Daily Derby Update: April 30, 2026

ALBUS/INCREDIBOLT – Pin Oak Stud got its Derby Week off to a rousing start Wednesday when Parchment Party won the $200,000 Isaac Murphy Marathon (L).

On Thursday morning, Derby 152 preparations continued for their two hopes as Albus and Incredibolt visited the paddock and galloped a mile and a half after coming on the track at 7:15 (all times Eastern).

Both horses are in familiar territory in Barn 46.

“They were both here when they came in as 2-year-olds,” trainer Riley Mott said as the countdown toward his first Derby starters continues.

“This is a great experience for the whole team and crew to be a part of. And, it is nice to be able to stay in a routine with a full barn. We are creatures of habit and we like to stay with our routine.

“If you came in with just one horse, you are done by 7 and then what? What do you do? It is beneficial sticking with your routine.”

CHIEF WALLABEE – Mike and Kay Kay Ball’s Chief Wallabee was on the track at 7:15 and visited the paddock before galloping a mile and a quarter under Marvin Orantes.

Trainer Bill Mott’s Derby Week began on a positive note Wednesday afternoon when he saddled Parchment Party to victory in the Isaac Murphy Marathon (L).

COMMANDMENT/FULLEFFORT/FURTHER ADO – St. Elias Stable and Starlight Racing’s Fulleffort was withdrawn from Derby 152 because of a chip in his left hind ankle.

Trainer Brad Cox’s two remaining Derby hopefuls, Wathnan Racing’s Commandment and Spendthrift Farm’s Further Ado, schooled in the starting gate and then galloped with Edvin Vargas aboard Commandment and Jonathan Santiago on Further Ado.

DANON BOURBON – Danox Co. Ltd.’s Danon Bourbon galloped about a mile then schooled in the paddock for approximately 20 minutes.

EMERGING MARKET – Klaravich Stable’s Emerging Market galloped 1 1/2 miles during the special training session for Kentucky Derby and Oaks contenders between 7:15 and 7:30 a.m.

GOLDEN TEMPO – Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable’s Golden Tempo galloped Thursday morning after jogging over the wet track Wednesday for trainer Cherie DeVaux.

“He looked great this morning,” DeVaux said. “He galloped well and has really moved forward in his training these past couple weeks.”

GREAT WHITE – Three Chimneys Farm and trainer John Ennis’ Great White galloped seven furlongs Thursday morning at Churchill Downs.

“Just a maintenance gallop keeping him happy and healthy,” Ennis said. “We just want to keep his head in the game with only a couple days until the race.”

INTREPIDO – The bay sophomore continued his steady climb toward Kentucky Derby 152 Thursday morning at Churchill Downs during the track's special 7:15 to 7:30 training session for Derby and Oaks horses. He had jack-of-all-trades Alejandro Galindo in the boot and the two put in a mile and a half jog backtracking and also had a visit to the starting gate.

Intrepido will be joined today by his California-based trainer – Jeff Mullins – who has been dealing with the aftereffects of a broken leg. On Saturday, the colt will break from Post 3 in the 20-horse Derby field and have regular rider Hector I. Berrios on board.

Intrepido is scheduled to paddock today with horses from Race 1.

LITMUS TEST/POTENTE – Trainer Bob Baffert's Barn 33 on the Churchill Downs' backside was a people magnet Thursday with bunches of his owners, family, friends, media types and fans in the mix as he went about training his various runnners, including a pair of his sophs who will run Saturday in the Kentucky Derby.

The bay Nyquist colt Litmus Test, owned by the extensive partnership headed by the folks from SF Racing and Starlight Racing, headed out at 7:15 under exercise rider Talia Viscusi for a solid mile and a half gallop during the special Derby/Oaks training session.

At the same time, a son of Into Mischief named Potente went trackside with exercise rider Humberto Gomez doing the driving for a mile and a quarter gallop. The racy bay youngster, who only has three starts under his belt so far, is owned by Speedway Stables and can brag of a score in a Grade II stakes and a second-place finish in a Grade I (Santa Anita Derby).

Litmus Test is scheduled to break from Post 4 Saturday and be ridden by Martin Garcia. Stablemate Potente is spotted in Post 13 and will be handled by Juan Hernandez.

Hernandez, one of California's top riders for the past half-dozen years, was trackside with the Baffert crew to watch his Derby mount stretch his legs.

"My first Derby mount," the 34-year-old reinsman said happily. "It's fun; it's exciting. And I'm ready for it."

OCELLI – Ashley Durr, Anthony Tate and Front Page Equestrian’s Ocelli moved into the main body of Derby 152 from the also eligible list with the defection of Fulleffort.

“Back about a month ago, we were 30 (on the Derby leaderboard),” trainer Whit Beckman said of Ocelli, who galloped Thursday morning. “The way things have gone the past couple of years, you think you might have a chance after the one yesterday (Silent Tactic).

“There were a couple of other races we were looking at (if he didn’t get in the Derby).”

PAVLOVIAN – The homebred son of the California sire Pavel got in his daily exercise during the special Derby/Oaks training session beginning at 7:15 Thursday morning at Churchill Downs.

The roan/gray colt had ace exercise rider Tony Romero up for a mile and a half gallop that was "super," according to the rider. His start Saturday will be his 11th overall, the most of any of the 20 runners slated for Derby 152.

Looking on Thursday morning was trainer Doug O'Neill, who has some very positive history already in the Kentucky Derby. He and Pavlovian's owner/breeder – J. Paul Reddam – have already won the race twice – with I'll Have Another in 2012 and Nyquist in 2016.

With a broad smile, O'Neill noted that "Good things can happen in threes."

Saturday that potential three-bagger will start from Post 15 with first-time Derby jockey Edwin Maldonado in the tack.

RENEGADE – The Kentucky Derby morning line favorite – Robert and Lawana Low and Repole Stable's Renegade – looked very professional as he went trackside Thursday morning during the special 7:15 to 7:30 training session at Churchill Downs. The impressive winner of the Grade I Arkansas Derby had exercise rider Nora McCormack up as they went through a relatively easy mile and a quarter gallop on a chilly Kentucky morning.

The son of super sire Into Mischief has drawn Post 1 for Derby 152 and will have regular rider Irad Ortiz Jr. in the tack.

RIGHT TO PARTY – Chester Broman Sr.’s Right to Party put in a spirited gallop Thursday morning inside of a workmate with jockey Christopher Elliott aboard for trainer Kenny McPeek.

“He likes to have another horse out there with him,” McPeek said. “It was good to get Chris up on him this morning.”

SIX SPEED – Brunetti Dugan Stables, Black Type Thoroughbreds, Steve Adkisson and Swinbank Stables’ Six Speed galloped Thursday morning for trainer Bhupat Seemar as preparations continued for Kentucky Derby 152.

SO HAPPY – Norman Stables and Saints or Sinners’ So Happy galloped during the special training session for Kentucky Derby and Oaks contenders between 7:15 and 7:30 a.m.

“He is doing well,” trainer Mark Glatt said. “He will school in the paddock prior to Race 1 today.”

THE PUMA – OGMA Investments, JR Ranch, High Step Racing, TCC Stables and Bruce Zoldan’s The Puma schooled in the paddock and galloped 1 ¼ miles under Carlos Oliveras for trainer Gustavo Delgado.

WONDER DEAN (JPN) – UAE Derby (GII) runner-up Wonder Dean warmed up in the chute for about 20 minutes, galloped, then schooled in the paddock.

THE $5 MILLION KENTUCKY DERBY PRESENTED BY WOODFORD RESERVE (GI) – Here’s the field for Kentucky Derby 152 in post position order (with jockey, trainer and morning-line odds): Renegade (Irad Ortiz Jr., Todd Pletcher, 4-1); Albus (Manny Franco, Riley Mott, 30-1); Intrepido (Hector Berrios, Jeff Mullins, 50-1); Litmus Test (Martin Garcia, Bob Baffert, 30-1); Right to Party (Chris Elliott, Kenny McPeek, 30-1); Commandment (Luis Saez, Brad Cox, 6-1); Danon Bourbon (Atsuya Nishimura, Manabu Ikezoe, 20-1); So Happy (Mike Smith, Mark Glatt, 15-1); The Puma (Javier Castellano, Gustavo Delgado, 10-1); Wonder Dean (JPN) (Ryusei Sakai, Daisuke Takayanagi, 30-1); Incredibolt (Jaime Torres, Riley Mott, 20-1); Chief Wallabee (Junior Alvarado, Bill Mott, 8-1); Silent Tactic (Cristian Torres, Mark Casse, 20-1); Potente (Juan Hernandez, Bob Baffert, 20-1); Emerging Market (Flavien Prat, Chad Brown, 15-1); Pavlovian (Edwin Maldonado, Doug O’Neill, 30-1); Six Speed (Brian Hernandez Jr., Bhupat Seemar, 50-1); Further Ado (John Velazquez, Brad Cox, 6-1); Golden Tempo (Jose Ortiz, Cherie DeVaux, 30-1); Fulleffort (Tyler Gaffalione, Brad Cox, 20-1); Great White (Alex Achard, John Ennis, 50-1), Ocelli (Joe Ramos, Whit Beckman, 50-1). Also Eligibles: Robusta (Emisael Jaramillo, Doug O’Neill, 50-1); Corona de Oro (Brian Hernandez Jr., Dallas Stewart, 50-1).


LONGINES KENTUCKY OAKS UPDATE

ALWAYS A RUNNER – Douglas Scharbauer and Three Chimneys Farm’s Always a Runner galloped 1 1/2 miles during the special training session for Kentucky Derby and Oaks contenders between 7:15 and 7:30 a.m. in final preparation for Friday’s Longines Kentucky Oaks.

BELLA BALLERINA – Godolphin’s Bella Ballerina was declared out of the Kentucky Oaks because of an injury to her right front.

BROOKLYN BLONDE/MEANING – Trainer Michael McCarthy had half of his Kentucky Oaks duo – Sun-Kissed Stable and Bobby Flay's Brooklyn Blonde – out early Thursday morning at Churchill Downs for a mile and a quarter gallop around the big oval. Juan Alverez and the chestnut daughter of Gun Runner were trackside at 5:30 on a chilly morning with an almost full moon still hanging low in the Louisville sky.

Alverez went back to work again during the 7:15 to 7:30 special Derby/Oaks training session as he took the stable's Meaning, owned by the partnership of Brindlewood Farm and Eclipse Thoroughbreds, through a gallop of a mile and quarter.

McCarthy was asked about his plans for his pair on Oaks Day, which is a long one considering the fact that the actual race will not take place until 8:40 p.m., keyed by a television commitment.

"I've got to think about it," the condioner said. "I might give the two of them the morning off."

Top California rider Juan Hernandez will be aboard Meaning Friday and they'll start from Post 5. Brooklyn Blonde will be handled by another California pilot, Kazushi Kimura, and they'll exit gate 11.

COUNTING STARS/SEARCH PARTY – West Point Thoroughbreds’ Counting Stars jogged a mile in the chute under Froylan Garcia Thursday morning for trainer Mark Casse.

Terry Finley, the head of West Point, was on the scene and enthusiastic about his filly’s chances.

“I am very pumped; she’s live,” Finley said of the daylight Fantasy (GII) winner. “I know it is a bit cliché to say this, but it is an honor to be here and we don’t take this lightly. This is our 35th year (as West Point).”

Tracy Farmer’s Search Party walked Thursday morning.

DAZZLING DAME – Respect the Valleys, Medallion Racing and Madaket Stables’ Dazzling Dame jogged a mile and galloped a mile under Emma Wolfe for trainer Brittany Russell.

Wolfe said Dazzling Dame would not go to the track in the morning.

EXPLORA – The high-class California-based daughter of Blame made it out onto the Churchill Downs strip Thursday morning right at the end of the 7:15 to 7:30 Derby/Oaks special training period. Exercise rider Humberto Gomez was at the controls and put the dark-hued lassie through a strong gallop of a mile and a quarter.

"She feels good," Gomez offered. "In fact, she feels great."

Explora is owned by the trio of Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman and trains out of the barn of Hall of Famer Bob Baffert. She's been either first or second in all seven of her lifetime starts so far and has earned $1,053,000.

The trainer was asked about what he might -- or might not -- do with his filly Friday morning given the fact that she will not race until 8:40 p.m that evening.

"You know me," he said. "I'll figure it out tomorrow morning."

LOVELY GREY – Go Go Grey Stable’s Lovely Grey trained at 5:15 a.m. Thursday, jogging a mile alongside the pony.

NYCON – Icon Racing Stable’s Nycon galloped for trainer Whit Beckman following the morning’s first track renovation session.

Nycon moved into the main body of the Oaks field Wednesday following the defection of My Miss Mo.

“We had a couple of races in mind that we could have gone to if we didn’t get in the Oaks like the ($300,000) Black-Eyed Susan (GII on May 15 at Laurel),” Beckman said. “So we have trained like if we could run on Friday that’s great and if we didn’t we would go another route. Luckily we can.”

PASHMINA – Red White and Blue Racing’s Pashmina galloped a mile under Jesse Sauter for trainer Rob Atras.

Pashmina will exit post 10 under Ramon Vazquez.

“I want to see what everybody else does … have a clean break and get comfortable,” Atras said. “I like the post and Ramon can get her in a good spot. There is a nice, long run to the first turn so being outside is not a concern like it would be if there was only 70 yards or so to the turn.”

Atras said Friday morning plans for Pashmina were undecided given the late Oaks post time of 8:40 p.m.

PERCY’S BAR – Trainer Ben Colebrook was asked what he would like to happen for Hat Creek Racing’s Percy’s Bar in Friday’s Oaks.

“I’d like to see her get her picture taken,” Colebrook said after the Ashland (GI) winner jogged a mile under Rene Morales.

Percy’s Bar will be ridden by Luan Machado, who has been aboard for all six of her starts. They will exit post 9.

“I think she will be a little more forwardly placed,” Colebrook said of Percy’s Bar, who won the Ashland with a stalking trip but was on the lead in last fall’s Alcibiades (GI) in which she was disqualified from the victory because of interference in the stretch.

“If nobody takes the initiative (she could be on the lead), but I doubt that.”

Machado was on hand Thursday morning to visit his Oaks filly.

“I’m just trying to take it all in,” Machado said. “As long as my filly is happy, I’m happy. Right now, she seems very happy.”

PROM QUEEN – Gary and Mary West’s Prom Queen galloped around 6:30 a.m. with Katie Tolbert aboard for Brad Cox.

Cox is a three-time winner of the Oaks with Monomoy Girl (2018), Shedaresthedevil (2020) and Good Cheer (2025). With a victory in Friday’s race he’d tie Ben A. Jones and Todd Pletcher for the second-most victories in the race. Woody Stephens and D. Wayne Lukas hold the record for most victories with five.

RESIST – Military Pike Racing Stables’ Resist, who moved into the main body of the field for the Kentucky Oaks with the defection of Bella Ballerina, galloped Thursday morning at 7:15 for trainer Tommy Drury.

Resist will be making her dirt track debut in the Oaks and be ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr. from post 14.

“We have trained like we were aiming for the Oaks,” Drury said. It’s a really exciting opportunity for all of us to be involved Friday."

ZANY – The daughter of Triple Crown champion American Pharoah got out of trainer Todd Pletcher's Barn 39 just after 6 a.m. Thursday for a solid gallop of a mile and three eighths under Nora McCormack. Pletcher looked on from the stand next to the 5 ½ furlong gap as the Repole Stable charge went through her exercises in the dark.

"We've been training her early to get her used to being under the lights," the Hall of Fame conditioner noted. "With the race so late (the Oaks is scheduled to go off at 8:40 p.m. Friday), we want her to be ready for that environment."

Zany will be handled by champion jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. and they'll begin their run from Post 2.

The $5 MILLION LONGINES KENTUCKY OAKS – Here’s the field for the $1.5 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI) in post position order, with jockey, trainer and morning-line odds: Explora (Flavien Prat, Bob Baffert, 6-1); Zany (Irad Ortiz Jr., Todd Pletcher, 4-1); Search Party (Cristian Torres, Mark Casse, 30-1); Counting Stars (Francisco Arrieta, Mark Casse, 8-1); Meaning (Juan Hernandez, Michael McCarthy, 5-1); My Miss Mo (Micah Husbands, Saffie Joseph Jr., 20-1); Dazzling Dame (Luis Saez, Brittany Russell, 30-1); Bottle of Rouge (Mike Smith, Bob Baffert, 20-1); Always a Runner (Jose Ortiz, Chad Brown, 10-1); Prom Queen (Javier Castellano, Brad Cox, 8-1); Percy’s Bar (Luan Machado, Ben Colebrook, 6-1); Bella Ballerina (Tyler Gaffalione, Brendan Walsh, 10-1); Pashmina (Ramon Vazquez, Rob Atras, 30-1); Brooklyn Blonde (Kazushi Kimura, Michael McCarthy, 30-1); Lovely Grey (Dylan Davis, 30-1); Nycon (Jaime Torres, 50-1); Resist (Brian Hernandez Jr., 50-1).

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