Daily Derby Update: April 20, 2026

Edited Churchill Downs track notes

ALBUS/INCREDIBOLT – Pin Oak Stud’s Albus galloped a mile under exercise rider Antonio Garcia at 7:15 for trainer Riley Mott. Before Albus went to the track, Virginia Derby winner Incredibolt arrived at Mott's Churchill Downs barn at 6:15 from Palm Meadows Training Center in South Florida. Pin Oak also owns Incredibolt.

“It was his first day back (after working a half-mile in :49 on Saturday),” Mott said of the Wood Memorial (GII) winner.

CHIEF WALLLABEE – Mike and K.K. Ball’s Chief Wallabee worked with recent maiden winner Gilded Bandit going five furlongs in 1:00. Chief Wallabee produced fractions of :24.80, :36.60, :48.20 and 1:00 while galloping out six furlongs in 1:12 and seven-eighths in 1:26.60 according to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols.

“It was a good work,” jockey Junior Alvarado said. “We added blinkers to see how he would handle them and he was very focused. He had a strong gallop out and did everything we wanted to.”

Trainer Bill Mott, seeking to become the first trainer since Bob Baffert in 1997-1998 to win the Derby in consecutive years, also was happy with the work from Chief Wallabee who was third in the Florida Derby (GI) in his most recent start.

“I thought it was very good, he finished really well and galloped out strong,” said Mott, who saddled Horse of the Year Sovereignty to victory in Kentucky Derby 151. “He’s an inexperienced horse (with three starts) and we put the blinkers on to give him a little something to help him focus.”

Sovereignty, who is scheduled to ship in to the Mott barn today following his runner-up finish in Saturday’s Oaklawn Handicap (GI), had two works here last spring before his Derby victory. Mott plans a similar path for Chief Wallabee with a final work coming next Sunday or Monday depending on weather.

COMMANDMENT/FULLEFFORT/FURTHER ADO – Trainer Brad Cox’s Derby trio of Wathnan Racing’s Commandment, St. Elias Stable and Starlight Racing’s Fulleffort and Spendthrift Farm’s Further Ado all galloped early Monday morning.

Commandment, with assistant trainer and exercise rider Katie Tolbert aboard, jogged one mile and galloped one mile, while stablemates Fulleffort and Further Ado each galloped about 1 ½ miles under exercise rider Edvin Vargas.

Cox was at Keeneland Monday and will return to Churchill Downs Tuesday.

EMERGING MARKET – Klaravich Stables’ undefeated Louisiana Derby (GII) winner Emerging Market arrived at Churchill Downs at 5 a.m. with a string of trainer Chad Brown’s horses from Payson Park Training Center in South Florida.

RIGHT TO PARTY – Trainer Kenny McPeek’s Kentucky Derby hopeful jogged Monday morning with exercise rider Robby Albarado aboard for owner Chester Broman Sr.. It was Right to Party’s first time returning to the track since working five furlongs in 1:00.80 Saturday morning.

SILENT TACTIC – John Oxley’s Silent Tactic, runner-up in the Arkansas Derby (GI) in his most recent start, jogged two miles in the mile chute shortly after the track opened for training at 5:15. Dass Garcia was aboard.

“It’s a lot quieter back in the chute,” said Allen Hardy, assistant to trainer Mark Casse. “He will train early tomorrow and Mark will be here Wednesday morning and we will probably go during the Derby training period.”

STARK CONTRAST – Amerman Racing’s Stark Contrast jogged at 5:30 with exercise rider  Christian Garcia aboard for trainer Michael McCarthy. A decision on whether to run in the Kentucky Derby or the American Turf has not been announced.

WONDER DEAN (JPN) – Yoshinari Yamamoto’s Wonder Dean (JPN), jogged in the chute, jogged about one mile on the main track and schooled in the starting gate Monday morning.

His country mate and fellow Kentucky Derby contender, Danon Bourbon, was on a flight Monday to Chicago and is scheduled to undergo 42 hours of USDA quarantine prior to arriving at Churchill Downs.

ALSO-ELIGIBLES – Trainer Steve Asmussen’s Kentucky Derby hopeful, Leland Ackerley Racing,  James Sherwood, Jode Shupe and John Cilia’s Chip Honcho, jogged at 7:15 a.m. with exercise rider Roberto Howell aboard and was accompanied by Asmussen’s chief assistant  Scott Blasi on the pony. The colt needs one defection to make the field for Kentucky Derby 152.

SHAPING UP: THE $5 MILLION KENTUCY DERBY PRESENTED BY WOODFORD RESERVE (GI) – Here is the top 20 preference list for the $5 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) in alphabetical order (with jockey and trainer): Albus (Manny Franco, Riley Mott); Chief Wallabee (Junior Alvarado, Bill Mott); Commandment (Luis Saez, Brad Cox); Danon Bourbon (Atsuya Nishimura, Manabu Ikezoe); Emerging Market (Flavien Prat, Chad Brown); Further Ado (John Velazquez, Brad Cox); Fulleffort (Tyler Gaffalione, Brad Cox); Golden Tempo (Jose Ortiz, Cherie DeVaux); Incredibolt (Jaime Torres, Riley Mott); Iron Honor (TBD, Chad Brown); Pavlovian (Edwin Maldonado, Doug O’Neill); Potente (Juan Hernandez, Bob Baffert); Renegade (Irad Ortiz Jr., Todd Pletcher); Right to Party (Chris Elliott, Kenny McPeek); Silent Tactic (Cristian Torres, Mark Casse); Six Speed (TBD, Bhupat Seemar); So Happy (Mike Smith, Mark Glatt); Stark Contrast (TBD, Michael McCarthy); The Puma (Javier Castellano, Gustavo Delgado); Wonder Dean (JPN) (Ryusei Sakai, Daisuke Takayanagi).

Also Eligibles: Chip Honcho (TBD, Steve Asmussen); Intrepido (Hector Berrios, Jeff Mullins); Litmus Test (TBD, Bob Baffert); Great White (TBD, John Ennis).

LONGINES KENTUCKY OAKS UPDATE

BELLA BALLERINA – Godolphin’s Bella Ballerina arrived at Churchill Downs around 1:30 p.m. Sunday. The filly is scheduled to record her final Kentucky Oaks breeze this weekend.

COUNTING STARS/SEARCH PARTY – Trainer Mark Casse’s two Kentucky Oaks hopefuls, Counting Stars and  Search Party jogged two miles in the mile chute shortly after the main track opened for training at 5:15.

Froylan Garcia was aboard West Point Thoroughbreds’ Counting Stars, winner of the Fantasy (GII) in her most recent start, and Elver Vargas was on Tracy Farmer’s Search Party, runner-up in the Fantasy.

LORELEI LEE – Skychai Racing’s Lorelei Lee, winner of the Bourbonette Oaks (Listed) in her most recent start, worked a half-mile in company in :48.20 for trainer Mike Maker. She opened the work in company with Salty Senorita with a :24 first quarter and galloped out five-eighths in 1:01.40, according to Churchill Downs clocker Adam Wallace.

MEANING/BROOKLYN BLONDE – Santa Anita Oaks (GII) winner Meaning is scheduled to arrive from trainer Michael McCarthy’s Southern California base Tuesday afternoon according to Justin Curran, McCarthy’s Churchill assistant.

Also on the plane is scheduled to be Brooklyn Blonde, the runner-up in the Santa Anita Oaks. Brooklyn Blonde is 16th on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard and would need two defections from fillies under consideration for the race to make the field. Curran said Brooklyn Blonde would be pointed to the $700,000 Eight Belles Presented by Sysco (GII) on May 1 if she does not get in the Oaks.