Churchill Downs Horse Racing Picks Including Kentucky Oaks for Friday 5/5/23

Updated: Sep 10, 5:00pm UTC

It's Kentucky Derby week and the first full week of the Churchill Downs Spring Meet. And Friday it's seven big stakes races including the Kentucky Oaks. The first stakes race starts at 12:05 p.m. ET in Race 4.

As always, check the program for scratches and changes, monitor the weather, and keep an eye on the track conditions.

(I will reference Equibase's Speed Figure in selected races, which tells you how fast a horse has been running in each of its races after adjusting for track, distances, and conditions).

Churchill Downs Betting Picks

According to numberFire horse racing projections and Guaranteed Tip Sheet (GTS), these are some of the best bets to make at FanDuel Racing today.

Did you follow FanDuel Racing picks and cash in a 3-for-3 day at Churchill Downs on May 4? All six win picks finished in the money providing additional Exacta and Trifecta payoffs. Also, in recent picks at Keeneland, Time For Trouble (18/1) cashed $2 win bets for $37.50 and a $2 exacta paid $189.

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1. Secret Oath and Played Hard, Race 9

FanDuel Racing Odds: 3/1 and 9/2
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Race 9 starts more Pick 3 and Pick 5 betting beginning with the $750,000 Grade 1 La Troienne Stakes for older fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles. Top win contenders include Society (4/1), Secret Oath (3/1), Search Results (4/1) and Played Hard (9/2), according to Guaranteed Tip Sheet and numberFire data rates Secret Oath best. Secret Oath won this race last year and also finished 4th against the boys in the Preakness Stakes. She's since been strong with four more in-the-money finishes. Top jockey Tyler Gaffalione rides her again as he did in her last two - a win and runner-up finished losing by a neck.

2. Cairo Consort and Papilio, Race 10

FanDuel Racing Odds: 3/1 and 7/2
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Race 10 is the $500,000 Grade 2 Edgewood Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles on the turf. Guaranteed Tips Sheet likes Papilio (7/2), Revalita (5/1) and Cairo Consort (3/1) as top win contenders with numberFire's algorithm siding with Cairo Consort. Papilio edged Cairo Consort a month ago going 1-mile on the turf in the Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland. Those two also finished 2nd and 3rd a nose apart in March just ahead of Revalita in a Grade 3 race at Gulfstream.

3. Wonder Wheel and Dorth Vader, Race 11

FanDuel Racing Odds: 12/1 and 20/1
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Race 11 is the $1.25 million Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles. This is a high potential payoff race with a number of leading win contenders including some longshots. Wonder Wheel (12/1), Wet Paint (5/2), Defining Purpose (12/1), Affirmative Lady (10/1), Gambling Girl (15/1 and Dorth Vader (20/1). Include many in your exotic bets, Exacta, Trifecta, Superfecta and the Oaks/Kentucky Derby Double. Racing picks are provided in FanDuel's Kentucky Oaks preview with the full field and odds.

Naturally, you can bet on which horse will win the Kentucky Derby with FanDuel Racing.

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.