2012 Kentucky Oaks Result: Believe You Can and Napravnik Are The Queens Of Churchill Downs

Believe You Can, ridden by Rosie Napravnik, engaged in a stretch-long duel with Broadway’s Alibi and John Velazquez, pulling away inside the final furlong to win the $1 million Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks. With the win, Napravnik became the first female jockey to win the Kentucky Oaks in the history of the race. Broadway’s Alibi finished second after setting testing fractions in the early stages and gamely dueling the length of the stretch.

Javier Castellano, the jockey on morning line and post time favorite Grace Hall, fell off of his mount in the race prior to the Oaks, the American Turf, but came back to ride in the big race. Grace Hall came three wide off the top of the stretch but drifted out and never threatened the winners. She held on to finish third.

Believe You Can is a three-year-old filly by Proud Citizen out of an El Prado (IRE) mare (El Fasto) trained by Larry Jones and owned by former Kentucky Governor Brereton Jones.

Rain held off for most of the afternoon in Louisville, but a thunderstorm before the G2-American Turf dumped rain on the Churchill Downs main track. Maintenance officials sealed the track before the weather hit, minimizing the impact of the rain.

The Kentucky Oaks, run over 138 consecutive years, is the second longest consecutively run sporting event in America. The first Oaks was run on May 19, 1875, two days after the first Kentucky Derby, thereby giving the title to the Derby by just a few days.

Below are the payouts for the 2012 Kentucky Oaks. The $2 Pick Six was not hit on Friday ($874.20 was paid to those holding 5-of-6), triggering a $268.897.47 carryover into Saturday’s pool.