The Kentucky Oaks Trophy is a ceremonial trophy which is presented annually to the winner of the

Kentucky Oaks The Kentucky Oaks is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The race currently covers at Churchill Downs; the horses carry . The Kentucky Oaks is held on the Friday ...

horse race. Since the Kentucky Oaks is run on the Friday preceding the

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-yea ...

, the trophy presentation occurs on Friday evening, the evening before the Derby (which is held on the first Saturday in May). The trophy presentation is ceremonial only, since the trophy remains in the custody of the

Kentucky Derby Museum The Kentucky Derby Museum is an American Thoroughbred horse racing museum located on the grounds of Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Dedicated to preserving the history of the Kentucky Derby, it first opened its doors to the public in the s ...

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...

. The presentation is usually carried in prime-time television.

History of the trophy

The Kentucky Oaks was first run in 1875; its winner gained a purse of $1,175, but the existing records do not mention any trophy as part of the award ceremony. In 1924 Lemon & Son, Inc. commissioned Redlich & Co. of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

to create a

loving cup A loving cup is a shared drinking container traditionally used at weddings and banquets. It usually has two handles and is often made of silver. Loving cups are often given as trophies to winners of games or competitions. Background Loving cups ...

, possession of which would signify having won the Kentucky Oaks competition. Redlich asked George Louis Graff to provide an appropriate design. The resulting

sterling silver Sterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92.5% by weight of silver and 7.5% by weight of other metals, usually copper. The sterling silver standard has a minimum millesimal fineness of 925. '' Fine silver'', which is 99.9% pure silver, i ...

design was 25 inches (64 cm) tall, with horse-head handles on each side and an ornate silver horseshoe on top. Each year the winner's name is engraved on the trophy. In 1955, Churchill Downs had all winners prior to the 1924 race also engraved on the trophy. The first winner engraved on the trophy was

Princess Doreen Princess Doreen (1921–1952) was a Thoroughbred racehorse best known for being the top American female money-winner. After showing promising form as a two-year-old she improved to be the best female racehorse of her generation for the next thr ...

in 1924. Her owner Harry Stutts, trainer S. Miller Henderson and breeder from the Audley Farm Stable were there for the first ceremonial presentation.

Status of the trophy

The Kentucky Oaks trophy is held at and by the

in Louisville. As a permanent memento, the winning owner of the Oaks receives a set of 12 sterling silver julep cups in a satin-lined wood case. The julep cups are also engraved with the year and the names of the winning team. It is a sentimental tradition that the winning owner gifts a julep cup each to the winning trainer, winning jockey and the breeder of the horse, although there is no requirement to make the gifts. The winner of the Kentucky Oaks is also presented with a Garland of Lilies draped around the filly's withers. Garland of Star Gazer Lillies

The first garland for the Kentucky Oaks was presented to Kathleen, the 1916 winner. It was made of roses, not the lilies that have become synonymous with the filly's race today. Though every Oaks winner since Kathleen has received a garland, the Star Gazer Lily did not become the official flower of the Kentucky Oaks until 1991, when the

Kroger The Kroger Company, or simply Kroger, is an American retail company that operates (either directly or through its subsidiaries) supermarkets and multi-department stores throughout the United States. Founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883 in Cinci ...

Company was commissioned to create a feminine garland for the fillies. Lite Light, winner of the 117th Kentucky Oaks, was the first filly to receive the garland of lilies. The Star Gazer Lily was selected for its femininity and strength. A total of 133 lilies are sewn onto a white moire fabric backing with a

fleur-de-lis The fleur-de-lis, also spelled fleur-de-lys (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a lily (in French, and mean 'flower' and 'lily' respectively) that is used as a decorative design or symbol. The fleur-de-lis has been used in the ...

pattern, which, like the green satin of the Derby garland, is embroidered in white-on-white with the seal of the

Commonwealth of Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

at one end and an image of the Twin Spires and the words stating which running of the Kentucky Oaks it is on the opposite end. It is trimmed in a border of Oak Ivy Leaves symbolic of the event. The completed fabric is 116 inches long, 18 inches wide and weighs approximately 18 pounds. A bouquet of Star Gazer Lillies is also given to the jockey for the winner's circle photo. Kroger is the official florist of the Kentucky Oaks and Derby. The public can view the lily garland at a local Kroger store the evening before the race.The Kentucky Derby Media Guide, 135th Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs, 2 May 2009, p. 241.

References

{{reflist Horse racing in the United States Horse racing awards American horse racing trophies Churchill Downs Silver objects

History of the trophy

Status of the trophy

See also

References