Grade 1 race | |
![]() Lillies for the Fillies | |
Location | Churchill Downs Louisville, Kentucky, USA |
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Inaugurated | 1875 |
Race type | Thoroughbred |
Website | Race webpage |
Race information | |
Distance | 1+1⁄8 miles |
Surface | Dirt |
Track | Left-handed |
Qualification | 3-year-old fillies |
Weight | 121 lb (55 kg) |
Purse | $1.5 million 1st: $846,300[1] |
The Kentucky Oaks is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The race currently covers 1+1⁄8 miles (1,800 m) at Churchill Downs; the horses carry 121 pounds (55 kg). The Kentucky Oaks is held on the Friday before the Kentucky Derby each year. The winner gets $846,300 of the $1,500,000 purse, and a large garland blanket of lilies, resulting in the nickname "Lillies for the Fillies." A silver Kentucky Oaks Trophy is presented to the winner.