Kentucky Oaks 2024 Year-End Report

By Jarrod Horak

This is my final road to Kentucky Oaks 2024 report for 2023. I recapped the first seven points races in my initial Kentucky Oaks report at the end of November, and I will look back at the Demoiselle, Starlet, and Untapable Stakes in this article. 

Kentucky Oaks 2024 Points Race Recaps

Grade 2 Demoiselle (12-2-23) 

Fractions – 24.10, 48.65, 1:13.10, 1:38.12, 1:51.10

Top 5 Finishers: Life Talk, Shimmering Allure, Dolomite, Most of All, Caldwell Luvs Gold

Life Talk ran her race as the even money favorite. The muddy oval was speed favoring and Irad Ortiz Jr. put the chalk on the lead, and that was all she wrote. She was in command throughout and kicked away in the stretch to score by an easy 3 3/4 lengths. Shimmering Allure stalked wide and secured the place by a length over my 8-1 value to choice Dolomite. The latter is a promising NY-bred filly trained by Chad Brown, and she was 8+ lengths clear of the rest. 

Grade 2 Starlet (12-9-23) 

Fractions – 23.24, 47.40, 1:12.20, 1:37.46, 1:44.78

Top 5 Finishers: Nothing Like You, Flynn’s Chance, Chatalas, Great Forty Eight, Pacific Rose

I picked the wrong Bob Baffert runner in this race. I went with his sharp debut sprint winner Grazia, and she stalked wide and finished a distant last at 1.80-1 under Flavien Prat. Her stablemate Nothing Like You just went on with it from the inside post and scooted clear to win by 5 1/4 lengths under Juan Hernandez. Baffert trainees are ineligible to run in the 2024 Oaks and Derby, so Nothing Like You will have to move to another barn if they want her to compete on the first Friday in May. Great Forty Eight was clearly second best but was disqualified and placed 4th for causing interference in the stretch. 

Untapable (12-23-23) 

Fractions – 24.27, 48.29, 1:12.81, 1:38.89, 1:43.08

Top 5 Finishers: Alpine Princess, West Omaha, Sistina Chapel, Legadema, Band of Gold

Alpine Princess was the hot horse in the wagering and the betting confidence in her was correct. Brad Cox’s filly went straight to the front from the inside post under Florent Geroux. She stayed clear throughout and held off my top choice West Omaha to score by two lengths. The latter was clearly second best and I thought she ran well with a wide stalking trip. Sistina Chapel rallied from last and was well clear of the rest in a solid show finish.  

Kentucky Oaks 2024 Points Race Results 

Pocahontas (10-5-3-2-1) – Sep. 16 – Winner: V V’s Dream ($4.40)

Alcibiades (10-5-3-2-1) – Oct. 6 – Winner: Candied ($10.16)

Frizette (10-5-3-2-1) – Oct. 7 – Winner: Just F Y I ($11.60)

Chandelier (10-5-3-2-1) – Oct. 7 – Winner: Chatalas ($8.20)

Rags to Riches (10-5-3-2-1) – Oct. 29 – Winner: West Sunset ($17.72)

BC Juvenile Fillies (30-15-9-6-3) – Nov. 3 – Winner: Just F Y I ($16.00)

Golden Rod (10-5-3-2-1) – Nov. 25 – Winner: Intricate ($14.66)

Demoiselle (10-5-3-2-1) – Dec. 2 – Winner: Life Talk (4.00)

Starlet (10-5-3-2-1) – Dec. 9 – Winner: Nothing Like You ($6.20)

Untapable (10-5-3-2-1) – Dec. 23 – Winner: Alpine Princess ($5.40)

Upcoming Races

Sant Ynez (10-5-3-2-1) – Jan. 7 

Busanda (20-10-6-4-2) – Jan. 13 

Silverbulletday (20-10-6-4-2) – Jan. 20

Martha Washington (20-10-6-4-2) – Jan. 27  

Forward Gal (20-10-6-4-2) – Feb. 3 

Las Virgenes (20-10-6-4-2) – Feb. 4

Suncoast (20-10-6-4-2) – Feb. 10 

Rachel Alexandra (50-25-15-10-5) – Feb. 17 

Sunland Park Oaks (20-10-6-4-2) – Feb. 18

UAE Oaks (50-25-15-10-5) – Feb. 23

Honeybee (50-25-15-10-5) – Feb. 24 

Cincinnati Trophy (20-10-6-4-2) – March 1

Busher (50-25-15-10-5) – March 2 

Davona Dale (50-25-15-10-5) – March 2 

Santa Ysabel (50-25-15-10-5) – March 3 

FG Oaks (100-50-25-15-10) – March 23 

Bourbonette Oaks (50-25-15-10-5) – March 23

GP Oaks (100-50-25-15-10) – March 30 

Fantasy (100-50-25-15-10) – March 30

Ashland (100-50-25-15-10) – April 5 

Gazelle (100-50-25-15-10) – April 6 

SA Oaks (100-50-25-15-10) – April 6 

Top 10 Kentucky Oaks 2024 Points Leaders (Thru 12-26-23)

Just FYI – 40 points

Candied – 19 

Life Talk – 19

V V’s Dream – 18

Jody’s Pride – 15

Chatalas – 13

Intricate – 10

West Sunset – 10

Central Avenue – 8

Scalable – 8

Jarrod Horak’s Fabulous Five Kentucky Oaks 2024 Contenders (12-26-23)

#1 – INTRICATE (Gun Runner – Complex Analysis, by Distorted Humor) – Trainer: Brendan Walsh

Comments: Really turned the corner in her last two dirt route wins, and she was strong in the Golden Rod (G2) on Nov. 25. She is targeting the Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2) at Fair Grounds on Feb. 17. 

#2 – JUST F Y I (Justify – Star Act, by Street Cry) – Trainer: Bill Mott

Comments: She won all three of her starts and is expected to be named 2-year-old filly champ after winning back-to-to-back Grade 1 races (Frizette, BC Juvenile Fillies). She will spend the winter at Payson Park Training Center in Florida. 

#3 – KOPION (Omaha Beach – Galloping Ami, by Victory Gallop) – Trainer: Richard Mandella 

Comments: She stalked the pace and easily got the job done in her 6 1/2 furlong debut at Del Mar on Nov. 26. She was 30 cents on the dollar in that race and ran to her odds. She has worked three times since her bow including a 6f move on Dec. 25. She might go next in the Santa Ynez (G3) at Santa Anita on 1-7-24.  

#4 – THORPEDO ANNA (Fast Anna, Sataves, by Uncle Mo) – Trainer: Ken McPeek

Comments: She was visually impressive in her first two sprint wins. The Grade 2 Golden Rod on Nov. 25 was her stakes debut, and she broke slow, stalked wide, and landed the place behind sharp winner Intricate. 

#5 – WEST OMAHA (West Coast – Birthday Bash, by Medaglia d’Oro) – Trainer: Brad Cox

Comments: Her maiden win second time out at seven panels was a step in the right direction. She stretched out, stalked wide, and was clearly second best in the Untapable in her stakes debut on Dec. 23.