Kentucky Oaks watch: Zipse ranks the top 10 fillies
This is the third installment of a weekly feature on Horse Racing Nation that tracks Kentucky Derby horses all the way through the first Saturday of May at Churchill Downs.
Although this feature will focus on all things Kentucky Derby, I will not forget about the fillies. This week, the top prospects for the 2026 Kentucky Oaks are showcased with my new top 10 rankings.
1. Zany (American Pharoah-Mo’ Green, by Uncle Mo)
Trained by Todd Pletcher, this $350,000 yearling purchase has made quite the impression in her first two career races. Sent off as the 2-1 second choice in a maiden sprint at Gulfstream Park in early November, Zany showed off her early speed and dominated her competition. The 6 1/2-length score while going 6 1/2 furlongs set her up for a stakes debut five weeks later. She was even more impressive stretching out in distance for the Demoiselle Stakes (G2) rolling home in the nine-furlong affair by 8 1/2-lengths.
2. Super Corredora (Gun Runner-Super Simple by Super Saver)
From the barn of John Sadler, this California-based filly is bred to appreciate two turns. Not surprisingly, she has improved with each start as the distances have increased. The $400,000 yearling purchase announced herself in her third career start with a romping maiden score while going a flat mile at Santa Anita and then followed that up with a game upset score over the favored Explora in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.
3. Explora (Blame-Collections Choice, by Bernardini)
Trainer Bob Baffert has won the Kentucky Oaks three times, and he looks to have another top contender in this classy filly. A $350,000 2-year-old in training purchase, she already has run in three important stakes races in Southern California since her impressive debut win. After a big win in the Oak Leaf Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita, she was favored to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar but could not run down Super Corredora in another strong effort.
4. Bella Ballerina (Street Sense-Pretty City Dancer, by Tapit)
Sired by a Kentucky Derby winner and out of the producer of a Kentucky Oaks winner, this unbeaten Godolphin homebred is bred for the first Friday in May. A sharp debut winner of a maiden sprint at Keeneland, she came right back to win in her stakes debut for trainer Brendan Walsh. Perhaps as a coming attraction of things to come, she scored over the Churchill Downs main track with a determined victory in the 1 1/16-mile Golden Rod Stakes (G2).
5. Meaning (Gun Runner-Figure of Speech, by Into Mischief)
The second filly sired by Gun Runner to make the list, this Michael McCarthy-trained youngster looked good while winning at first asking in September at Los Alamitos. Armed with only that fast 6 1/2-furlong maiden score, she came back six weeks later to face a strong field in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. She could manage only a fourth-place finish but did not have the best of trips and ran on well despite her inexperience.
6. Atropa (Into Mischief-Bellera, by Bernardini)
From the barn of Cherie DeVaux, this $450,000 yearling purchase has won only once in three starts, but she looks to have her best results still in front of her. After a nondescript debut performance while sprinting at Saratoga, she bounced back in a big way to win by 10 lengths in a 1 1/16-mile maiden at Keeneland. Proving that was no fluke, she came back with a strong rally in the Golden Rod only to fall a half-length short behind Bella Ballerina.
7. Consequent (Into Mischief-Bellera, by Bernardini)
The second filly on the list for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, this Juddmonte homebred is perfect in two starts. She did not debut until after the Breeders’ Cup and showed greenness in her debut but still won going a mile at first asking at Del Mar. Moving right up into graded-stakes competition three weeks later, she finished strong to win the Starlet Stakes (G2) at Los Alamitos by a length. Look for her to only get better with experience.
8. Percy’s Bar (Upstart-Honestly Deb by Super Saver)
The most experienced horse on this list, this Kentucky-based filly has run in four stakes races and on both coasts in her first five starts for trainer Ben Colebrook. A stakes winner in June at Churchill Downs, she did not get much luck in either the Alcibiades (G1), where she was taken down for the win, or the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, where she was bumped hard in her third-place finish. Despite the trouble, she exhibited toughness and talent in both.
9. Just Singing (Justify-Talkin and Singing, by Songandaprayer)
This daughter of a Triple Crown winner has improved in each of her three starts for trainer Kent Sweezey. Sold to Whisper Hill Farm for $300,000 as a yearling, she was a last-to-first winner in her second career start. She again showed a strong late kick to finish third in the Golden Rod while beaten only one length. She is clearly right at home at Churchill Downs, where she has made all three starts.
10. Tommy Jo (Into Mischief-Mother Mother, by Pioneerof the Nile)
The only two-time Grade 1 winner of this year’s juvenile fillies, this Todd Pletcher-trainee looked excellent in her first two career starts. An impressive winner in both her debut and the Spinaway Stakes (G1) at Saratoga, she was not able to get there when stretched out in the Alcibiades at Keeneland, but was awarded the win for interference. Her Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies performance was nothing to write home about, when fifth, but she could bounce back away from California.