LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Good Cheer didn’t start out well, but the favorite authored a dominant closing run to win the 151st Kentucky Oaks.
Good Cheer was a 6-5 favorite at post time and was as low as eighth in the 14-horse race early on. Bob Baffert’s Tenma had the early lead, but Good Cheer came on strong on the outside and ended up winning by multiple lengths.
This is trainer Brad H. Cox’s third Kentucky Oaks win. He also won in 2018 with Monomoy Girl and in 2020 with Shedaresthedevil. He can go for the Oaks-Kentucky Derby double tomorrow with Final Gambit.
A $2 bet on Good Cheer paid out at $4.78.
Good Cheer comes from behind to win the 151st Longines Kentucky Oaks! pic.twitter.com/cigrvmcseX
— Kentucky Derby (@KentuckyDerby) May 2, 2025
Drexel Hill finished second, Bless the Broken took third and Tenma rounded out the superfecta in fourth.
Baffert was making his return to Derby weekend after a 3-year absence and it looked like he had a chance at a win for a while, but the closers took over.
Post time was delayed by 10 minutes after severe weather in the late afternoon halted action for a short time. That also meant there were muddy track conditions.
Those sloppy conditions didn’t bother Good Cheer, who already had a dominant win on wet conditions on her resume. The 3-year-old filly is now undefeated in seven starts.
Jockey Luis Saez got his second Oaks win after also winning in 2022 on Secret Oath.
(Photo: Grace Hollars / The Courier-Journal / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)