Gun Runner had a total of four fillies entered when the 152nd Kentucky Oaks (G1) post positions were drawn Saturday afternoon at Churchill Downs.
The formidable lineup for the Three Chimneys stallion includes Meaning, Always a Runner, Search Party and Brooklyn Blonde.
Meaning, who drew post five for jockey Juan Hernandez and trainer Mike McCarthy, won the Santa Anita Oaks (G2) in her most recent start and took the Las Virgenes S. in her 2026 debut. The bay filly is owned by Bridlewood Farm and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and was bred by Stonehaven Steadings.
Undefeated Always a Runner, who was bred by Three Chimneys and is owned by the farm in partnership with Doug Scharbauer, comes into the Oaks off an impressive victory in the Gazelle S. (G2), just her second start, following a 6 ½-length maiden debut win. Always a Runner is trained by Chad Brown and will break from post 9 with Jose Ortiz.
Search Party, in post 3, is the most experienced filly in the Oaks with eight starts to her name. The Mark Casse trainee won the Martha Washington S. in early February and was second in the Fantasy S. (G2), both at Oaklawn Park. Search Party is owned by her breeder Tracy Farmer and will be ridden on Friday by Christian Torres.
Rounding out the quartet is Brooklyn Blonde, who was unfortunate to draw post 14. In her most recent start, Brooklyn Blonde was second to Meaning in the Santa Anita Oaks (G2), which was her first start against stakes company. Also trained by Mike McCarthy, Brooklyn Blonde is owned by Sun-Kissed Stables and Bobby Flay and was bred in Kentucky by Benson Farm.
The Oaks will be run on Friday, May 1st. For the first time in history the Kentucky Oaks will be run at night. As race 13 in the stakes-filled card, the Oaks has a scheduled post time of 8:40 pm ET and can be seen on the NBC family of networks.
