Friday is Kentucky Oaks Day at Churchill Downs, where 14 horses will square off in the most prestigious race in the country for three-year-old fillies. The late-running Wet Paint is the 5-2 favorite in the 2023 Kentucky Oaks odds. Stablemate Botanical is 4-1 in the 2023 Kentucky Oaks field. Southlawn (8-1), Affirmative Lady (10-1) and Pretty Mischievous (10-1) round out the top five 2023 Kentucky Oaks contenders according to oddsmakers. Post time for the Kentucky Oaks is 5:51 p.m. ET. 

With the Kentucky Oaks' large and wide-open field making for a head-scratching handicapping puzzle, you'll want to see what astute racing reporter and analyst Michelle Yu has to say before making any 2023 Kentucky Oaks picks, considering she nailed the winner last year.

Few people in racing are as well-connected as Yu. An on-air host and reporter who has provided racing analysis for TVG, HRTV and the Breeders' Cup, Yu has spent a lifetime in racing. Prior to her television career, she worked for trainers Steve Asmussen and Ron Moquett. She also is married to Santa Anita-based trainer Ryan Hanson.

Yu also has tremendous handicapping chops. In a wide-open Derby in 2021, she gave out Medina Spirit, who crossed the finish line first, as the winner at 12-1. In Pool 5 of the Derby Future Wager last year, she suggested a play on All Other 3-Year-Olds, which cashed at a whopping 18-1 when Rich Strike won the Derby.

In last year's Kentucky Oaks, she correctly called the winner, Secret Oath, and also hit the exacta! Since the end of February, she has crushed the Saudi Cup, riding a 15-1 winner, nailed Derma Sotogake to win the UAE Derby and hit the exacta in the Santa Anita Derby. Her return on investment over that time is $5.08 for every $1.

Now, Yu has handicapped the 2023 Kentucky Oaks field, given her horse-by-horse analysis, made her picks and constructed her wagers.

One surprise: Yu is high on the chances of Affirmative Lady, even though she is a 10-1 longshot. "This daughter of Arrogate has a few foundation races to fall back on and still needs to move up, but she's usable," Yu told SportsLine. Yu is using Affirmative Lady prominently in her wagers.

Yu's top pick is a horse who "should love the added ground" on Friday. She also is high on a double-digit longshot who is "bred to be a champ"! She is including these horses in her 2023 Kentucky Oaks bets, and so should you. You ABSOLUTELY need to see her picks before locking in any of your own.

So which horse wins the Kentucky Oaks 2023? And which double-digit longshot is a MUST-BACK? ... Join SportsLine right now to get Michelle Yu's 2023 Kentucky Oaks horse-by-horse analysis and picks, all from the insider who absolutely NAILED last year's Kentucky Oaks!