Field Nearly Set for the 152nd Kentucky Derby
The prep season closes with the field coming together
The qualifying season is over, and the Daily Racing Form Top 20 Kentucky Derby contenders list enters its final pre-entry form. Intrepido is the lone addition at 50-1 after Chad Brown confirmed that Ottinho is out of Derby consideration. With Iron Honor also pointing elsewhere, Jeff Mullins's colt is positioned to step off the bubble and into the field. The top of the list holds: Renegade remains the 4-1 favorite for Todd Pletcher, with Commandment and Further Ado co-second choices at 5-1 for Brad Cox. Entries will be taken Saturday, April 25, at Churchill Downs, with Kentucky Derby 152 following one week later on May 2.
Workouts That Moved the List
With no prep race on the calendar, the two morning drills that drew the most discussion on this week's Derby Watch podcast were Chief Wallabee's Monday breeze at Churchill Downs and The Puma's Saturday drill at Gulfstream Park.
Daily Racing Form handicapper David Aragona shortened Chief Wallabee from 10-1 to 8-1 and lengthened The Puma from 8-1 to 10-1. Aragona noted that Chief Wallabee's drill drew more buzz in part because he was the only Derby horse working at Churchill Downs that morning, while The Puma's Gulfstream work was, as Aragona put it, "out of town, so maybe doesn't garner as much attention or press."
Junior Alvarado's Read on the Blinkers
Bill Mott added blinkers to Chief Wallabee after the Florida Derby, and Monday's drill was the colt's first in the equipment at Churchill Downs. Working in company with recent maiden winner Gilded Bandit, the son of Constitution went a half-mile in 58 seconds from the half-mile pole with Junior Alvarado up, galloping out strongly through the wire.
Daily Racing Form's David Grening spoke with Alvarado and reported that the colt has a habit of raising his head in the late stages of his works, a tell that he is losing focus. Alvarado's read, as Grening relayed it, was that "With the blinkers on on Monday, he had his head . . . he lowered himself and he just was really more concentrating on finishing."
Aragona said the drill "really kind of grew his bandwagon a little bit," while cautioning that horses adding blinkers for the Kentucky Derby have rarely succeeded historically.
A Derby Myth, Examined
Aragona devoted the podcast's feature segment to a long-held belief that Kentucky Derby paces have slowed since the 2013 points system replaced the graded stakes earnings system for Derby qualification. Comparing 12 years before the system and 12 years after, he found no slowdown – if anything, paces have held steady or quickened slightly.
Grening offered the simplest explanation for why speed horses keep turning up in a race full of closers: "In a 20-horse field, you're going to have horses that want to be forward" to avoid traffic.
Whether that pattern holds this year depends partly on Chip Honcho, whose connections have not committed. Grening said "The Chip Honcho decision is going to be very key."
Closing the show, Aragona reminded viewers that "It's not always the best horse that wins the Derby, but often the horse that gets the best trip in the race."
View complete Daily Racing Form Kentucky Derby rankings and the full Derby Watch podcast at DRF.com
Daily Racing Form's Kentucky Derby rankings (Week 12, April 22, 2026)
- Renegade (Todd Pletcher, 4-1)
Last start: 1st by 4 lengths, Arkansas Derby (G1), March 28 – 98 Beyer
Best Beyer: 98
T2. Commandment (Brad Cox, 5-1)
Last start: 1st by a nose, Florida Derby (G1), March 28 – 100 Beyer
Best Beyer: 101
T2. Further Ado (Brad Cox, 5-1)
Last start: 1st by 11 lengths, Blue Grass (G1), April 4 – 106 Beyer
Best Beyer: 106
4. Chief Wallabee (Bill Mott, 8-1)
Last start: 3rd by 1/2 length, Florida Derby (G1), March 28 – 99 Beyer
Best Beyer: 100
5. The Puma (Gustavo Delgado Sr., 10-1)
Last start: 2nd by a nose, Florida Derby (G1), March 28 – 100 Beyer
Best Beyer: 100
6. So Happy (Mark Glatt, 12-1)
Last start: 1st by 2 3/4 lengths, Santa Anita Derby (G1), April 4 – 100 Beyer
Best Beyer: 100
T7. Danon Bourbon (Manabu Ikezoe, 15-1)
Last start: 1st by 3 1/2 lengths, Fukuryu, March 28
Best Beyer: NA
T7. Emerging Market (Chad Brown, 15-1)
Last start: 1st by a head, Louisiana Derby (G2), March 21 – 90 Beyer
Best Beyer: 97
T7. Potente (Bob Baffert, 15-1)
Last start: 2nd by 2 3/4 lengths, Santa Anita Derby (G1), April 4 – 95 Beyer
Best Beyer: 95
T10. Fulleffort (Brad Cox, 20-1)
Last start: 1st by 2 1/2 lengths, Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3), March 21 – 94 Beyer
Best Beyer: 94
T10. Incredibolt (Riley Mott, 20-1)
Last start: 1st by 4 lengths, Virginia Derby, March 14 – 88 Beyer
Best Beyer: 88
12. Silent Tactic (Mark Casse, 25-1)
Last start: 2nd by 4 lengths, Arkansas Derby (G1), March 28 – 91 Beyer
Best Beyer: 91
T13. Golden Tempo (Cherie DeVaux, 35-1)
Last start: 3rd by 1 length, Louisiana Derby (G2), March 21 – 88 Beyer
Best Beyer: 88
T13. Pavlovian (Doug O'Neill, 35-1)
Last start: 2nd by a head, Louisiana Derby (G2), March 21 – 90 Beyer
Best Beyer: 90
T15. Albus (Riley Mott, 40-1)
Last start: 1st by 1 1/4 lengths, Wood Memorial (G2), April 4 – 83 Beyer
Best Beyer: 84
T15. Wonder Dean (Daisuke Takayanagi, 40-1)
Last start: 1st by 2 1/2 lengths, UAE Derby (G2), March 28
Best Beyer: NA
T17. Chip Honcho (Steve Asmussen, 50-1)
Last start: 5th by 11 1/2 lengths, Louisiana Derby (G2), March 21 – 73 Beyer
Best Beyer: 92
T17. Intrepido (Jeff Mullins, 50-1)
Last start: 4th by 10 lengths, Santa Anita Derby (G1), April 4 – 85 Beyer
Best Beyer: 89
T17. Right to Party (Kenny McPeek, 50-1)
Last start: 2nd by 1 1/4 lengths, Wood Memorial (G2), April 4 – 81 Beyer
Best Beyer: 81
T17. Six Speed (Bhupat Seemar, 50-1)
Last start: 2nd by 2 1/2 lengths, UAE Derby (G2), March 28
Best Beyer: NA
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