Always a Runner wins the 152nd Kentucky Oaks, the first to run under the lights in prime time
Always a Runner has won the first Kentucky Oaks run under the lights in prime time at Churchill Downs
Always a Runner (9) ridden by Jose L. Ortiz wins the 152nd running of the Kentucky Oaks horse race at Churchill Downs, Friday, May 1, 2026, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Always a Runner won the 152nd edition of the Kentucky Oaks on Friday night, the first time the race for top 3-year-old fillies has been run under the lights in prime time at Churchill Downs.
It’s the first victory in the race for top 3-year-old fillies for trainer Chad Brown. Ridden by Jose Ortiz, Always a Runner made a move around the final turn and needed every bit of the stretch to pass Bob Baffert’s Explora and and Michael McCarthy’s Meaning before the finish line of the 1 1/8-mile race.
Meaning was second and Counting Stars third.
Always a Runner has become a star after contracting pneumonia as a 2-year-old and undergoing treatment for it. She’s now 3 for 3 in her only races.
“What an unbelievable talent,” Brown said. “This filly is very resilient, very tough.”
Brown will try to pull off the Oaks-Kentucky Derby double on Saturday with Emerging Market. He has also never won the Derby.
The first night Kentucky Oaks was one for the history books, but also took place in front of large swaths of empty seats. Many of the fans who filled the grandstand and the track from the late morning through the afternoon had departed before sunset. The Oaks has typically been run before 6 p.m.
___
AP horse racing: https://apnews.com/hub/horse-racing