The Longines Kentucky Oaks is America’s premier and most lucrative race for 3-year old fillies – female horses - held each year on the day before the Kentucky Derby. This feature race is a $1.25 Million Grade 1 stakes race and awards the winning filly a garland of lilies, appropriately named “lilies for the fillies.” Like the Kentucky Derby, the Longines Kentucky Oaks race is one of the longest continually held sporting events in American history, and one of the only horse races to take place at the original site of its inception. The race was established on May 19th, 1875, by the same founder of the Kentucky Derby, Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark, and is modeled after the British Epsom Oaks. View the fillies in the Longines Kentucky Oaks.
Kentucky Oaks Day at Churchill Downs is the second highest attended horse race in the United States – following the Triple Crown of racing; the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. Aside from thunderous live horse racing, fans celebrate fashion and fundraising for critical women’s health issues.
Kentucky Oaks Charitable Initiative
On Kentucky Oaks Day, Churchill Downs Racetrack is a vision in pink as more than 100,000 guests are asked to incorporate pink into their attire in an effort to drive national attention to the fight against breast and ovarian cancer. One of the most beloved traditions of this 15-year effort is the Survivors Parade - a march of breast and ovarian cancer survivors that takes place on the historic racetrack prior to the running of the Longines Kentucky Oaks. We look forward to hosting 149 deserving survivors and fighters for this unforgettable experience on Friday, May 5, 2023.
The Kentucky Oaks charitable initiative has raised more than $1,000,000 for women’s health advocacy since its inception. This year, Churchill Downs has partnered with the Breast Health Program at Norton Cancer Institute and Horses & Hope to support their life saving efforts in the state of Kentucky.
Fashion
If you are planning to attend the Kentucky Oaks, we encourage you to artfully incorporate the color pink into your wardrobe — from hats to handkerchiefs, suits to sundresses, sunglasses to stilettos! The focus on pink both honors the Oaks official flower, the stargazer lily, and celebrates Churchill Downs’ advocacy and fundraising efforts for women’s health issues.
Consider showcasing your elegant and creative ensembles in the Longines Kentucky Oaks Fashion Contest, for an opportunity to win a luxurious Longines time piece.
For any Derby Week days, excluding Dawn at the Downs days and the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks days, parking may be purchased by going to Ticketmaster.
Any onsite parking for Derby Week must be pre-purchased before April 15th. Your parking pass will be mailed to your address on file via USPS prior to the event. Churchill Downs will not be selling any additional parking onsite after this date as free parking and shuttles will be available at the Kentucky Exposition Center.
Parking for Kentucky Oaks on Friday, May 5th, 2023
Onsite parking for the Kentucky Oaks is no longer available for purchase.
If already purchased, your parking pass will be mailed to your address on file via USPS prior to the event. There is no mobile delivery of parking passes.
Please note that certain tickets are sold with parking included; e.g., The Mansion, Suites, Matt Winn’s Steakhouse, select dining rooms, etc.
Entry to your specific lot is unique and directions to your lot should be followed closely.
For those who have previously purchased onsite parking, lots will open at 8:00 am on Oaks & Derby days.
Central Avenue Adjacent to Churchill Downs will be CLOSED from Thursday, 5/4 - Saturday, 5/6. Please visit kentuckyderbyparking.com for more route-specific information.
Limited Bus and Limo parking are available for pre-purchase onsite while supplies last.
Limited Party Bus parking is available for purchase in the Green Lot.
Buses and cars may pre-purchase a Derby Drive drop-off pass. This pass will be surrendered at the time of drop-off. There is no pick-up option at Derby Drive.
If you do not already have onsite parking, but have reserved seating with frontside access, there is parking at the Kentucky Exposition Center which is included with your ticket. Please present your ticket upon entry. This includes FREE shuttle service to and from Churchill Downs with drop-off and pick-up in the Black Lot outside of the Paddock Gate.
Shuttles will begin running at 7:30 am on Oaks & Derby days. There will be ADA-accessible parking & shuttles available. Please note that we are not able to provide wheelchair assistance once a guest is dropped off at Churchill Downs.
Important note, for those who purchased Infield General Admission and Infield Final Turn General Admission tickets, there is not parking included with your ticket purchase. It is recommended that you park and walk to the Infield Gate from our other recommended options below.
Taxi or rideshare pick-up and drop-off will take place at the Bronze Lot at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium.
There is paid parking available at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium on Friday. This option is for guests to park and walk to Churchill Downs. Pricing is planned to be as follows: $40 for a car or truck; $150 an RV or similar; and $200 for a bus.
All onsite parking at Churchill Downs is reserved in advance and available for pre-purchase in March through April 15th as long as inventory is available. Parking within each reserved lot is first-come, first-served including ADA spaces. If you do not have pre-purchased parking, you will not be able to purchase it onsite. Please pay careful attention to your specific lot’s instructions for parking and be sure you understand the directions as entry for each lot is unique. At the Kentucky Exposition Center we will have free parking with free shuttles going to and from Churchill Downs on Opening Night, 502’sDay, Champions Day, and Thurby. On the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby days if you do not already have onsite parking, but have reserved seating with frontside access, there is parking at the Kentucky Exposition Center which is included with your ticket. Please present your ticket upon entry. This includes FREE shuttle service to and from Churchill Downs with drop-off and pick-up in the Black Lot outside of the Paddock Gate.
Churchill Downs, Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks, the “twin spires design”, and Churchill Downs Incorporated related trademarks are registered trademarks of Churchill Downs Incorporated.
