2025 Kentucky Oaks winner: Good Cheer (6-5) wins the 151st Kentucky Oaks

A wide journey couldn’t prevent Good Cheer from keeping her unbeaten record intact in Friday’s 151st running of the $1.5 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

Racing 1 1/8 miles over a track made sloppy by afternoon rain, Good Cheer settled patiently in midfield under jockey Luis Saez, rating as many as six lengths or so behind fractions of :22.58, :46.78, and 1:11.36 set by Ashland (G1) winner La Cara. Tenma pressed the pace throughout, while Anna’s Promise and Quietside raced prominently in third and fourth position.

Good Cheer began to edge closer around the far turn, which she negotiated five-wide. Despite giving up considerable ground, the favorite looked like a winner at the top of the stretch and soon took over from a tiring Tenma to win convincingly by about 2 1/2 lengths in 1:50.15.

Longshots Drexel Hill and Bless the Broken closed for second and third place, followed by Tenma, Anna’s Promise, Quietside, Quickick, Early On, La Cara, Ballerina d’Oro, Fondly, Take Charge Milady, and Simply Joking.

A Godolphin homebred, Good Cheer is the third Kentucky Oaks winner trained by Brad Cox, following Monomoy Girl (2018) and Shedaresthedevil (2020). She’s also the third Kentucky Oaks winner sired by Medaglia d’Oro after Rachel Alexandra (2009) and Plum Pretty (2011).

For Saez, the win marked his second in the Kentucky Oaks, following a triumph aboard Secret Oath in 2022.

Winning the Kentucky Oaks brought Good Cheer’s career record to a perfect 7-for-7. She previously won the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2), Rachel Alexandra (G2), Golden Rod (G2), and Rags to Riches S. on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. Along the way, she’s accumulated earnings of $1,733,230.

Good Cheer paid $4.78 to win, $3.62 to place, and $3.02 to show. Drexel Hill triggered a place payoff of $21.02 and a show payoff of $11.76, while a show bet on Bless the Broken yielded $7.48. The $2 exacta paid $105.82, the 50-cent trifecta $360.17, and the $1 superfecta $4,826.35. No one hit the $1 Super High 5, triggering a $93,142.99 carryover.

Join us for our upcoming LIVE blogs!

May 1-3 | LIVE coverage of Thurby, Oaks, and Kentucky Derby Day with exclusive up-to-date all-access trackside coverage. LIVE race odds, including Kentucky Derby odds, picks, entries for all the races, and so much more!

LIVE blog participants include:

Jason Beem | Thursday 12-3 p.m.
Vance Hanson | Friday 3-5 p.m. | Saturday 1-4 p.m.
Keeler Johnson | Thursday 12-3 p.m. | Friday 3-5 p.m. | Saturday 1-4 p.m.
Jennifer Kelly | Thursday 3-6:30 p.m. | Friday 12:30-3 p.m. | Saturday 4-6 p.m.
Dean Keppler | Friday 12:30-3 p.m. | Saturday 4-6 p.m.
John Mucciolo | Thursday 12-3 p.m. | Friday 3-5 p.m.
Kellie Reilly | Thursday 3-6:30 p.m. | Friday 12:30-3 p.m. | Saturday 12-4 p.m.
(all times ET)

Don't miss a minute of the fun with your backstage pass to everything Kentucky Derby!