Look, the Kentucky Oaks isn’t just some warm-up act for the Derby. It's the "Lilies for the Fillies," a high-stakes, pink-hued showdown where the best 3-year-old fillies in the world try to hammer each other into the dirt for $1.5 million. People come for the fashion, sure, but they stay for the raw speed. If you’re asking who won Kentucky Oaks recently, you’re likely looking for the name that dominated the 151st running on May 2, 2025: Good Cheer.
She didn’t just win. She essentially took the rest of the field to school.
It was a weird day at Churchill Downs. The sun was out for most of the afternoon, but then the skies opened up right before the big one, turning the track into a sloppy, muddy mess. For a lot of horses, that’s a nightmare scenario. For Good Cheer, it was just another Friday at the office. Ridden by Luis Saez and trained by the Louisville local hero Brad Cox, she surged through the muck to keep her undefeated record perfectly intact.
How Good Cheer Took the 151st Kentucky Oaks
When the gates snapped open, it was La Cara who took the early initiative, carving out fractions of :22.58 and :46.78. Good Cheer was content to sit back a bit, chillin' in the middle of the pack about six lengths off the lead. Honestly, it was a veteran move by Saez. He didn't panic. He just waited.
As they hit the far turn, Saez tipped her wide—really wide. We're talking five-wide. Usually, that's where you see a horse's energy evaporate because they're covering so much extra ground. Not her. Good Cheer hit another gear and basically inhaled the leaders. By the time they straightened for home, the outcome wasn't even in doubt. She crossed the wire 2 1/4 lengths ahead, stopping the clock at 1:50.15 for the 1 1/8 miles.
The podium looked like this:
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- 1st Place: Good Cheer
- 2nd Place: Drexel Hill
- 3rd Place: Bless the Broken
If you had a couple of bucks on the winner, you didn't get rich. She was the heavy 6-5 favorite, paying out $4.78 to win. But if you were smart enough to link her with Drexel Hill in an exacta? That $2 bet returned a much more respectable $105.82.
Brad Cox and the Godolphin Dynasty
This win was a massive deal for trainer Brad Cox. It was his third Oaks victory, following in the hoofprints of Monomoy Girl (2018) and Shedaresthedevil (2020). Cox has this uncanny ability to have his fillies peaking exactly when the lilies are on the line.
Then there’s the Godolphin factor. Good Cheer is a homebred for Sheikh Mohammed’s global powerhouse, and she’s sired by the legendary Medaglia d’Oro. If that name sounds familiar, it should. He’s now sired three different Oaks winners, including the iconic Rachel Alexandra back in 2009.
The Thorpedo Anna Era: Looking Back at 2024
You can't talk about who won Kentucky Oaks without mentioning the 150th winner from 2024, Thorpedo Anna. While Good Cheer is the current queen, Thorpedo Anna’s victory a year prior was the stuff of legends. Trained by Kenny McPeek and ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., she led from start to finish on another sloppy track.
What made that 2024 win so special wasn't just the race itself—it was what happened the next day. McPeek and Hernandez Jr. came back on Saturday and won the Kentucky Derby with Mystik Dan. It was the first time since 1952 that a trainer/jockey combo swept both the Oaks and the Derby in the same weekend. Thorpedo Anna went on to be named the 2024 Horse of the Year, which is pretty much the highest honor a horse can get in this country.
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Why the Kentucky Oaks Still Matters
The Oaks often gets overshadowed by the "Run for the Roses," but the speed figures frequently rival the boys. In fact, many Oaks winners, like Rags to Riches or Rachel Alexandra, have gone on to beat the colts in Triple Crown races later in the season.
There's also the emotional side. The "Survivors Parade" before the race honors breast and ovarian cancer survivors. It turns the whole infield into a sea of pink. It’s one of those rare sporting events that actually feels like it has a soul.
Payouts and Betting Realities
If you’re looking to dive into the history books or just checking your old betting slips, here’s how the 2025 money broke down for the top three.
Good Cheer (Winner)
She paid $4.78 to win, $3.62 to place, and $3.02 to show. It was a "safe" bet, but horse racing is rarely safe.
Drexel Hill (Second)
The real value was here. As a longshot, Drexel Hill paid out a whopping $21.02 to place. If you had her across the board, you had a very good Friday.
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Bless the Broken (Third)
Rounding out the trifecta, this filly paid $7.48 to show.
For the "exotic" bettors, the 50-cent trifecta (picking the top three in order) paid $360.17. The $1 superfecta, which required you to also nail Tenma in fourth place, returned a massive $4,826.35.
Actionable Insights for Racing Fans
Whether you’re a casual fan or a hardcore handicapper, knowing who won Kentucky Oaks is just the starting point. These fillies often define the breeding market for the next decade.
- Watch the Bloodlines: Keep an eye on anything sired by Medaglia d'Oro. The "Oaks DNA" is real, and his offspring clearly love the 1 1/8 mile distance at Churchill.
- Trainer Trends: Brad Cox is a "bet-on" trainer at Churchill Downs. His win percentage with 3-year-old fillies is consistently above the industry average.
- The Track Surface: Both 2024 and 2025 saw sloppy tracks. If the forecast for the first Friday in May looks like rain, look for horses that have shown they can handle "off" tracks in their morning workouts.
- Follow the Road to the Oaks: Good Cheer didn't come out of nowhere. She won the Fair Grounds Oaks and the Rachel Alexandra Stakes before showing up in Louisville. If a horse is dominating the New Orleans circuit in the winter, they are a massive threat in Kentucky in May.
The 151st Kentucky Oaks belonged to Good Cheer. She’s now sitting at a perfect 7-for-7 record, and with her earnings already north of $1.7 million, she’s well on her way to becoming an all-time great.