Grade 1 Winner Bottle of Rouge Favored in $250,000 Virginia Oaks

NEW KENT, VA. (March 7, 2026) — Grade 1 winner Bottle of Rouge, the 6-5 morning-line favorite, tops a compact but accomplished field of six 3-year-old fillies entered for the second running of the $250,000 Virginia Oaks on Saturday at Colonial Downs, a Kentucky Oaks prep offering qualifying points on a 50-25-15-10-5 scale to the top five finishers.

Contested at 1 1/16 miles, the Virginia Oaks is slated as Race 8 on the Virginia Derby Day 10-race program.

Trained by Bob Baffert and owned by Natalie Baffert, Bottle of Rouge enters in sharp form after capturing the Sunland Park Oaks on Feb. 15 in her lone sophomore start. The filly previously won the G1 Del Mar Debutante as a 2-year-old and also competed in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar. Drawn in post 3, she will be ridden by Flavien Prat.

Baffert and Prat will also team up with Buetane, the morning-line favorite for the Virginia Derby.

Respect the Valleys, Medallion Racing and Madaket Stables’ multiple stakes winner Dazzling Dame brings a strong resume for trainer Brittany Russell. The filly captured three stakes races, including the Busanda Stakes at Aqueduct in January and the White Clay Creek Stakes at Delaware Park last fall. Drawn on the rail, Dazzling Dame was made 5-2 on the morning line. Jevian Toledo has the mount.

Among the top challengers is Gary and Mary West’s Hit Parade, trained by Brad Cox and to be ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr. Tabbed at 3-1 in the morning line, the homebred filly earned her stakes breakthrough in December’s Untapable at Fair Grounds. Most recently, Hit Parade finished fifth in the Martha Washington Stakes at Oaklawn Park on Feb. 6.

Todd Pletcher will be represented by two entrants. Kadabra finished third in the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 7 and will be ridden by Hall of Famer John Velazquez. Stablemate Baffle is still seeking her first victory but has placed twice in maiden special weight company.

Somemunny to Love enters the Virginia Oaks off a maiden victory at Parx Racing on Feb. 11 for trainer Flint Stites and jockey Julio Hernandez.

Virginia Derby week is set for March 12-14 with a three-day slate of racing, including seven stakes and handicaps, entertainment and special promotions leading up to Saturday’s marquee stakes program. First post is 12:30 p.m. ET on Thursday and Friday and Noon ET Saturday.

Here is the complete field for the $250,000 Virginia Oaks from the rail out with jockey, trainer and morning line:

• Dazzling Dame (Jevian Toledo, Brittany Russell, 5-2)
• Hit Parade (Irad Ortiz, Jr., Brad Cox, 3-1)
• Bottle of Rouge (Flavien Prat, Bob Baffert, 6-5)
• Kadabra (John Velazquez, Todd Pletcher, 6-1)
• SomemunnytoLove (Julio Hernandez, Flint W. Stites, 20-1)
• Baffle (Rajiv Maragh, Todd Pletcher, 10-1)