The Kentucky Oaks, America's premiere race for 3-year-old fillies, anchors a rich 12-race card today at Churchill Downs that includes six stakes races. One of the entrants on that undercard is set to steal the show, as the Grade II La Troienne Stakes features reigning Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra's return to Kentucky.

The Oaks drew a full field of 14. The heavy favorite is Blind Luck, a three-time Grade I winner in California. She was installed as the 6-5 choice on the morning line and breaks from the five under regular rider Rafael Bejerano. Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer is looking to saddle his third Oaks winner.

The cleverly-named filly - by the one-eyed stallion Pollard's Vision and out of the mare Lucky One - took the Oak Leaf and Hollywood Starlet as a 2-year-old and was also third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. In her first two starts at three, she won the Las Virgenes and finished third in the Santa Anita Oaks. She then proved she could ship and run on conventional dirt by unleashing her trademark late kick to earn a strong score in the Grade II Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn.

Three fillies were installed as the 8-1 co-second choices. Crisp, who breaks from post seven under Joel Rosario, is 3-for-5 lifetime, with wins in the Santa Ysabel and in the Santa Anita Oaks, over Blind Luck. Rick Dutrow, who trained 2008 Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown, brings in his filly Amen Hallelujah, winner of the Santa Ynez and Davona Dale. She breaks from near the outside, post 13, under Eclipse Award winner Julien Leparoux. Hall of Famer Wayne Lukas saddles Fantasy runner-up Tidal Pool, who breaks from the eight under Calvin Borel. That rider of course won last year's Oaks with Rachel Alexandra.

The field is full of talented stakes fillies who have already been knocking heads in prep races throughout the spring. Evening Jewel (Kent Desormeaux, post 11) and It's Tea Time (Alan Garcia, post 1) were the 1-2 finishers in the Ashland at Keeneland. Jody Slew (Miguel Mena, post 2) won the Tiffany Lass and Silverbulletday before the runner-up in the latter, Quiet Temper (Robby Albarado, post 3) turned the tables on her in the Fair Grounds Oaks. Joanie's Catch (Pablo Lopez, post 14) is the most experienced of the field with 18 starts under her belt. She hasn't won since September but has been in the money in her last nine starts, all stakes, against the likes of Derby entrant Devil May Care and Amen Hallelujah.

Age of Humor (Rajiv Maragh, post 4 ), Beautician (Alex Solis, post 6), Bella Diamante (Mike Smith, post 9), Champagne d'Oro (Martin Garcia, post 10) and Ailalea (Johnny Velazquez, post 12) complete the field.

Some four-plus hours before post time for the Oaks, the La Troienne for older fillies and mares kicks off the stakes program. Rachel Alexandra returns to the track where she romped by more than 20 lengths in last year's Oaks, just missing the stakes record. The week after that show-stopping performance she was purchased by Jess Jackson and transferred to trainer Steve Asmussen, who campaigned her to wins in the Preakness, Mother Goose, Haskell and Woodward to claim the Horse of the Year title.

Rachel Alexandra made her only start of 2010 in the New Orleans Ladies Stakes at the Fair Grounds on March 13. Coming off a layoff of over six months following the Sept 5 Woodward at Saratoga, the filly was perhaps lacking in fitness - and it showed, as she battled but was run down in the stretch by Zardana, a foe she'll face again today. Rachel Alexandra appears to have bounced back from the loss, firing several bullet works since arriving at Churchill Downs, and has been deemed ready to go by her connections. She breaks from the four in a small field of six under Borel.

Zardana, trained by John Shirreffs - who of course, also handles the unbeaten Zenyatta - leaves from next to her in the three under David Flores. Prior to toppling Rachel Alexandra, the mare also won the Bayakoa Handicap last December.

The third choice is Unrivaled Belle (Desormeaux, post 5). The Bill Mott trainee won the Rampart last out. The field is completed by Be Fair (Thompson, post 1), most recently third in the Apple Blossom behind Zenyatta; multiple graded-placed Morena (Jose Lezcano, post 2) and Distinctive Dixie (Leparoux, post 6), whose last win came in a Churchill Downs allowance.

The Grade III Alysheba Stakes is another intriguing race that features plenty of familiar names making their return to Derby weekend. Friesan Fire, Chocolate Candy, Cool Coal Man and Flying Private were all Derby runners in their respective seasons and Macho Again - whose ownership group has Saratoga connections - ran second in the Preakness runner two years ago. The field also includes defending champion Bullsbay, winner of the Whitney last summer.

In the Grade III Churchill Downs Turf Sprint, Mechanicville native Chad Brown saddles one of the favorites in Silver Timber. The Grade II American Turf Stakes features Setsuko, who was entered in the Kentucky Derby but was excluded from the 20-horse field based on graded stakes earnings. Rounding out the card is the Grade III Kentucky Juvenile, a sprint for 2-year-olds.