Always a Runner wins Kentucky Oaks in just her third career start

Always A Runner with jock Jose Ortiz up wins the152nd running of the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on Friday in Louisville, Ky. Photo by John Sommers II/UPI

May 1 (UPI) -- Always a Runner was quite the runner when she needed to be in Friday's $1.5 million Grade I Kentucky Oaks, charging down the stretch to win America's biggest race for 3-year-old fillies in just her third career start.

The Gun Runner filly let Explora and a squadron of rivals set a brisk early pace in the 1 1/8-mile Oaks as jockey Jose Ortiz bided his time.

Santa Anita Oaks winner Meaning seized the lead in the stretch run, but by that time, Ortiz had the pedal to the metal on Always a Runner and found little resistance as she swept by.

Meaning held second, with Grade II Fantasy Stakes winner Counting Stars third and Explora fourth.

"She's amazing," said Ortiz, who won his fifth race of the day. "She ran very good races her first two times out and [trainer] Chad [Brown] was very confident on her. He knew what he had.

Always a Runner, ridden by Jose Ortiz, wins the Kentucky Oaks ahead of Meaning (5) and Explora (1) at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., on Friday, Photo by Mark Abraham/UPI

"He told me, just go out there and get to know her in the works and you gonna feel like a sports car, like she's a Ferrari. He was right. I loved the way she worked. And here we are," Ortiz said..