(Joy of Life / Photos by Holly M. Smith)

2025-26 ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY OAKS

HOW TO GET INTO THE KENTUCKY OAKS STARTING GATE – The Road to the Kentucky Oaks is a series that awards points to the top

five finishers in each race. The top 14 point-earners nominated to the Longines Kentucky Oaks will earn a spot in the starting gate for the 152nd

running of the Longines Kentucky Oaks (Grade I), which is scheduled for Friday, May 1, 2026. The 1 1/8-mile Oaks is the nation’s premier race for 3-

year-old fillies. At least 14 horses have entered the race in 10 of the last 11 years (a rescheduled September 2020 is the lone exception).

Road to the Kentucky Oaks Leaderboard:

  1. Joy of Life — 122 points
  2. Bella Ballerina — 110
  3. Explora — 95
  4. Luv Your Neighbor — 65
  5. Bottle of Rogue — 57.5
  6. Lorelei Lee — 50
  7. Labwah — 50
  8. She Be Smooth — 50
  9. Forced Entry — 50
  10. Dazzling Dame — 40.75
  11. Paradise — 37.5
  12. On Time Girl — 35
  13. Bank Shot — 31
  14. Taken by the Wind — 30
  15. Search Party — 30
  16. Zany — 30
  17. Meaning — 26
  18. Counting Stars — 25
  19. Newtown Pike — 25
  20. My Miss Mo — 25