The Kentucky Oaks Top 10: Quietside, Five G On the Upswing

[Wandering Eyes]

The last week of preps for the GI Kentucky Oaks is upon us. The GI Ashland Stakes will be run Friday at Keeneland on opening day and Aqueduct will offer the GIII Gazelle Stakes the next day. The Gazelle came up predictably weak, but the Ashland has some intriguing contenders that could crack the top three or four come Friday.

Last week, Quietside (Malibu Moon) was a convincing winner of the GII Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn and Five G (Vekoma) never looked back to win the GII Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Park Oaks. With the GI Kentucky Oaks fast approaching, both are on the upswing.

Here's a look at the seventh installment of our Kentucky Oaks Top 10 for 2025:

1) GOOD CHEER (Medaglia d'Oro–Wedding Toast, by Street Sense) O/B-Godolphin (Ky); T-Brad Cox. Lifetime Record: MGSW, 6-6-0-0, $877,630. Last Start: Won Mar. 22 GII Fair Grounds Oaks. Kentucky Oaks Points 145. Next Start: GI Kentucky Oaks, CD, May 2.

Can she lose? Yes…because anything can happen in a horse race. But this one has an obvious will to win. She's 6-for-6 and has never been seriously challenged, as she has a tendency to pull away in the late stages of her races. The only possible knock on her is that she doesn't blow the field away when it comes to speed figures. Remarkable to think that Brad Cox had the No. 1 horse in this division in Immersive (Nyquist), who has been sidelined, only to come up with a horse that may even be better. Cox, who first won the Oaks in 2018 with Monomoy Girl (Tapizar), will be seeking his third win in the race.

2) TENMA (Nyquist–Amagansett, by Tapit) O-Baoma Corp.; B-B Flay Thoroughbreds (Ky); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $200,000 yrl '23 KEESEP; $850,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GISW, 5-4-0-1, $429,000. Last Start: Won Feb. 2 GIII Fasig-Tipton Las Virgenes Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 33. Next Start: GII Santa Anita Oaks, SA, Apr. 5.

Saturday's GII Fasig-Tipton Santa Anita Oaks doesn't figure to be much of a contest. Tenma, who has lost just once in five career starts, should have an easy time against horses that clearly aren't in her class. Bred by Bobby Flay, she cost $850,000 at OBS April, which is beginning to look like a bargain. She keeps running in races with short fields. There are six in the Santa Anita Oaks. She faced only two challengers in the GIII Las Virgenes S. Could that make a difference when she faces 13 others in the Oaks?

3) QUIETSIDE (Malibu Moon–Benner Island, by Speightstown) 'TDN Rising Star' O/B-Shortleaf Stable (Ky); T-John Ortiz. Lifetime Record: GSW & MGISP, 6-2-3-1, $552,200. Last Start: WON Mar. 29 GII Fantasy Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 168. Next Start: GI Kentucky Oaks, CD, May 2.

She's certainly gotten good at the right time. After she put together a four-race losing streak after a scintillating maiden win, there was reason to believe that she just wasn't good enough to beat the very best in the division. That started to change when she won the Honeybee over Five G. She came back last weekend to win the Fantasy Stakes by three-quarters of a length over Simply Joking (Practical Joke). She's peaking and doing so at the perfect time.

Quietside holds off Simply Joking to win Fantasy Stakes | Renee Torbit/Coady Media

4) FIVE G (Vekoma–Triumphant, by Quality Road) O/B-Gatsas Stables (NY); T-George Weaver. Lifetime Record: SW & GSP, 5-2-2-0, $240,290. Last Start: WON GII Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Park Oaks. Kentucky Oaks Points: 125. Next Start: GI Kentucky Oaks, CD, May 2.

With her win in the GII Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Park Oaks, Five G established herself as the leading 3-year-old filly headed to the Oaks from Florida. She's won two of her last three on dirt and the only loss was in the Honeybee, where she couldn't handle Quietside. The one knock on her is that she got an easy trip in the Gulfstream race. She went wire-to-wire afer posting fractions of :23.60 and :47. She'll never get that kind of trip in the Oaks. Got a 90 Beyer, the best of her career. She looks to be improving.

5) SIMPLY JOKING (Practical Joke–Imply, by E Dubai) O-Grantley Acres, Ryan Conner, & Berkels0813; B-Barlar LLC (Pa); T-D Whitworth Beckman. Sales history: $65,000 yrl '23 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: MSW & GSP, 3-2-1-0, $288,000. Last Start: 2nd Mar. 29 GII Fantasy Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 70. Next Start: GI Kentucky Oaks, CD, May 2.

After a minor illness kept her out of the GII Rachel Alexandra Stakes, she looked to be up against it in the Fantasy as she had had only two prior starts and hadn't raced since Jan. 18. Yet, she turned in a really strong performance in the Fantasy, giving Quietside all she could handle. If she improves off that race, which is not a given, she could be right there at the finish of the Oaks. A front-runner, who will go after her early in the Oaks?

6) MUHIMMA (Munnings–Princesa Carolina, by Tapit) 'TDN Rising Star' O-Shadwell Stable; B-Three Chimneys Farm, LLC (Ky); T-Brad Cox. Sales history: $700,000 yrl '23 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 4-3-0-1, $319,460. Last Start: Third Feb. 23 GIII Honeybee Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 25. Next Start: GI Ashland Stakes, Kee, Apr. 4.

Formerly No. 1 in this poll, she slipped down and out of the top five after a lackluster third-place finish in the Honeybee. Was it an aberration? Quite possibly as this Brad Cox-trained filly was very good in 2024, going 3-for-3, including a win in the GII Demoiselle Stakes. Cox has made no excuses for her poor showing in the Honeybee, but it's worth noting that she finished third behind Quietside and Five G, both of whom won major Oaks preps in their next starts. So it was a key race. She needs a good showing in the Ashland to prove that she's back. Flavien Prat retains the mount. He had also been riding Supa Speed (Justify).

Muhimma | Coady Media

7) MAYSAM (Game Winner–Sefani, by America

n Pharoah) 'TDN Rising Star' O-Michael L Petersen; B-Seclusive Farm, Chester & Anne Prince (Ky); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $140,000 yrl '23 FTKJUL; $500,000 2yo '24 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-2-0-0, $98,500. Last Start: WON Mar. 2 GIII Fasig-Tipton Santa Ysabel Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 25. Next Start: TBD

Maysam was not entered in any races this weekend or last, which is somewhat curious. She hasn't been out since winning the Mar. 2 GIII Santa Ysabel Stakes. Why did Baffert skip this round of preps and does that mean she won't be running in the Oaks? She has been a steady presence on the worktab. She's had two recent works, four furlongs in :48.40 Mar. 17 and :48.00 on Mar. 22.

8) BALLERINA D'ORO (Medaglia d'Oro–In the Moonlight, by Tapit) O-Rodeo Creek Racing, LLC; B-Rock Ridge Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Chad Brown. Sales history: $320,000 yrl '23 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: MGSP, 5-1-1-1, $176,975. Last Start: Third Mar. 1 GII Davona Dale Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 16.25. Next Start: GIII Gazelle Stakes, Aqu, Apr. 5.

The Gazelle should be a good spot for this late-running daughter of Medaglia d'Oro. She closed strongly to finish second in the Demoiselle, but finished third in her 3-year-old debut in the GII Davona Dale Stakes. In the Davona Dale, she didn't show the powerful stretch kick she displayed as a 2-year-old. But this is an easy spot and the return to nine furlongs and two turns should suit her perfectly. She'll need to pick up some points to make the Oaks field.

9) LA CARA (Street Sense–Cara Caterina, by Bernardini) O/B-Tracy Farmer (Ky); T-Mark Casse. Lifetime Record: GSW, 8-3-2-0, $418,520. Last Start: Second Mar. 1 GII Davona Dale Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 51.75. Next Start: GI Ashland Stakes, Kee, Apr. 4.

She's not consistent. She wins the GIII Pocahontas Stakes and then is a dud in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. She comes back and looks terrific in the Suncoast Stakes, winning by 6 1/4. Then she runs just 'okay' to finish second in the Davona Dale. It's possible that trainer Mark Casse didn't have her primed for a big effort in the Davona Dale as he has said all along the prep race he really wants to win is the Ashland.

La Cara | Sarah Andrew

10) SUPA SPEED (Justify–Elfin Queen, by American Pharoah) O-Flying Dutchman Breeding & Racing LLC; B-Coteau Grove Farms, LLC (La); T-John Sadler. Sales history: $460,000 yrl '23 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSP, 6-2-2-1, $134,100. Last Start: 2nd Mar. 2 GIII Santa Ysabel Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 12.50. Next Start: GI Ashland Stakes, Kee, Apr. 4

By a Triple Crown winner (Justify) out of a dam by a Triple Crown winner (American Pharoah), this horse has a lot of pedigree power. Trainer John Sadler started her out on the grass, where she ran five times, breaking her maiden and winning an allowance. He switched her to the dirt for the Santa Ysabel and the results were encouraging as she finished a close second behind Maysam while earning a 90 Beyer figure. If she runs well in the Ashland, she could be a live horse come Oaks Day.

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