Virginia Oaks

Colonial Downs • New Kent, VA, USA 50-25-15-10-5
March 15, 2025

Coming off a year where he saddled both the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks winner, trainer Kenny McPeek entered Render Judgment in the Virginia Derby. Earning 4 qualifying points as a juvenile with a third in the Gun Runner S. at Fair Grounds and a fifth in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs, Render Judgment was not able to add to his total in his lone start as a sophomore, where he ran eighth in the Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds.

Bred in Virginia, Omaha Omaha will ship in from Laurel for his first start in his home state. Trained by Michael Gorham, he has racked up 11 Derby points by running third in the Withers S. and second in the Jerome S., both at Aqueduct.

Other contenders include American Promise, who grabbed five points for D. Wayne Lukas last out in the Risen Star, and Authentic Gallop, who exits a blinkers-off allowance victory at Oaklawn Park for trainer Tom Amoss.

Exiting a second-place finish in the Rachel Alexandra (G2) at Fair Grounds, Gowells Delight was made the 3-1 morning-line favorite for the Virginia Oaks.

Debuting at two turns in December at Fair Grounds, Gowells Delight beat seven rivals by 5 1/2 lengths. Trainer Kenny McPeek threw the daughter of Practical Joke into deep waters for her encore, where she ran a troubled fourth in the Martha Washington S. at Oaklawn Park. After showing a new dimension when setting the pace in last month's Rachel Alexandra, Gowells Delight proved no match for the undefeated Good Cheer, but with her runner-up finish, 6 1/2 lengths behind the winner, she boosted her Oaks qualifying points to 16.5.

Drawing to the immediate outside of her stablemate, two-time winner Anonima ships in off her first stakes try, when she ran sixth to Quietside in the Honeybee (G3) at Oaklawn.

Though she's only started once, Fondly won her debut in style on Valentine's Day at Tampa Bay Downs for trainer Graham Motion. Demonstrating her push-button potential when overcoming two spots of trouble, the Upstart filly won going away and earned an 84 Brisnet Speed figure. Fondly was tabbed as the 7-2 second choice in the line and will break from the far outside post under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.

Sent off as the favorite last out in the Cincinnati Trophy at Turfway Park, Girl Math only managed to run fifth across the Tapeta surface where she broke her maiden Jan. 2 in the start prior. With three second-place finishes on main track at Churchill Downs on her resume, the Rodolphe Brisset trainee will return to the dirt for the Virginia Oaks.

Looking the part in her first try going two turns, Early On exits a 5 1/4-length maiden score at Gulfstream Park for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.

Results

Win

Place

Show

8

Fondly50

$4.40

$3

$2.40

5

Early On25

$2.80

4

Anonima15

$3

1

Icona Mama10

6

You'll Be Back5

Payouts

Exacta

8.20

8/5

Trifecta

20.70

8/5/4

Superfecta

10.45

8/5/4/1

Double

5.60

5/8

Pick-3

27.20

4/5/378

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Entries

Jockey

Owner

Trainer

Current odds

Wagers

1

Icona Mama

Velazquez, John R.

DeSales 85 LLC

Stites, Flint W.

8/1

2

Low Key

Russell, Sheldon

Joel Politi

Amoss, Thomas M.

10/1

3

Gowells Delight

Hernandez Jr., Brian Joseph

Fern Circle Stables

McPeek, Kenneth G.

3/1

4

Anonima

Hernandez, Colby J.

Magdalena Racing (Sherri McPeek) and Crabtree, Steve

McPeek, Kenneth G.

6/1

5

Early On

Prat, Flavien

C2 Racing Stable, Reimer, Ken T., Braverman, Paul, Pinch, Timothy and Kent, Bradley D

Joseph Jr., Saffie A.

8/1

6

You'll Be Back

Castellano, Javier

Greenwell Thoroughbreds, LLC

Amoss, Thomas M.

9/2

7

Girl Math

Machado, Luan

WinStar Farm LLC

Brisset, Rodolphe

5/1

8

Fondly

Ortiz Jr., Irad

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners

Motion, H. Graham

7/2

Road to the Kentucky Oaks

Ashland

April 4, 2025

Keeneland • Lexington, KY, USA

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Points: 100-50-25-15-10

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Points: 100-50-25-15-10

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