LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Kentucky Oaks blockbuster showdown between Bob Baffert's flashy filly Gamine and Ken McPeek's Swiss Skydiver is set -- with Gamine drawing post position No. 5 and Swiss Skydiver breaking from the rail in the $1.25 million Oaks, to be run without fans on Friday at Churchill Downs.
Gamine, unbeaten in four races save for a disqualification for presence of an illegal substance during a victory at Oaklawn, is the even-money morning-line favorite from oddsmaker Mike Battaglia.
She has yet to run behind a competitor, and followed a sizzling 18 3/4-length victory in the Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park with a 7-length win in the Test Stakes at Saratoga.
“She’s getting stronger and stronger, she’s more mature now,” Baffert said after a recent workout at Del Mar. “These races have really helped her. She’s just more professional. There were some horses in front of her today, and she took dirt, she handled everything really well. She’s coming in really strong, I’m really happy with her.”
She'll face a serious test in Swiss Skydiver, the second-choice at 8-5.
Swiss Skydiver qualified for the Kentucky Derby on points with a second-place finish behind Kentucky Derby contender Art Collector in the Blue Grass Stakes. Other than that, she's 4-for-4 against fillies this year.
McPeek played around with the public a bit this week when he sent Swiss Skydiver to the track with her yellow Kentucky Derby saddle cloth, but she has been pointed for the Oaks since winning the Alabama Stakes at Saratoga in her last start.
She comes into the race with nine career starts. McPeek said he wasn't concerned about the rail.
"I like the inside," he said. "I think that's the shortest trip, obviously. We'll let her run to the first turn, I don't see us taking back. ... We'll see how it unfolds, but leave it up to (jockey) Tyler (Gaffalione) mostly."
The rest of the field, with odds:
Post positions and morning line for the 2020 Kentucky Oaks.
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