2026 Kentucky Oaks horses, odds, predictions, posts: Expert who nailed 12 doubles reveals picks

Jody Demling, who has nailed 12 doubles at Churchill Downs, reveals his 2026 Kentucky Oaks picks for the Friday, May 1, race for 3-year-old fillies

By Daniel Kohn May 1, 2026 at 9:29 am ET • 3 min read

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The 2026 Kentucky Oaks will get underway on Friday, May 1, from Churchill Downs at 8:40 p.m. ET. It will feature some of the best 3-year-old fillies in horse racing. It is also expected to be a tight field, with seven horses at 10-1 or lower. Zany is the 4-1 favorite, despite finishing second to Percy's Bar (6-1) at the Ashland Stakes earlier in April at Keeneland Race Course.

Among the other favorites include Meaning (5-1), Explora (6-1), Counting Stars (8-1), Prom Queen (8-1), Always a Runner (10-1) and Bella Ballerina (10-1). With the field in place, now is the perfect time to make 2026 Kentucky Oaks picks. Before making any 2026 Kentucky Oaks picks, be sure to see the 2026 Kentucky Oaks predictions and best bets from SportsLine's elite horse racing expert Jody Demling.

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A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing about, talking about and betting on races for years, Demling has nailed the Kentucky Oaks-Derby double 12 times in the last 17 years. He also predicted the top three 2025 Kentucky Derby finishers in the correct order, helping him cash a $1,682 superfecta, and called the exacta in last year's Preakness. Anyone who has followed him on horse racing betting sites could be way up.

Now, with the 2026 Kentucky Oaks approaching and odds on the board, Demling is sharing his 2026 Kentucky Oaks betting picks and 2026 Kentucky Oaks predictions over at SportsLine. Go to SportsLine to see them.

Top 2026 Kentucky Oaks predictions

One of Demling's surprising 2026 Kentucky Oaks picks: He is fading Percy's Bar, even though she's at 6-1. Percy's Bar has a great back story. She is named after a beloved, long-time bartender at Keeneland and Churchill Downs who passed away in 2024. "The daughter of Upstart won the Ashland Stakes in her only start as a 3-year-old," Demling said. "I just like others in here better."

As a 2-year-old, Percy's Bar earned two first-place, two second-place and one third-place finish. She won the MSW race at Keeneland in April 2025, before following that up with a win at the 2025 Debutante at Churchill Downs. Her second-place finishes included the 2025 Spinaway at Saratoga, and the 2025 Alcibiades at Keeneland. See who to back at SportsLine.

Another stunner: Demling likes Prom Queen at 8-1. The Brad H. Cox-trained horse has raced three times in her career and has finished no lower than second place. In her first event, the 1-mile GP MSW at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 23, she finished second behind She Be Smooth and just ahead of Paseo. She followed that up with a first-place finish at the 1 1/16-mile dirt-fast MSW at Gulfstream Park, with a winning time of 1:45.77.

In her last race, the 2026 Gulfstream Park Oaks, she took first in 1:44.4. Cox, 46, has compiled more than 2,500 career victories, including three Kentucky Oaks wins, the last coming last year with Good Cheer. He also has one Kentucky Derby title (2021). See which other horses to back at SportsLine, and you can sign up for FanDuel Racing for the Kentucky Derby here and get $25 in bonus bets with a $5 wager: