Kentucky Oaks 2017 Post Positions and Morning Line Odds

Paradise Woods was installed as the Kentucky Oaks 2017 5-2 morning line favorite and drew post four. The Union Rags filly made her stakes debut last out in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks and blew the field away by 11 ¾ lengths. Trained by Richard Mandella, Paradise Woods will be ridden by Flavien Prat, who was also aboard for the Santa Anita Oaks.

Miss Sky Warrior, the 9-2 second choice, will depart from post 10. The multiple Grade 2 winner by First Samurai is on a five-race win streak from a total of six starts. She enters the Kentucky Oaks off a 13-length win over Lockdown in the Grade 2 Gazelle and is trained by Kelly Breen.

Farrell and Abel Tasman were installed as the co-third choices at 5-1. The Wayne Catalano-trained Farrell drew post seven and brings her own four-race win streak into Friday’s race. As a two-year-old, Farrell broke her maiden and won the Grade 2 Golden Rod at Churchill Downs before taking all three Oaks preps at Fair Grounds this year. The Malibu Moon filly was last seen winning the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks by 3 ¼ lengths over Wicked Lick and Vexatious.

Abel Tasman shipped in from California and will break from post 13. After winning the Grade 1 Starlet at two and running second to Unique Bella in the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel, the daughter of Quality Road was moved to the care of Bob Baffert, who oversaw her runner-up effort to Paradise Woods in the Santa Anita Oaks.

Salty, trained by Mark Casse and winner of the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks, drew the outside post of 14 and was made 6-1. 

By Christine Oser