Good Cheer

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - In the weeks leading up to the GI Kentucky Oaks, you can't blame trainer Brad Cox if he wasn't quite ready-- at least yet--to compare the unbeaten Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro) to either of his two previous winners in the most important race for 3-year-old fillies. Think he may be ready now. Off as the 6-5 favorite over a surface turned sloppy and sealed by torrential rains that ripped through the Louisville area around 4 p.m. and pushed back the start of the Oaks by 13 minutes,...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - After last year's Breeders' Cup, it wouldn't have come as much of a surprise to see an unbeaten, Godolphin homebred trained by Brad Cox bringing a perfect record into the GI Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. But with last year's champion 2-year-old filly Immersive (Nyquist) unraced since capping her brilliant four-for-four season in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies--she's recently returned to training--it will instead be her unbeaten stablemate Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro) that will be in the spotlight for those same connections on the first Friday...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Bob Baffert stood in front of Barn 33--covered once again with green-and-white plaques celebrating his six GI Kentucky Derby winners and three GI Kentucky Oaks winners-- and held court with the media and posed for pictures with fans on a humid Wednesday morning at Churchill Downs. Following a well-documented, three-year suspension following the medication disqualification of Medina Spirit in the 2021 Kentucky Derby, it was business as usual for the Hall of Fame trainer, who will make his highly anticipated return beneath the Twin Spires this weekend...

Two years ago, Godolphin came into the Kentucky Oaks with a serious threat in Wet Paint (Blame). The homebred was undefeated as a 3-year-old and looked every bit the part in the days leading up to the big event. She went off as the 8-5 favorite, but when the fillies hit the wire it was the other Godolphin runner, Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief), who delivered the win. At 10-1 odds, she handed her connections of Godolphin, trainer Brendan Walsh and jockey Tyler Gaffalione their first Oaks victory. This year, Godolphin...

Journalism (Curlin) was tabbed as the 3-1 morning-line favorite after drawing in a good spot in post position eight for next Saturday's 151st running of the GI Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Regular rider Umberto Rispoli will be at the controls. The GI Santa Anita Derby winner, an $825,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling graduate, is campaigned in partnership by Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Elayne Stables 5, Robert LaPenta and Lessees Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith and Michael B. Tabor. He is trained by Michael McCarthy. "No complaints,"...

Kentucky Oaks hopeful and 'TDN Rising Star' Quietside (Malibu Moon), winner of the GII Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn, and the Kentucky Derby-bound Grande (Curlin), runner-up in the GII Wood Memorial Stakes at the Big A, worked at Keeneland on Friday. Quietside was clocked in :48.20 for a half-mile with her Oaks jockey, Jose Ortiz, in the saddle. "Jose and I had a plan to give her just a half-mile and easy gallop out just to keep her on her toes from here on out," trainer John Ortiz said. "She worked...

Godolphin's Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro), the likely favorite for the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks, turned in her most serious work to date Thursday morning at Churchill Downs with a five-furlong breeze in a sharp :59.40, the fastest of 10 at the distance. The undefeated filly hit the track at 7:15 a.m. EST wearing her usual set of blinkers and partnered with trainer Brad Cox's longtime exercise rider Edvin Vargas. She began her workout at the 4 1/2-furlong pole and broke off about two lengths behind stablemate and maiden Saucier (City...

Last year's unbeaten champion 2-year-old filly Immersive (Nyquist) is back in training with Brad Cox at Churchill Downs. It was announced earlier this year that the Godolphin homebred would be given some time off due to bone bruising. "Immersive is back in the barn, training and moving fantastic," Cox said. "Looking forward to getting her back later in the season." Immersive capped a four-for-four season with a dominating victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar Nov. 1. Her resume also includes wins in the GI Spinaway...

Trainer Brad Cox sent out GI Kentucky Derby contender Final Gambit (Not This Time) and likely GI Longines Kentucky Oaks favorite Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro) for their latest breezes at Churchill Downs. Juddmonte's Final Gambit, winner of the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks, breezed five furlongs in 1:00.80 at 7:15 a.m. Godolphin's Good Cheer followed with a five-furlong move in 1:00.40 at 9 a.m. Both were piloted by Cox's exercise rider Edvin Vargas. Final Gambit began his work at the 4 1/2-furlong pole, covering an opening quarter-mile in :25.40. He galloped...

The last week of preps for the GI Kentucky Oaks is upon us. The GI Ashland Stakes will be run Friday at Keeneland on opening day and Aqueduct will offer the GIII Gazelle Stakes the next day. The Gazelle came up predictably weak, but the Ashland has some intriguing contenders that could crack the top three or four come Friday. Last week, Quietside (Malibu Moon) was a convincing winner of the GII Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn and Five G (Vekoma) never looked back to win the GII Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Park...

GI Florida Derby hero Tappan Street (Into Mischief) has emerged from his Saturday exploits in good order, but his trainer revealed that a travel itinerary has not yet been decided for the trip north to the Twin Spires. The son of Into Mischief got the best of GII Fountain of Youth victor Sovereignty (Into Mischief) to claim his 100 points to the first Saturday in May, and the aforementioned runner-up also secured a berth into the race with 50. Tappan Street currently sits in third with 110 and is tied...

Here's a look at the sixth installment of our Kentucky Oaks Top 10 for 2025: Things are really starting to heat up. Last weekend saw Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro), who is now 6 for 6, winning the Fasig-Tipton Fair Grounds Oaks. For now, she looks like a strong favorite in the GI Kentucky Oaks. At Turfway Park, Bless the Broken (Laoban) won the Bourbonette Oaks, but didn't show enough versus a weak field to crack our top 10. This will be a huge weekend of preps that will include the...