Kentucky ___, annual horse race since 1875

Latest answer — March 18, 2026

42 Across

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NYT Crossword

This clue's Wednesday, March 18, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1Young grasshopper
  2. 6Dibs, e.g.
  3. 11Org. that offers one "L" of a ride?
  4. 14___ a la brasa (Peruvian chicken dish)
  5. 15Game to play when the spirit moves you?
  6. 16Minnesota's state bird
  7. 17*Restaurant chain named after a Rolling Stones song
  8. 19Big name in cosmetics
  9. 20Make like a hot dog
  10. 21"X-Men" villain who can manipulate metals
  11. 23Summer camp craft
  12. 26*Without malice
  13. 27^
  14. 28Numbers on botellas de vino
  15. 30Asks oneself "What if?"
  16. 31Silk Road locale, largely
  17. 32Missed, as a chance
  18. 33Music genre that partly grew out of indie rock
  19. 34*"What a great idea!"
  20. 40Page for learning more, for short
  21. 41You might take a spin in this
  22. 42Kentucky ___, annual horse race since 1875
  23. 43Oddity
  24. 46Investment option, informally
  25. 47Microwaved
  26. 48*Having a perfect record
  27. 50Exhibits model behavior?
  28. 51It covers a fair amount of ground without moving
  29. 52Musical instrument in the Guinness logo
  30. 54Classic wood for boatbuilding
  31. 55*Similac or Enfamil
  32. 61West Coast N.F.L. team
  33. 62Save on wedding invitations, in a way
  34. 63Got in a row?
  35. 64Publishing gatekeepers, in brief
  36. 65Extend, as a membership
  37. 66"You got it!!" ... or a possible cry after hearing the calls hidden in the answers to the starred clues?

Down

  1. 1"Morning Edition" airer
  2. 2Gender-neutral pronoun
  3. 3Org. associated with a museum in Cooperstown, N.Y.
  4. 4Practice, as a trade
  5. 5Meal cooked in simmering broth
  6. 6Either brother who wrote 1996's "Fargo"
  7. 7What Dante's second circle of hell represents
  8. 8Humanitarian support
  9. 9Pulitzer-winning "Fat Ham" playwright
  10. 10Like many ruins in Belize
  11. 11Casting groups?
  12. 12Play a bit of horn, say
  13. 13Bugs
  14. 16Indulgently lazy
  15. 18Country known for luxury tourism, in brief
  16. 22"I wanna have that!"
  17. 23Bank robber's bagful
  18. 24Puccini's "O mio babbino caro," e.g.
  19. 25They can't abide messes
  20. 26Take one's leave
  21. 27"Human beings, for one reason or another, may hide their feelings, but a ___ does not": Ernest Hemingway
  22. 28Renaissance faire tipple
  23. 29Discoverer of the principle behind F=ma
  24. 32Certain chip flavoring, informally
  25. 33Student's email address ender
  26. 35Westernmost African capital
  27. 36___ degree
  28. 37Bogus
  29. 38Luau instruments, informally
  30. 39It may be taken at the start of a trip
  31. 43Deux + deux
  32. 44Email sorting option
  33. 45Skyscraper's skeleton, often
  34. 46Lavishly entertain
  35. 47"Sure thing!"
  36. 49Modern ending with You
  37. 50In favor of
  38. 52Fanfare
  39. 53Three or four, say
  40. 56"___ voyage!"
  41. 57Month after avril
  42. 58Item in a museum of antiquities
  43. 59That's the kicker!
  44. 60Kerfuffle

The answer to “Kentucky ___, annual horse race since 1875” in the New York Times crossword is OAKS — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on March 18, 2026, a Wednesday puzzle, at 42-Across. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Kentucky ___, annual horse race since 1875” answer

OAKS (4 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is OAKS.

Why the answer is OAKS

OAKS is the 4-letter solution that fits "Kentucky ___, annual horse race since 1875" in the NYT Crossword crossword on March 18, 2026 (42-Across). Use the letter tiles above if you'd rather reveal it one letter at a time.

What does OAKS mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of OAKS is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

(noun)

  • a large tree which bears acorns and typically has lobed deciduous leaves. Oaks are dominant in many north temperate forests and are an important source of durable timber used in building, furniture, and (formerly) ships
  • an annual flat horse race for three-year-old fillies run on Epsom Downs, over the same course as the Derby. It was first run in 1779

When else has “Kentucky ___, annual horse race since 1875” appeared?

New York Times reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

March 18, 2026 (most recent) → OAKS. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Kentucky ___, annual horse race since 1875”?

The answer is OAKS, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times crossword on March 18, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Kentucky ___, annual horse race since 1875”?

4 letters: OAKS.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times crossword on March 18, 2026 (a Wednesday puzzle), at 42-Across.

Can “Kentucky ___, annual horse race since 1875” have a different answer?

Yes — New York Times sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day's NYT Crossword answers?

The full grid for March 18, 2026 is on the NYT Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

New York Times Crossword is published by The New York Times; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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