Churchill Downs Stakes Recap and Quotes: Undefeated Always a Runner Takes 152nd Longines Kentucky Oaks

May 01, 2026

UNDEFEATED ALWAYS A RUNNER TAKES 152ND LONGINES KENTUCKY OAKS

LOUISVILLE, KY (Friday, May 1, 2026) – Douglas Scharbauer and Three Chimneys Farm’s Always a Runner surged past Meaning and Explora at the sixteenth pole and pulled away to a 1 ¼-length victory in the 152nd running of the $1,500,000 Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI) for 3-year-old fillies Friday evening at Churchill Downs before a crowd of 103,290.

Trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Jose Ortiz, Always a Runner remained undefeated in three starts and completed the mile and eighth on a fast main track in 1:48.62. It is the first Oaks win for Brown and second for Ortiz who scored in 2019 with Serengeti Empress.

Ortiz also rode five winners on the Oaks Day program.

Exiting post 1, Explora set the pace while under token pressure from Dazzling Dame through opening fractions of :23.08 and :46.85 with Pashmina racing third and Counting Stars fourth while getting an inside trip. Always a Runner raced in mid pack early while between horses.

The top two remained unchanged approaching the stretch while behind them Always a Runner was launching a five-wide move that put her clear of traffic.

At midstretch, Meaning began to draw from Explora but Always a Runner was in high gear and took over at the sixteenth pole and drew off for the victory.

Counting Stars rallied late to get third by a neck over Explora.

The victory was worth $855,600 and increased her earnings to $987,800.

Bred by Three Chimneys Farm, Always a Runner is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Gun Runner out of the Malibu Moon mare Always Carina.

Always a Runner returned $13.04, $7.46 and $5.44. Meaning, ridden by Juan Hernandez, returned $7.44 and $5.62 and finished a length in front of Counting Stars who paid $5.36 to show under Francisco Arrieta.

Following Explora in order were Prom Queen, favored Zany, Percy’s Bar, Resist, Search Party, Pashmina, Lovely Grey and Brooklyn Blonde.

KENTUCKY OAKS QUOTES

Jose Ortiz (Jockey, Always a Runner, winner) – “Around the far turn she really started coming with a big run. She had to really work hard to get by those fillies on the lead. It’s such an incredible experience to win the Oaks. It was a great day of racing and to cap it off in the Oaks it was amazing.”

Chad Brown (Trainer, Always a Runner, winner) – “I’m so proud of this horse. She’s overcome so much and to be able to be rewarded this way is unbelievable. She had a very serious case of pneumonia. When horses experience things like that, we just had to take things day by day. Her career was really up in the air. I never imagined she’d get to this day.”

Juan Hernandez (Jockey, Meaning, second) – “I had a really good trip. She Broke really well and got in a good position. Around the turn, I swung out because the horse in front of me was kind of stopping. When I asked her, she exploded. I thought we had it for a second, the other filly was just a little faster than we were today. She’s going to improve from this race.”

Michael McCarthy (Trainer, Meaning, second) – “I thought she would show up and she did. I am happy with her race.”

Francisco Arrieta (Jockey, Counting Stars, third) – “She broke well. I had a couple of horses covering me and I sat just behind them. I tried to make a move but the gap closed so I had to wait a little longer.”

Mark Casse (Trainer, Counting Stars, third) – “I am very proud of her and I thought Francisco (Arrieta) gave her a great ride.'

Flavien Prat (Jockey, Explora, fourth) – “She bounced out of there very well. She was going well on the lead and ran a very good race overall.”

Bob Baffert (Trainer, Explora, fourth) – “They went fast. She was in a good spot and hung in there. Turning for home, she gave us a scream. I am proud of her; she ran her heart out.”

Javier Castellano (Jockey, Prom Queen, fifth) – We didn’t have the best break out of the gate. I had to decide to early position quickly, we feel too far behind and had a lot of traffic in front of us. I then had to go outside but we lost to a really good horse.'

Irad Ortiz Jr. (Jockey, Zany, sixth) – “I was right next to the winner (early on). At the three-eighths pole, we were moving good but at the quarter poke, they opened up in front me and she did not respond when I hit her left handed. Not today.'

Luan Machado (Jockey, Percy’s Bar, seventh) – “She broke well out of the gate but she just didn’t quite have the kick to get into the first group. It was a little bit of a wide trip but I was just off the winner so we really didn’t have much of an excuse.”

Luis Saez (Jockey, Dazzling Dame, eighth) – “I had a great trip and was in a beautiful spot. It’s the spot I wanted to be in but when we turned for home, it was a little tough for my filly.'

Brian Hernandez Jr. (Jockey, Resist, ninth) – “I am proud of her. She broke from the 17 hole and broke out a bit and was a little further back than I first envisioned. From there, I tried to work out a trip. She came with a run but in these Grade 1s, they don’t come back to you. You have to try and chase them down.'

Cristian Torres (Jockey, Search Party, 10th) –  “I had a great trip all the way around. When it was time to run, she just wasn’t there for me.”

Ramon Vazquez (Jockey, Pashmina, 11th) – “I got a perfect and was in a good position on the backside behind the speed. My filly was just flat.'

Dylan Davis (Jockey, Lovely Grey, 12th) – “She got outfooted. She broke OK and was behind the (early) pace. She could not get any finish today.'