Kentucky Derby 2026 - Further Ado

After winning a maiden route at  Keeneland  Oct. 10 by 20 lengths, Spendthrift Farm's  Further Ado   makes a highly anticipated stakes debut Nov. 29 against six juvenile rivals in the $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) at  Churchill Downs .

the role of the favorite belongs to Further Ado, a flashy chestnut son of  Gun Runner    who dominated in graduating from the maiden ranks when stretched out to 1 1/16 miles last month at Keeneland. He sped the distance in 1:43.52, earning a 114 Equibase Speed Figure, a dirt figure matched this year among 2-year-olds only by Spendthrift Farm's  Ted Noffey   in capturing the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. The latter, trained by Todd Pletcher, is unbeaten in four starts and near-certain to be the champion 2-year-old male of 2025.

Paladin Takes the points lead after wining Risin Star

There are a lot of similarities between Paladin, who won Saturday’s Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes at the Fair Grounds, and 2024 Risen Star winner Sierra Leone.

Both are sons of Gun Runner trained by Chad Brown, ridden by Tyler Gaffalione and owned by Coolmore Stud associates. Both were pricey yearlings, Paladin selling for $1.9 million at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale and Sierra Leone going for $2.3 million at the same sale two years earlier. And both came into the Risen Star off a 2 1/2 month layoff after running in the G2 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct in early December – the only difference being that Paladin won the Remsen while Sierra Leone finished second. Their winning margin in the Risen Star was identical, too: a half-length.

Another super performance. Smashed a Grade 1 field.