Daily Derby Update: May 1, 2026

ALBUS/INCREDIBOLT – Pin Oak Stud’s Derby duo of Albus and Incredibolt were on the track at 7:20 (all times Eastern) Friday morning and galloped a mile and a half.

Antonio Garcia was on Albus and Charlotte O’Connell partnered Incredibolt.

Trainer Riley Mott said it was possible that both colts would go to the track in the morning. Training hours Derby Day are 5:15-8 with a harrow break at 7:15 and the reserved training period for Derby horses is 7:45 to 8.

Mott was asked what he hoped to see when the gates opened on Derby 152 for his first starters in the Run for the Roses.

“I’d like to see a fairly run race … get a clean trip and a fair shot,” Mott said. “I don’t want to go home with a big excuse. We get a fair shot, I will be able to sleep well tomorrow night.”

Albus, winner of the Wood Memorial (GII) will exit post 2 under Manny Franco and Incredibolt moves to post 10 following the scratch of Right to Party and will be ridden by Jaime Torres.

“I think Incredibolt will be in the second or third flight going into the first turn and Albus the third or fourth flight,” Mott said.

CHIEF WALLABEE – Mike and Kay Kay Ball’s Chief Wallabee was on the track at 7:20 with Marvin Orantes up for a mile and three-eighths gallop.

Trainer Bill Mott said it was a good possibility Chief Wallabee would go to the track Saturday morning.

Chief Wallabee will exit post 11 under Junior Alvarado in an attempt to give trainer and rider back-to-back Kentucky Derby victories to go with Sovereignty last year.

“I’d like to see him get in a comfortable spot without too much pushing and pulling,” Mott said. “I have to really look at it tonight and see where the speed is. I generally do that the night before to keep it fresh in my mind.”   

COMMANDMENT/FURTHER ADO – Wathnan Racing’s Commandment and Spendthrift Farm’s Further Ado both galloped Friday morning as preparations continued for Kentucky Derby 152.

“There’s not much more we can do now,” trainer Brad Cox said. “They’ve done everything we’ve asked. We’re ready to go.”

DANON BOURBON – Danon Bourbon jogged in the mile chute for about 15 minutes then galloped Friday morning at 7:20.

EMERGING MARKET – Klaravich Stable’s Emerging Market galloped 1 1/2 miles at 7:15 a.m. Friday morning for trainer Chad Brown.

“I am very happy with how he is coming into the race,” Brown said. “We need a clean break and he will need to run the fastest race of his life, but I envision a midpack trip and hopefully we can save some ground.”

GOLDEN TEMPO – Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable’s Golden Tempo galloped Friday morning for trainer Cherie DeVaux.

Assistant trainer Enrique Miranda discussed the colt’s potential trip in the Kentucky Derby.

“Hopefully there is some pace up front,” Miranda said. “We are going to let him relax early and let him make his one big run.”

GREAT WHITE – Three Chimneys Farm and trainer John Ennis’ Great White jogged during the special training session for Kentucky Derby and Oaks contenders between 7:15 and 7:30 a.m.

“We are going to take our time and let the early speed go if they want to,” Ennis said. “Hopefully we can find a good tracking spot from the outside and make a run.”

INTREPIDO – The feisty colt by the Into Mischief stallion Maximus Mischief jogged two miles Friday morning during the special 7:15 to 7:30 Derby/Oaks training period at Churchill Downs. Exercise rider and head groom Alejandro Galindo was aboard for the exercise and he offered some good feedback on the bay owned by Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures.

"He was a happy horse this morning and he was feeling good," he said. "He sure did tire me out, though."

Looking on from the backside stand next to the Lukas Gap was trainer Jeff Mullins, who made it into Louisville Thursday afternoon from his Califonia base. The conditioner is working his way through a broken leg he suffered several weeks ago in a freak accident at Santa Anita where he was kicked by a horse.

"It's getting better," Mullins noted. "I'm supposed to go back in three weeks for some more X-rays. I'll get there."

Derby 152 will be the conditioner's fifth go-round in the race and his first since saddling the unplaced Buzzard's Bay in 2005. Mullins also had a sad instance unfold at Churchill for the 2009 Derby. He had the 3-1 race favorite in I Want Revenge right up until Derby morning. It was then that he felt heat in a "filling" in the colt's left front and had to withdraw him. The horse was the first -- and only -- morning line favorite to be scratched from the classic.

Intrepido will break from post 3 with Hector I. Berrios in the boot.

LITMUS TEST/POTENTE – Trainer Bob Baffert's duo of Derby colts got their final serious bit of exercise in for Saturday's Kentucky Derby with gallops Friday morning during the special 7:15 to 7:30 Derby/Oaks training session.

Litmus Test, owned by the extensive partnership headed by SF Racing and Starlight Racing, had exercise rider Talia Viscusi on top for a mile and a quarter gallop. Joining his barnmate was exercise rider Humberto Gomez aboard Potente for a similar mile and a quarter tour.

Litmus Test will be ridden by Martin Garcia Saturday as they break out of Post 4. Potente will begin his journey from Post 12 with top California rider Juan Hernandez attached. 

OCELLI – Ashley Durr, Anthony Tate and Front Page Equestrian’s Ocelli galloped Friday morning for trainer Whit Beckman after the maiden drew into the field Thursday morning.

Jockey Tyler Gaffalione picks up the mount on Ocelli for the Derby per Beckman.

PAVLOVIAN/ROBUSTA – Trainer Doug O'Neill had an interesting morning Friday at Churchill Downs. The conditioner watched his colt Pavlovian -- owned by his breeder J. Paul Reddam -- go through a one-mile gallop during the 7:15 to 7:30 special Derby/Oaks training session with exercise rider Tony Romero aboard.

That was easy enough. But then things got a bit more complicated.

O'Neill got word that his Derby also-eligible -- Calumet Farm's owned and bred Robusta -- suddenly had a green light to be part of the 152nd edition of the Run for the Roses when the colt Right to Party was withdrawn from the mile and a quarter. The trainer had California-based Emisael Jaramillo named to ride the Accelerate colt, but a phone call west wound up in a "thanks but no thanks" from the rider who had a full dance card this weekend at Santa Anita.

So O'Neill next pursued the local jockey Cristian Torres through his agent, Cody Autrey. But Autrey didn't pick up, so the trainer went straight to the source and called Torres, who happily said 'Yes.' It will be the 28-year-old rider's first go-round in the Derby.

So Robusta will come out of Post 20 Saturday at approximately 6:57 with the hopes of a classic Kentucky breeding farm and a double Derby winner (O'Neill) riding with him.

O'Neill also will have a rooting interest in Pavolvian, who'll be coming out of Post 14 with first-time-Derby rider Edwin Maldonado in the tack.

RENEGADE – The Kentucky Derby morning line favorite -- Robert and Lawana Low and Repole Stable's Renegade -- was on the track Friday morning during the special 7:15 to 7:30 training period for Derby and Oaks runners. He had trainer Todd Pletcher's ace exercise rider Nora McCormack on his back and the pair went through a mile and a quarter gallop out in the middle of the big Churchill Downs oval.

Renegade will be handled in the Derby by champion rider Irad Ortiz Jr. and they'll start the proceeding from Post 1.

RIGHT TO PARTY – Wood Memorial (GII) runner-up Right to Party was scratched Friday due to lameness in his right front leg.

With the defection of Right to Party, Robusta drew into the field.

SIX SPEED – UAE Derby (GII) runner-up Six Speed will attempt to take Cincinnati-native Joe Dugan to the winner’s circle in Saturday’s Run for the Roses.

In a story by Fox 19’s Tricia Macke, Dugan describes being a native of the west side of Cincinnati and gaining his love of horses from going to River Downs.

“Growing up on the west side, my family, especially my uncles, were all into horse racing. All the little kids running around at River Downs, we would just get a bucket of KFC and just go over there,” Dugan said.

Dugan forned the partnership Brunetti Dugan Stables and bought 15 horses, one of which was Six Speed.

The colt will be ridden in Kentucky Derby 152 by Brian Hernandez Jr., who donned the roses in 2024 aboard Mystik Dan.

“He looks like a horse who wants to be forward and always seems to put himself in a great position,” Hernandez Jr. said. “Our plan from the outside post is to just let him leave, get into a good spot into the first turn and see where we’re at from there. Hopefully he’s got that same speed at the eighth pole.”

To read more about Dugan’s story, visit: Fox19.com.

SO HAPPY – Norman Stables and Saints or Sinners’ So Happy galloped Friday morning for trainer Mark Glatt, who spoke about the key to success in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.

“It all starts with the trip,” Glatt said. “I think we should be forward, depending on who is committed to the lead. If we get a clean run, we have a shot.”

THE PUMA – Florida Derby (GI) runner-up The Puma kept with a typical routine Friday morning, jogging alongside the pony prior to a light gallop for about 1 3/8 miles.

WONDER DEAN (JPN) – Wonder Dean warmed up in the mile chute around 7 a.m., then galloped once around the racetrack. Following his gallop, he schooled in the Kentucky Derby starting gate.

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 (Tyler Gaffalione, Whit Beckman, 50-1); Robusta (Cristian Torres, Doug O’Neill, 50-1). Also Eligible: Corona de Oro (Brian Hernandez Jr., Dallas Stewart, 50-1).

 THE KENTUCKY OAKS RUNS TODAY. UPDATES ON THE OAKS WERE FINALIZED YESTERDAY.