Kentucky Oaks Roundup: Honeybee and Davona Dale top weekend action

The 2026 Kentucky Oaks, which will be broadcast in prime time for the first time, is 64 days away. Here’s a look at the latest news and notes as the Road to the Kentucky Oaks continues:

Resplendence shines in Cincinnati Trophy; Labwah has options

Resplendence, at 11-1 odds, shined in the Cincinnati Trophy S. at Turfway Park. The daughter of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify wired the field to win by 2 3/4 lengths. She is trained by Brazilian-born Paulo Lobo, who won the 2002 Kentucky Oaks with Farda Amiga in his second year of training in the United States. With her victory, Resplendence earned 20 points toward a spot in the Kentucky Oaks.

The UAE Oaks (G3) was the second race to award 50 points to the winner. Labwah earned them with a 7 1/2 length win and enters the leaderboard at number two. Her connections, including owner Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, are considering the Oaks or running against the colts in the UAE Derby (G2).

Weekend brings three races in Champion Series

The action heats up this weekend with three races in the Kentucky Oaks Champion Series: the Davona Dale (G2) at Gulfstream Park and the Busher S. at Aqueduct on Saturday, and the Honeybee (G3) at Oaklawn on Sunday. 

On Time Girl, winner of the Forward Gal (G3), Gulfstream Park’s first Oaks prep, returns for the Davona Dale. The Brad Cox trainee is one length short of being perfect in five starts, with wins on four different ovals. She will run a route for the first time. Cox has also cross-entered Paradise, a daughter of 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner, in the Davona Dale and Busher at Aqueduct. Paradise has a Gulfstream win at the same one-mile distance. So does She Be Smooth, trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher. The prep offers 50-25-15-10-5 points to the top five finishers. 

The Busher at Aqueduct drew five horses. In prep races with five-horse fields, only 75 percent of the qualifying points are awarded. So, instead of the winner getting 50, she will receive 37.5. In addition to Paradise, Blazing Brat is also cross-entered in the Davona Dale. If the race scratches down to four, only 50 percent of the assigned points will be awarded. Local contender Interstatelovesong has the highest last speed rating from her second-place finish by a neck in the Ruthless S. 

The 50-point Honeybee is fully loaded. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert ships favorite, Explora. Her 3/4-length second-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), along with wins in the Oak Leaf (G2) and Santa Ynez S., have kept her near the top of the leaderboard since the early days of the Road to the Oaks. The top three finishers of Oaklawn’s first prep, the Martha Washington S., rematch: Search Party, Newton Pike, and Knickleandime finished within a length of each other. Search Party is trained by Mark Casse, who is winning at Oaklawn at a 40% clip. Taken by the Wind won the very first race on the Road to the Oaks—the Pocahontas (G3)—and is undefeated in three starts for trainer Kenny McPeek. 

Road to the Kentucky Oaks Leaderboard Top Five

1. Bella Ballerina (60 points)
2. Labwah (50 points)
3. Explora (45 points)
4. Luv Your Neighbor (40 points)
5. Super Corredora (34 points)