Lukas’ Fillies Wind Up 1-2 in Kentucky Oaks

Trainer Wayne Lukas not only won the Kentucky Oaks for the third time Friday, his 3-year-old fillies ran 1-2. Open Mind overhauled Imaginary Lady in the stretch for a 2 1/4-length victory before 67,115, a record crowd for the traditional stake on the day before the Derby.

With Luv That Native scratched on a sloppy track, the Lukas pair dominated the three other starters in the 1 1/8-mile race. Imaginary Lady finished eight lengths ahead of Blondeinamotel, the third-place horse, with Key Flyer fourth and She’s Scrumptious bringing up the rear.

Open Mind and Imaginary Lady were coupled in the wagering and paid $2.60 and $2.40, with no show betting. The exacta on the Lukas entry and Blondeinamotel paid $3.40, the lowest in Churchill Downs history.

Lukas had previously won the Oaks with Blush With Pride in 1982 and with Lucky Lucky Lucky in 1984.

Open Mind, ridden by Angel Cordero, won her sixth straight stake, covering the distance in 1:50 3/5 and earning $150,540 of the $231,600 purse for her owner, Gene Klein. Accepting Lukas’ recommendation, Klein decided to run Open Mind in the Oaks instead of the Derby, even though they teamed to win last year’s Derby with Winning Colors, another filly.

Open Mind, last year’s champion 2-year-old filly, stayed close to Imaginary Lady, who was ridden by Gary Stevens. Imaginary Lady held a one-length lead with a quarter-mile to run, but the winner wore her down and moved ahead with about a sixteenth of a mile left.

In other stakes here Friday, Equalize, ridden by Jose Santos, won by a nose over Yankee Affair and paid $3 in the $154,750 Early Times Turf Classic, and Darien Miss led from the start before scoring a 1 1/2-length win over Savannah’s Honor in the $154,750 Louisville Budweiser Breeders’ Cup. Darien Miss, who paid $4.20, was ridden by Patrick Johnson.