Though they seldom get the attention lavished on their 3-year-old male counterparts at this time of year, the 3-year-old fillies are turning in some impressive performances as they prep for the Longines Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on Friday, May 2.

An event in and of itself, Oaks Day is much more than the appetizer to the main meal of the Kentucky Derby; last year, Churchill Downs announced that a near-record crowd of 113,820 turned out to see the best fillies in the country get upset by longshot Princess of Sylmar, who despite having a record of four wins and a second in six races was sent to the post as the second-longest shot on the board at nearly 39-1. The filly would go on to win three more Grade 1 races last year, earning a spot as a finalist for the 2013 Eclipse Award. The second-place finisher in last year’s Oaks, Beholder, went undefeated the rest of the year, her season culminating in a decisive victory in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff and the Eclipse Award for champion 3-year-old filly.

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