Serengeti Empress dominates to win Longines Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs

In front of a crowd of 105,719, the winner held off the challenge from Liora to provide both jockey Jose Ortiz and trainer Tom Amoss with victory in the race for the first time.

The Longines Kentucky Oaks is America’s premier and most lucrative race for three-year old fillies, and is held each year on the day before the Kentucky Derby. This feature race is a $1 Million Grade 1 stakes race which is run over a distance of just over a mile, with the winning filly awarded a garland of lilies.

While she may not have been the favourite in Friday’s field of 14, Amoss was confident Serengeti Empress would be able to hold her own, and that she did with some distinction.
Breaking from post 13 under Ortiz, the filly immediately sprang clear but the Churchill Downs crowd was drawn to Positive Spirit who was squeezed at the start by Jaywalk and clipped heels. The filly stumbled shortly after leaving post 6 and fell, unseating jockey Manny Franco, before springing to her feet and galloping down the stretch.

As that drama played out on the frontside, Ortiz called on his filly’s natural speed and angled Serengeti Empress inward toward the rail from where they fully established control of the race.

Maintaining a two-length advantage as they reached the six-furlong mark, Serengeti Empress was the target as Liora, under jockey Channing Hill, cut a path between rivals and moved up in a position to challenge. Straightened for the drive, Liora drew upon all the energy she could muster to chase down the frontrunner, but the effort came too late and Serengeti Empress crossed the finish one and three-quarter lengths to go the good.

The runner-up was another five and a half lengths back to third-place finisher Lady Apple, followed by Champagne Anyone and the favourite Bellafina in fifth. Street Band, with British rider Sophie Doyle aboard came in sixth, with Chocolate Kisses, Motion Emotion, Jeltrin, Out for a Spin, Flor de la Mar, Restless Rider, Jaywalk, and Positive Spirit completing the order of finish.
Jaywalk, who was attempting to become the first two-year-old champion to win the Kentucky Oaks since Silverbulletday in 1999, eventually crossed the finish line in sixth but was disqualified to 13th for taking the path of Positive Spirit and forcing the filly to go over heels.

Speaking afterwards, Ortiz said, “Tom gave me a lot of confidence in her. I had never been on her, and he told me, ‘Ride her like you own her.’ And that’s what I did.

“I went out of there, I knew her best races are in the lead, and I just tried to get her comfortable. I don’t care if I was going a little bit too fast. As long as she was comfortable, I was comfortable with it.”

Attention now switches to today’s (Saturday) Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, the first leg of USA racing’s Triple Crown.