Kentucky Oaks founder of the Louisville Jockey Club. Kentucky Oaks The Kentucky Oaks is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The race currently covers at Churchill Downs; the horses carry . The Kentucky Oaks is held on the Friday before the Kentucky Derby each year. The winner gets $600,000 of the $1M purse and a large garland of lilies, affectionately called the "Lillies for the Fillies." A silver Kentucky Oaks Trophy is presented to the winner. The first running of the Kentucky Oaks was on May 19, 1875, when Churchill Downs was
Arlington Classic Arlington Classic The Arlington Classic Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for three year old horses over a distance of miles on the turf held annually in late May at Arlington Park race track near Chicago, Illinois. The event was inaugurated in 1929 as the Classic Stakes over a distance of miles on the dirt. At one time the Arlington Classic was one of the most important races in the United States, drawing the best 3-year-olds in the country. Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox attracted a crowd of 60,000 in 1930 and he continued his six race