The Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby are both very popular races. What’s the difference between the two?
The first weekend of May is often considered the unofficial start of the horse racing season. On Friday, the Kentucky Oaks gets the weekend started. Meanwhile, Saturday features the Kentucky Derby, which is the first race of the Triple Crown. However, the two races are slightly different. But they still have some similarities as well.
As far as differences go, the two races differ on two primary factors. The first is who’s eligible for each race. While the Derby allows for any eligible colt, gelding or filly to participate, the Oaks is exclusively for fillies. A filly is another name for a female horse. In theory, a non-male horse can race in the Derby. But it’s very uncommon. The difference between a colt and a gelding is the latter cannot reproduce.
The second difference is the distance of the two races. While the Oaks is 1.125 miles in length, the Derby is 1.25 miles. Also, the length of the former has varied more greatly than the latter. There are some other differences as well. While both are very popular, the Derby is more popular than the Oaks. Another difference is the prize money. The Derby is more popular and this is reflected in the prize money ($2 million in 2017). Meanwhile, the Oaks offers an $800,000 prize. Finally, female horses tend to be slower than males.
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There are also some similarities. Both include three-year old Thoroughbred horses. The two races are each considered marquee races. Jockeys tend to ride in both the Oaks and the Derby. However, just because one is good at one of the races, it doesn’t correlate to success in the other, which is interesting. The Oaks and Derby, while different, are a lot more similar than people think.