Kentucky Oaks 2025: Notes from Monday morning training

Led by undefeated, 6-5 morning-line favorite Good Cheer, there were a lot of jogs and gallops Monday morning at Churchill Downs for the fillies who will line up Friday in the Grade 1, $1.5 million Kentucky Oaks.

Anna’s Promise. Bell Racing’s Anna’s Promise jogged around at 7:25 a.m. EDT on Monday for trainer Carlos David.

Ballerina d’Oro. Rodeo Creek Racing’s Gazelle (G3) winner Ballerina d’Oro jogged at 7:15 a.m. EDT for trainer Chad Brown.

Bless the Broken. Cypress Creek Equine and Madaket Stables’ Bless the Broken galloped 1 1/2 miles under Genis Bracho during the 7:15-7:30 a.m. EDT training window for trainer Will Walden. Bless the Broken comes into Friday’s Oaks off a victory in the listed Bourbonette Oaks at Turfway Park on March 22 when she was partnered for the first time by John Velázquez.

“He said she was there for him every step of the way, and when she asked her (to go), she gave,” Walden said of Velázquez, who was the sixth rider Bless the Broken had had in seven starts. “He pretty much committed to the Oaks after that, and anytime you can get a Hall of Famer to ride along, it’s a positive.”

Drexel Hill and Simply Joking. Trainer Whit Beckman Oaks duo of Drexel Hill and Simply Joking both jogged Monday morning. Simply Joking was the first of the two to train at 5:30 a.m. EDT with her stablemate following about 15 minutes later. Both fillies were ridden by trainer Whit Beckman’s assistant and exercise rider Maurilio García. Beckman, who went to see his Keeneland string Monday morning, is scheduled to be back at Churchill Downs on Tuesday.

Five G. Gatsas Stables’ Five G galloped 1 1/4 miles under Raul Alejandro during the 7:15-7:30 a.m. EDT training window for trainer George Weaver. Five G is a New York-bred daughter of Vekoma, a millionaire who was trained by Weaver and co-owned by Gatsas and in 2024 was the leading first-crop sire in North America.

“It’s very exciting,” Weaver said of training a daughter of Vekoma and one who was bred by Gatsas. “It’s not surprising (the success of Vekoma). He was a good horse, and he was bred to be a good horse, and I thought he would be a great sire. He is well on his way.”

Fondly. Eclipse Thoroughbred and Madaket Stables’ Fondly galloped 1 1/2 miles under William Humphrey at 7:15 a.m. EDT for trainer Graham Motion.

Good Cheer. Godolphin’s Kentucky Oaks favorite Good Cheer galloped at 7:15 a.m. under assistant trainer and exercise rider Katie Tolbert. Afterward, Tolbert and trainer Brad Cox’s other local assistant Trace Messina accompanied the Oaks favorite to the paddock.

La Cara. Tracy Farmer’s La Cara galloped an energetic mile at 7:15 a.m. EDT for trainer Mark Casse with Kevin Donnis in the boot.

Quickick. Greenwell Thoroughbreds’ Quickick visited the paddock and galloped 1 1/2 miles under Rafael Rustrian for trainer Tom Amoss during the 7:15-7:30 a.m. EDT training period.

Quietside. Fantasy (G2) winner Quietside galloped at 7:15 a.m. EDT for trainer John Ortiz.

Tenma. The dark-bay or brown daughter of Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist took a spin around Churchill Downs on Monday morning with exercise rider Eric García at the controls. After the gallop the duo then shifted over to the track’s chute and then spent some time in the starting gate. The racy filly with four victories in graded stakes on her ledger and $549,000 in the bank will be handled for trainer Bob Baffert by Juan Hernández, California’s leading jockey. They’ll break from post 9 in the 14-horse field.