horses includes 2022 Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike.
In post position order, the field for the Kentucky Oaks, with riders and morning-line odds, is:
1. Mimi Kakushi, Mickael Barzelona, 20-1
2. The Alys Look, Javier Castellano, 15-1
3. Gambling Girl, Irad Ortiz Jr., 15-1
4. Southlawn, Reylu Gutierrez, 8-1
5. Wonder Wheel, Joel Rosario, 12-1
6. Botanical, Chris Landeros, 4-1
7. Wet Paint, Flavien Prat, 5-2
8. Promiseher America, Jorge Vargas Jr., 30-1
9. And Tell Me Nolies, Ramon Vazquez, 15-1
10. Flying Connection, Florent Geroux, 15-1
11. Defining Purpose, Brian Hernandez Jr., 12-1
12. Dorth Vader, Luis Saez (2), 20-1
13. Affirmative Lady, John Velazquez, 10-1
14. Pretty Mischievous, Tyler Gaffalione, 10-1
AE. Taxed, Rafael Bejarano, 20-1
AE. Julia Shining, Luis Saez (1), 15-1
AE. Hoosier Philly, Edgar Morales, 30-1
blinkers on - Pretty Mischievous
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