Brad Cox always seems to be loaded when it comes to top 3-year-old fillies, and he's got another good one in Life of Joy (Gun Runner), who pulled off an impressive victory in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks. With the GII Fantasy Stakes and the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks on tap this week, the picture for the GI Kentucky Oaks should become all the more clear.So, here goes, your latest Top 10:1) ZANY (American Pharoah–Mo' Green, by Uncle Mo) O-Repole Stable; B-D.J. Stable (KY); T-Todd Pletcher. Sales history: $350,000 yrl '24 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-3-0-0, $221,500. Last Start: Won Feb. 7 Suncoast Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 30.She's been No. 1 since the start of this poll and retains that position. Who would have ever thought that the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs would prove to be one of the key races on the road to the Kentucky Oaks? But that looks to be the case. Not only was the race won by Zany, but the runner-up, Life of Joy, came out of the Tampa race to post a decisive victory in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks. Zany has been in a holding pattern since the Feb. 7 Suncoast, and she ran erratically in the stretch that day. But count on Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher to have a better, more focused filly when she returns in the GI Ashland Stakes Apr. 3 at Keeneland.2) LIFE OF JOY (Gun Runner–Jordan's Leo, by Malibu Moon) O-Will Stroud, Andrew Farm, Mountmellick Farm & For the People Racing Stable LLC; B-Springhouse Farm (KY); T-Brad H Cox. Sales history: $375,000 yrl '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 5-3-1-0, $420,620. Last Start: Won Mar. 21 GII Fair Grounds Oaks. Kentucky Oaks Points: 122.It was impossible not to like Life of Joy's performance in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks. Facing a stellar group of rivals, she was a much-improved filly and won decisively. Her winning margin was 3 3/4 lengths. It was her first win since the Oct. 26 Rags to Riches Stakes, but Cox is a master when it comes to getting horses to peak on the biggest days. That means that we may not have seen the best of this filly yet. Flavien Prat also rides GIII Honeybee Stakes winner Explora. He may be faced with a difficult decision.Life of Joy | Hodges Photography3) EXPLORA (Blame–Collections Choice, by Bernardini) O-Michael Pegram, Karl Watson & Paul Weitman; B-Mesingw Farm (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Sales History: $22,000 yrl '24 KEESEP; $350,000 2yo '25 FTMMAY. Lifetime Record: GSW & MGISP, 7-4-3-0, $1,053,000. 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard.' Last Start: Won Mar. 1 GIII Honeybee Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 95.It just goes to show you that Bob Baffert and his owners don't have to spend seven-figures to find a good horse. Explora was bought for a reasonable $350,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training sale. And he found a runner. She's never been worse than first or second in her seven-race career and is a two-time graded stakes winner. She didn't blow the field away in the GIII Honeybee Stakes, but she redeemed herself after losing at 4-5 in the Las Virgenes Stakes. The news broke Wednesday that she will scratch from Friday's GII Fantasy Stakes and head straight to the GI Kentucky Oaks.4) SHE BE SMOOTH (Lexitonian–Seattle Smooth, by Quiet American) O/B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-Todd Pletcher. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $162,320. Last Start: Won the Feb. 28 GII Davona Dale Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 50.On paper, She Be Smooth certainly looks like the one to beat in Saturday's GII Gulfstream Park Oaks. (She's also ridden by Prat!). Nonetheless, it will be an important test for her as it will be her first try around two turns, and her breeding suggests that she may not want to go this far. But the Pletcher-trained filly has improved with each start and looked terrific when winning the one-mile GII Davona Dale Stakes. It is hard to imagine that she went off at 9-2 when making her debut on Jan. 23 in a Gulfstream maiden. Her workout pattern has been slow and steady–slow four-furlong breezes every time out.5) MEANING (Gun Runner–Figure of Speech, by Into Mischief) O-Bridlewood Farm & Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners;B-Stonehaven Steadings (KY); T-Michael McCarthy. Sales history: $440,000 yrl '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: SW, 3-2-0-0, $187,000. Last Start: Won Feb. 8 Las Virgenes Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 26.The Michael McCarthy-trained filly holds down the fifth spot for another week. Her claim to fame is that she beat Explora in the Las Virgenes, but she did have a perfect trip that day. With Explora taking the Arkansas route to the Kentucky Oaks, Meaning should be the horse to beat when she emerges in the GII Santa Anita Oaks Apr. 4. Was she just lucky to win the Las Virgenes, or is she that good? The Santa Anita Oaks should answer that question.6) BELLA BALLERINA (Street Sense–Pretty City Dancer, by Tapit) O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brendan P Walsh. Lifetime Record: MGSW, 4-3-1-0, $561,525. 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard.' Last Start: Second Mar. 21 GII Fair Grounds Oaks. Kentucky Oaks Points: 110.It was not a great Fair Grounds Oaks for the previously unbeaten Bella Ballerina. As the even-money favorite, she was a well-beaten second behind Life of Joy and had no apparent excuse. TDN podcaster and NBC Sports racing maven Randy Moss has pointed out that her half-sister, Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief), was also second in the Fair Grounds Oaks before coming back to win the Kentucky Oaks. Both come from the Brendan Walsh barn. So, was Walsh saving something in reserve for the Oaks? It's something to consider.7) COUNTING STARS (Honor A.P.–Paynterbynumbers, by Paynter) O-West Point Thoroughbreds; B-HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud (KY); T-Mark Casse. Sales History: $13,000 yrl '24 KEESEP; $150,000 2yo '25 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: MSW & GSP, 6-3-1-0, $372,606. Last Start: Second Mar. 1 GIII Honeybee Stakes Stakes. Kentucky Oaks Points: 25.Counting Stars, who goes postward in Friday's GII Fantasy Stakes, made a good run at Explora in the stretch of the GIII Honeybee, but fell short by three-quarters of a length. She was dismissed at 11-1 that day after a terrible effort in the Martha Washington, but she rebounded and showed the promise she displayed when she was an easy winner of the Year's End Stakes. She also ran poorly in the Myrtlewood Stakes, so she's a bit unreliable. But it looks like trainer Mark Casse has her back on track. That said, she needs to improve Friday at Oaklawn to be considered a major Oaks contender.Prom Queen | Lauren King8) PROM QUEEN (Quality Road–Miss Bling Bling, by Tapit) O-Gary and Mary West; B-Gary & Mary West Stables. Inc. (Ky); T-Brad H Cox. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $55,080. 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard.' Last Start: Won Feb. 12 MSW at Gulfstream Park. Kentucky Oaks Points: 0.More Brad Cox. After coming up short in her maiden try, she romped in a Feb. 12 maiden special weight at Gulfstream going 1 1/16 miles, winning by eight lengths. Her Beyer figure was an 83. She'll be taking a big step up in class when competing in the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks, and she'll be facing a formidable foe in She Be Smooth. But the homebred by Quality Road obviously has a lot of potential. The question is whether or not she is ready for Saturday's assignment.9) STICKER SHOCK (Uncle Mo–Smokey's Love, by Forestry) O-Gary and Mary West; B-Gary & Mary West Stables Inc. (Ky); T-Brad H Cox. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-1, $154,613. Last Start: WON Feb. 26 ALW at Oaklawn Park. Kentucky Oaks Points: 0.Still more Brad Cox. Like stablemate Prom Queen, she still has a lot to prove. She's two-for-three and is coming off a win in an Oaklawn allowance, where she earned an 87 Beyer. She goes next in the Fantasy, and a win there would raise her stock considerably. Like Prom Queen, she is also a homebred from the Gary and Mary West stable, so it will be a big couple of days for the Wests.10) BOTTLE OF ROUGE (Vino Rosso–Blues Corner, by Bluegrass Cat) O-Natalie J Baffert; B-Kathie Maybee (Ky); T-Bob Baffert. Sales History: $60,000 wnlg '23 KEENOV; $100,000 yrl '24 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GISW, 6-4-1-0, $577,000. Last Start: Won Mar. 14 Virginia Oaks. Kentucky Oaks Points: 57.50.Another one trained by Bob Baffert, and there's a point to be made here. This Oaks field is not shaping up as a race for the so-called “little guy.” Trainers Baffert, Pletcher, Cox, Casse, McCarthy, and Walsh train the entire list. Baffert, Pletcher, and Casse are already in the Hall of Fame. Cox is a shoo-in to make it someday. McCarthy and Walsh are established stars. Now, back to Bottle of Rouge. She may not be a star, but Baffert has managed her perfectly. By taking the off-the-beaten-path route to the Oaks with wins in the Sunland Park Oaks and the Virginia Oaks, she has garnered more than enough points to make it into the field for the Kentucky Oaks. Baffert has also managed to compile career earnings of $577,000 with a filly who happens to be owned by his wife, Jill. He'll no doubt have to find another jockey, as this is still another one who was ridden by Flavien Prat in her last start.The post The Kentucky Oaks TDN Top 10 for March 25: Life of Joy is for Real, and a Big Weekend Ahead appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.