Prom Queen impressed trainer Brad Cox from the minute she joined his barn last Fall. Nothing has diminished his opinion of her since then as she prepares for the biggest challenge of her young career: the $1.5 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) on Friday night (post time 8:40 p.m. ET).
The Oaks for 3-year-olds is the filly companion event to the Kentucky Derby (G1), the following afternoon, as Churchill Downs hosts one of the premier weekends on the horse racing calendar.
Cox has three solid contenders in the Derby: Commandment, Further Ado, and Fulleffort. We believe the Louisville native also has the horse to beat in the Oaks.
Prom Queen (8-1) is a sizeable homebred filly for Gary and Mary West. She looks the part of a horse who can withstand the pressures of a 14-horse field, and she will love this 1 1/8-mile distance.
“A big scopey filly who looked like she would be a two-turn Kentucky Oaks filly,” Cox said, recollecting his first impressions.
Nothing that has happened since dimmed Cox enthusiasm.
Given time to grow and develop, Prom Queen didn’t debut until late January when she set the pace and finished second going a mile at Gulfstream Park. Given an extra sixteenth of a mile next time out, Prom Queen blitzed the competition by eight widening lengths.
Then came the acid test, the jump into the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) also at 1 1/16 miles. Tougher competition, same outcome. She pulled clear in the lane for a 2 ¾ length win.
“It was a big win, and she won going away,” Cox said. “I think she’ll like this mile-and-an eighth, she’ll like this long stretch, she’ll like this racetrack.”
Now she lands in the Kentucky Oaks with only a three-race foundation. The lack of experience is offset by the fact that she has only scratched her potential.
“She immediately stamped herself a filly of quality,” Cox said. “A route pedigree (by Quality Road), athletic, and a good mover.”
Zany is the Oaks' favorite at 4-1 despite losing the Ashland Stakes (G1) at Keeneland last time out as the 3-5 favorite. She was no match in that race to Percy’s Bar, who was making her first start since a third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1).
Zany, trained by Todd Pletcher, does hold one advantage over most of her rivals: a victory at this distance in the Demoiselle Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct in December.
Percy’s Bar (6-1) has a lot to offer. She is a two-time Grade 1 winner, a Breeders’ Cup warrior, and a stakes winner over the track (the Debutante last June) who is 3-2-1 in 6 starts against some of the best in her division.
Always a Runner (10-1) is another winner at 1 1/8 miles, rallying determinedly to win the Gazelle Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct earlier this month. Like Prom Queen, she is short on experience but long on promise. She is 2-for-2 for trainer Chad Brown.
On Wednesday, My Miss Mo (20-1) was scratched from the Oaks by trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr., and also-eligible Nycon (50-1) moved into the field.
Which brings us to the selections:
| Post | Horse / Jockey / Trainer | M/L Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ExploraFlavien Prat · Bob Baffert | 6-1 |
| 2 | ZanyIrad Ortiz Jr. · Todd A. Pletcher | 4-1 |
| 3 | Search PartyCristian Torres · Mark E. Casse | 30-1 |
| 4 | Counting StarsFrancisco Arrieta · Mark E. Casse | 8-1 |
| 5 | MeaningJuan Hernandez · Michael W. McCarthy | 5-1 |
| SCR | ||
| 7 | Dazzling DameLuis Saez · Brittany Russell | 30-1 |
| SCR | ||
| 9 | Always a RunnerJose Ortiz · Chad C. Brown | 10-1 |
| 10 | Prom QueenJavier Castellano · Brad H. Cox | 8-1 |
| 11 | Percy's BarLuan Machado · Ben Colebrook | 6-1 |
| 12 | Bella BallerinaTyler Gaffalione · Brendan P. Walsh | 10-1 |
| 13 | PashminaRamon Vazquez · Rob Atras | 30-1 |
| 14 | Brooklyn BlondeKazushi Kimura · Michael W. McCarthy | 30-1 |
| 15 | Lovely GreyDylan Davis · Kelsey Danner | 30-1 |
| 16 | NyconJaime Torres · Whit Beckman | 50-1 |
Last Updated on 04/29/2026
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
