Kentucky
Our top 5 Kentucky Derby contenders as Run for the Roses 2026 nears
Kentucky Derby contender Further Ado favored by trainer Brad Cox
After Further Ado won by 11 lengths, trainer Brad Cox talked about ‘dominating’ performance as three-year-old heads to the 2026 Kentucky Derby.
- Arkansas Derby winner Renegade tops our list of the leading contenders for the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby.
- Further Ado, trained by Brad Cox, joins the top five after a commanding victory in Saturday’s Blue Grass at Keeneland.
After the final weekend of major prep races, we have a projected field for the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby on May 2 at Churchill Downs.
Further Ado (Blue Grass), So Happy (Santa Anita Derby) and Albus (Wood Memorial) clinched their spots in the Kentucky Derby with victories on Saturday.
The top 20 horses on the Kentucky Derby points leaderboard are eligible to run, though there usually are injuries and defections in the weeks leading up to the race.
Buy tickets for Kentucky Derby 152 here
Saturday’s Grade 3 Lexington at Keeneland will offer 20 qualifying points to the winner, though that’s not expected to be enough for any of the competitors to jump into the Kentucky Derby field.
With four weeks to go until the Kentucky Derby, here’s our ranking of the top five contenders:
Owners: Robert and Lawana Low; Repole Stable (Mike Repole).
Trainer: Todd Pletcher.
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
Sire: Into Mischief.
Road to Kentucky Derby points: 125 (No. 3)
Career earnings: $1,031,500.
Last race: Won Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on March 28 at Oaklawn Park.
Likely next race: Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 2 at Churchill Downs.
Owner: Wathnan Racing (Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani).
Trainer: Brad Cox.
Jockey: Flavien Prat.
Sire: Into Mischief.
Road to Kentucky Derby points: 150 (No. 1).
Career earnings: $1,017,339.
Last race: Won Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 28 at Gulfstream Park.
Likely next race: Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 2 at Churchill Downs.
Owners: OGMA Investments LLC (Gustavo Delgado); JR Ranch (Ramiro Restrepo); High Step Racing LLC (Randy Guy, Joe Noble, Kevin Avera, Jim Ferreira, Todd Perry).
Trainer: Gustavo Delgado.
Jockey: Javier Castellano.
Sire: Essential Quality.
Road to Kentucky Derby points: 106 (No. 6).
Career earnings: $442,280.
Last race: Second in Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 28 at Gulfstream Park.
Likely next race: Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 2 at Churchill Downs.
Owner: Spendthrift Farm (Eric Gustavson).
Trainer: Brad Cox.
Jockey: TBA.
Sire: Gun Runner.
Road to Kentucky Derby points: 135 (No. 2).
Career earnings: $1,146,328.
Last race: Won Grade 1 Blue Grass on April 4 at Keeneland.
Likely next race: Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 2 at Churchill Downs.
Owner: Danox Co. Ltd.
Trainer: Manabu Ikezoe.
Jockey: Atsuya Nishimura.
Sire: Maxfield.
Road to Kentucky Derby points: Qualified via Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby.
Career earnings: $222,762.
Last race: Won Fukuryu Stakes on March 28 at Nakayama Racecourse.
Likely next race: Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 2 at Churchill Downs.
Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com. Follow on X @KentuckyDerbyCJ.