3 value plays on Kentucky Oaks Friday at Churchill Downs
The stars will be on full display on Kentucky Oaks Friday at Churchill Downs. Thorpedo Anna, Fierceness, Locked, Good Cheer and She Feels Pretty are among the classy runners who will take center stage. Although it will be great to see many of horse racing's best on display, top horses typically come with low prices.
With a plethora of Pick 3s, Pick 4s and Pick 5s available throughout the day, it is vital to find the potential price plays in the races without popular singles. Below I analyze three horses who should be included in all horizontal wagers.
Race 1
No. 5 Sierra November, 8-1. Joe Sharp's filly took money in her first two starts, which showed the connections were confident in her. She disappointed in both starts but took money again in her third start when stretching out for the first time. The combination of two turns and the removal of blinkers did the trick, and she put together a powerful closing kick to win. The second-place finisher was over 10 lengths clear of third. She has improved in every race and picks up the services of Irad Ortiz Jr. for this race. I expect this filly to take another step forward to capture the opener.
Race 11
No. 2 Simply Joking, 10-1. I acknowledge that Good Cheer will be tough to beat in the Kentucky Oaks, but if anyone can beat her, it will be a filly who has room to improve. Lightly raced Simply Joking fits the bill as she makes only her fourth career start. Her top career Beyer Speed Figure of 90 is only one point behind Good Cheer's career best, and she has a tactical edge over the favorite. This filly likely needed her last start when suffering her first defeat and gained a ton of education in that battle with Quietside. This might be the first and last opportunity to be able to bet this filly at double-digit odds
Race 12
No. 9 Echo Again, 15-1. This runner looked to have an extremely bright future after his smashing debut win at Saratoga in 2022. He never really put things together after that but is intriguing as he makes his second start as a gelding. The son of Gun Runner was gelded only six days before his prior start at this level and showed good improvement with a strong closing kick. Now that he has shown he can relax, I think a one-turn mile will be the perfect distance for him. He is working well and looks primed to run a big race at a generous price.