Published: May 1, 2025
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
The Longines Kentucky Oaks is a great day for Louisville. What started in 1875 as a race for 3-year-old fillies has grown into one of the longest-running sporting events in the United States. The flower of the day is the stargazer lily, a large, fragrant bloom with dark pink stripes and speckles. While this botanical beauty may have given a start to the “pink” theme of the Oaks —inspiring pink dresses, hats, jackets and ties — it has come to have a much deeper meaning.
Oaks Day honors women who have survived or are in treatment for breast or ovarian cancer. You’ll see this year’s 151 honorees walking the turf track in the Survivors Parade prior to the running of this year’s Oaks race.
This day also is an opportunity to talk about prevention and early detection of these cancers that affect nearly 300,000 people a year in the United States. Breast cancer alone is one of the top causes of cancer death in women — second only to lung cancer — according to the American Cancer Society. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show Kentucky’s rates of breast and ovarian cancer as similar to those of the entire nation: More than 133 women out of 100,000 women are expected to receive a new diagnosis of breast cancer in Kentucky this year, and 10 out of every 100,000 will get ovarian cancer.
Thankfully, high-profile events such as the Kentucky Oaks help call attention to these issues. However, they do more than that: They raise funds critical to bringing down these statistics. Churchill Downs will donate to two organizations, one of which is Norton Cancer Institute, the leading provider of breast cancer care in Louisville and Southern Indiana. Funds specifically benefit the Derby Divas Breast Health Center. In fact, Churchill Downs has donated more than $1 million in support to charities over 16 years to fund cancer screenings and care for underserved women.
We know that the breast cancer death rate has been on the decline since 1989. While there are constant innovations in cancer treatment, awareness and screenings have increased thanks to events such as the Kentucky Oaks — and the funding it raises.
If you’re taking a trip to Churchill Downs for this year’s Oaks, enjoy your day. But also be sure to recognize the importance of the pink (and teal) that you will wear. And know that just by being there, you are part of saving lives.