Kentucky Oaks 2026 betting guide: Picking ‘Day of the Oaks’ at Churchill Downs

Forget small talk, Churchill Downs is officially rolling as we begin Derby weekend with 2026 Kentucky Oaks. I Fillies lilies it’s not just a culture; it is a high level sport, a Grade 1 competition.

This is the first stage for three-year-old friends. This Friday, May 1, the power in Louisville goes electric, and the betting windows are already seeing maximum capacity.

With a packed field, strong competitors and the lights shining brightly in Louisville, this race gives bettors another big chance to cash in before Derby Day weekend begins.

2026 KENTUCKY DERBY: POSTING GAMES, OPENING MORNING LINE ODDS

Let’s stop talking and get to the betting window. Here are my picks and the exotics of 2026 Kentucky Oaks.

2026 Kentucky Oaks Day Betting Card

• Race 8: $5 to go Win to #2 French legend.
• Race 9: $5 to go Win again Location to #8 Company Power ($10 bet amount).
• Race 12: $5 to go Win to #8 Lion Lake. $1 The Exact Box to 1,3,8 ($6 total bet).
• Race 13: $8 to Win to #9 Always a Runner. $1 The Exact Box to 1,4,9 ($6 total bet). $1 The Trifecta Box to 1,4,9 ($6 total bet).

Race 8: Grade 2 Eight Belles, 4:30 pm ET post time

A seven-furlong dirt track for 3-year-olds with a $700K purse.

#2 French Legend (6-1 in the morning line)

“I’m buying the dip” after he finished fourth by 15 lengths in the G1 Ashland last time out. But French Fiction bounces back after running the one-and-one-sixteenth-mile race at Ashland.

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He has gone short in all three starts (2-0-0) and his two wins in six furlongs have had speed figures of 81 and 84. That said, I like the price and the French Legend at short range.

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Race 9: Grade 2 Alysheba Belles, 5:12 pm ET post time

A one-and-one-sixteen-mile dirt track for kids four years and older with a purse of $750K.

#8 Company Power

He finished second last time out in the Grade 2 at New Orleans, but his 106 pace number is the second fastest in the race. It was featured by Jose Ortiz, “a former CD rider [Churchill Downs] to start this meeting,” according to Daily Racing Form.

Corporate Power’s sire (Curlin) and dam (Road To Victory) both won dirt grade stakes races at Churchill Downs. He is one of the two closers in the race and can capitalize on the speed meltdown if the faster horses burn out.

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Race 12: Grade 2 Edgewood Stakes, 7:40 pm ET post time

A one-mile 3-year-old turf track with a purse of $600K.

#1 Storm Rising (6-1)

He defeated two rivals in the field to win the Grade 2 Appalachian in his last outing. His 89 lap is the fastest of the race and he has won his only race at the Churchill Downs turn. Storm’s Wake is a a course horsewinning his only race at Churchill last summer.

Horses run on the turf in the seventh race on ‘Thurby’ day at Churchill Downs in Louisville during the week of the 2026 Kentucky Derby. (Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Magn Images)

#8 Lion Lake (8-1)

He ran fastest in all six races (2-1-2). Lion Lake’s 88 pace number that finished third in the blanket at the Grade 2 Appalachian last time out is tied for second fastest in the race. Before that, she won the Grade 3 Here Comes The Bride at Gulfstream in February.

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Race 13: Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks, 8:40 pm ET post time

A one-eighth-mile dirt track for three-year-olds with a purse of $1.5 million.

Test #1 (6-1)

This player has finished first or second in his seven career starts. There is a lot of speed in this race, but the Explora has the fastest “front speed”. Drawing a rail in Oaks can help control the pace and get out to the best place.

Explora’s jockey, Flavien Prat, is one of the best in the world, and posted a career-best 88 in his Grade 3 Honeybee win last time out. I like #9 to end up losing him, but I use Explora on my exotics and multi-race waders.

#4 Counting Stars (8-1)

He may not be a popular bet because his rivals have better contacts with the jockey. But Counting Stars has “tactical speed,” meaning there isn’t much of a difference between his early and late speeds, so he can win the Oaks regardless of (excessive) speed.

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His 92 pace in winning the Grade 2 Fantasy last time out is the fastest pace in the field. Counting Stars has gone off as the favorite in three of his last four starts and outscored his 11-1 odds for second in the Grade 3 Honeybee. He won in his only visit to Churchill Downs.

#9 Always A Runner (10-1)

Experience, or the lack of it, is always the biggest question mark for a Runner. Besides, he has the talent to win the Oaks. He ran an 89 speed figure to win the Grade 3 Gazelle at Aqueduct last time out, the fourth fastest race of any horse in the field.

Every Runner prepares for the 2026 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs in Louisville. He is trained by Chad Brown and jockey Dylan Davis is expected to ride him. (Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Magn Images)

Plus, we know it can handle the distance, as the Gazelle was also one and one-eighth miles. Finally, Always Runner has a better closing game than any of his rivals in the Oaks, and if there is “melting speed,” I like his chances of running past the field on the home stretch.

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