Kentucky Oaks 2017: Previewing the field at Churchill Downs

The 2017 horse racing season has been going on with smaller events here and there, but it kicks off proper with the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 6. But prior to that, the Grade I stakes Kentucky Oaks featuring 3-year-old thoroughbred fillies will take place on Friday.

It’s one of the best setup races on the calendar and always worth tuning in for prior to the start of the Triple Crown the following day. The race covers 1-1/8 mile at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. The winner gets a $600,000 purse, so the stakes are fairly high.

This year’s race doesn’t have a very clear front-runner, but the competition should be fierce. Farrell recently swept three races at the Fair Grounds, and Miss Sky Warrior has won five of six of her starts.

The betting lines have been all over the place, but among the front-runners have been Farrell at 5-1 odds, along with Abel Tasman at 5-1, Miss Sky Warrior at 9-2, Paradise Woods at 5-2, and Salty at 6-1, with the rest of the field facing significantly longer odds.

Of those, Paradise Woods has held the highest odds to win, and drew the fourth post for the race. The Union Rags filly made her stakes debut at the Santa Anita Oaks and completely dominated, winning by over 11 lengths.

Paradise Woods will be ridden by Flavien Prat, who was on top for the Santa Anita Oaks, and is trained by Richard Mandella.

Miss Sky Warrior, the one who has consistently been in second on the betting lines, will race from the 10th post and is coming off a 13-length win in the Grade 2 Gazelle. Salty has pretty solid odds at 6-1, for a horse that drew the outside post.

Abel Tasman was the favorite for the Santa Anita Oaks, but was beaten soundly by the break by Paradise Woods. Abel Tasman’s new trainer is Bob Baffert and many feel she will be better off in this race than the other.

Below are the post positions, which were drawn on Tuesday: