Kentucky Derby & Oaks: Who has work to do in final preps?
Half the stalls in the gate for Kentucky Derby 2026 are spoken for after Commandment and Renegade soared to the top of the qualifying standings Saturday. Their Grade 1 scores in the Florida Derby and Arkansas Derby got them win-and-you’re-in berths.
The Puma and Silent Tactic also earned their spots with second-place finishes in those major preps, which were worth 100-50-25-15-10 points to the top five. Connections for UAE Derby (G2) top two Wonder Dean and Six Speed and Fukuryu victor Danon Bourbon accepted the three international invitations. They joined Fulleffort, Emerging Market and Pavlovian, who already cleared the mathematical hurdle.
Photo finish: Commandment prevails in Florida Derby.
While they were putting their Derby plans in ink, Risen Star (G2) winner Paladin became the first horse with a berth to exit. Trainer Chad Brown told Daily Racing Form it was because of an ankle injury that happened in Saturday training.
The cutline was adjusted from 60 to 61 after it was pointed out that horses like Stark Contrast, who finished second last week in the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3), could come back in the next two weeks to search for needed points. Realistically, though, Incredibolt and Golden Tempo probably are in with 60 points each.
Historically, no horse with at least 46 points has failed to get an invitation in the 13 previous years of this qualifying system. There is, however, a logjam at 50. The math says as many as 24 horses could clear that number and join the three overseas colts.
What math does not say is how many more horses will join Paladin on the sideline. Seven of the horses who qualified in 2025 were not among the 19 who started in the Derby. There have been at least four such exits each year since 2021.
Class President, Iron Honor and Potente, all expected to race in Saturday stakes, need top-four finishes to get to 65 or fifths to get to 60. Even if they miss out on more points, their current 50 may be enough to get into the Derby starting gate. The rest of the horses being mentioned for starts this weekend need either wins or seconds.
The Blue Grass (G1) at Keeneland, the Santa Anita Derby (G1) and the Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct, all Saturday, are the last three major preps on the calendar. Each winner will get an invitation to run for the roses May 2. The Lexington (G3) on April 11 at Keeneland, the last points prep, carries 20% of the value of the major stakes.
| Kentucky Derby 2026 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinched, 61+ | Rank | Points | *Earnings | Possible next start |
| Commandment | 1st | 150.00 | $943,020 | |
| Renegade | 2nd | 125.00 | $1,002,500 | |
| Fulleffort | 3rd | 110.00 | $507,900 | |
| The Puma | 4th | 106.00 | $428,000 | |
| Silent Tactic | 5th | 100.00 | $1,020,130 | |
| Emerging Market | 6th | 100.00 | $600,000 | |
| Pavlovian | 7th | 70.00 | $527,000 | |
| Danon Bourbon | 18th | Jpn | $221,246 | |
| Wonder Dean | 19th | E-M | $725,172 | |
| Six Speed | 20th | E-M | $314,366 | |
| History says yes, 46+ | ||||
| Incredibolt | 8th | 60.00 | $424,570 | |
| Golden Tempo | 9th | 60.00 | $300,000 | |
| Stark Contrast | 11th | 50.00 | $439,900 | |
| Chief Wallabee | 12th | 50.00 | $175,800 | |
| Chip Honcho | 15th | 49.00 | $190,000 | |
| Need 4th to clinch | ||||
| Class President | 10th | 50.00 | $569,700 | Blue Grass (G1), FG |
| Iron Honor | 13th | 50.00 | $165,000 | Wood Mem. (G2), AQU |
| Potente | 14th | 50.00 | $120,000 | SA Derby (G1), SA |
| Need 2nd to clinch | ||||
| Further Ado | 21st | 35.00 | $312,470 | Blue Grass (G1), FG |
| Robusta | 25th | 25.00 | $40,500 | SA Derby (G1), SA |
| Intrepido (r) | 26th | 23.00 | $260,000 | SA Derby (G1), SA |
| Express Kid | 28th | 20.00 | $308,800 | SA Derby (G1), SA |
| Talk to Me Jimmy | 29th | 20.00 | $110,000 | Wood Mem. (G2), AQU |
| Great White (g) | 30th | 20.00 | $107,440 | Blue Grass (G1), FG |
| Bravaro | 31st | 20.00 | $68,700 | Wood Mem. (G2), AQU |
| Buetane | 32nd | 16.00 | $212,500 | Wood Mem. (G2), AQU |
| Secured Freedom | 33th | 16.00 | $24,000 | SA Derby (G1), SA |
| Napoleon Solo | 34th | 15.00 | $286,520 | Wood Mem. (G2), AQU |
| So Happy | 35th | 15.00 | $144,000 | SA Derby (G1), SA |
| Needs 2nd & nom. | ||||
| Right to Party + | 15.00 | $36,000 | Wood Mem. (G2), AQU | |
| Need win to clinch | ||||
| Talkin | 39th | 10.00 | $111,750 | Blue Grass (G1), FG |
| Ottinho | 42nd | 6.00 | $24,000 | Wood Mem. (G2), AQU |
| Cherokee Nation | 44th | 3.00 | $13,805 | SA Derby (G1), SA |
| Civil Liberty | 45th | 2.00 | $54,000 | Wood Mem. (G2), AQU |
| Courting | 46th | 2.00 | $20,000 | Wood Mem. (G2), AQU |
| Start the Ride | 47th | 0.00 | $500 | SA Derby (G1), SA |
| Creole Chrome | 48th | 0.00 | $0 | Blue Grass or Wood |
| Reagan’s Honor | 49th | 0.00 | $0 | Blue Grass (G1), KEE |
| Albus | 50th | 0.00 | $0 | To be announced |
| Need win & nom. | ||||
| Taj Mahal + | 0.00 | $60,000 | Wood Mem. (G2), AQU | |
| Red Zone Runner + | 0.00 | $54,400 | Wood Mem. (G2), AQU | |
| Not yet | ||||
| Universe | 16th | 38.00 | $244,650 | |
| Grittiness | 17th | 36.00 | $150,000 | |
| Need help | ||||
| Nearly | 22nd | 35.00 | $220,450 | |
| Litmus Test | 23rd | 34.00 | $429,688 | |
| Crown the Buckeye + | 28.00 | $73,500 | ||
| Blackout Time | 24th | 25.00 | $237,875 | |
| Taptastic + | 25.00 | $138,750 | ||
| Bricklin | 27th | 21.00 | $135,250 | |
| Wayne’s Law + | 20.00 | $134,700 | ||
| Confessional | 36th | 15.00 | $55,000 | |
| Brant | 37th | 14.00 | $364,000 | |
| Carson Street | 38th | 11.00 | $35,000 | |
| Redland Rebels | 40th | 10.00 | $89,400 | |
| Baytown Dreamer | 41st | 7.00 | $171,109 | |
| Cannoneer | 43rd | 4.00 | $12,375 | |
| * non-restricted stakes | ||||
| + not TC nominated | ||||
| E-M Euro-Mideast berths | ||||
| Jpn Japan berth | ||||
| g - gelding | ||||
| r - ridgling |
Oaks has 4 or 5 spots to fill
Four or five? Which is it?
The Kentucky Oaks (G1) cutline, which was reported at 57 last week, also was tweaked for the possibility of fillies wheeling back. As unlikely as that may be, mathematical certitude has no room for gray area.
So make that cutline 60 with a tiebreaker. If there were a deadlock for the 14th and final spot in the Oaks gate, only the top earner in non-restricted graded stakes would get in without a maybe. Conveniently, no filly has 60 points right now.
Right now this adjustment affects only one horse. Bottle of Rouge theoretically could be knocked out with her 57 1/2 points, but it would mean a whirlwind of unlikely circumstances. Think of three fillies with zero points finishing first and second in the Ashland (G1) at Keeneland on Friday and in the Gazelle (G3) and the Santa Anita Oaks (G2) on Saturday. And then throw in, say, Kenny McPeek starting Taken by the Wind after she finished third Friday in the Fantasy (G2).
Nine horses definitely are in the Kentucky Oaks with this week’s addition of top finishers Counting Stars and Search Party from the Fantasy at Oaklawn plus Prom Queen, My Miss Mo and She Be Smooth from the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2). Bottle of Rouge would make 10, especially since no fit horse with at least 51 points ever has been denied an Oaks berth.
Paradise, who is expected to start for trainer Brad Cox in the Gazelle, would need at least a fourth-place performance Saturday to get above 51 and at least a third to climb over 60. Zany, who Todd Pletcher is expected to start in the Ashland, and Meaning, who may go for Michael McCarthy in the Santa Anita Oaks, need to finish third and maybe second.
Entries will be taken Sunday for the Gazelle, Monday for the Santa Anita Oaks and Tuesday for the Ashland, the final Oaks preps of 2025-26.
| Kentucky Oaks 2026 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinched, 60+ | Rank | Points | *Earnings | Possible next start |
| Life of Joy | 1st | 122.00 | $401,420 | |
| Bella Ballerina | 2nd | 110.00 | $498,440 | |
| Counting Stars | 3rd | 100.00 | $834,156 | |
| Prom Queen | 4th | 100.00 | $151,900 | |
| Explora | 5th | 95.00 | $1,016,250 | |
| My Miss Mo | 6th | 75.00 | $113,200 | |
| Search Party | 7th | 67.50 | $409,025 | |
| Luv Your Neighbor | 8th | 65.00 | $151,500 | SA Oaks (G2), SA |
| She Be Smooth | 9th | 65.00 | $146,020 | |
| History says yes, 51+ | ||||
| Bottle of Rouge | 10th | 57.50 | $517,000 | |
| Needs 3rd to clinch | ||||
| Paradise | 16th | 37.50 | $110,000 | Gazelle (G3), AQU |
| Need 2nd to clinch | ||||
| Zany | 20th | 30.00 | $197,500 | Ashland (G1), KEE |
| Meaning | 21st | 26.00 | $160,000 | SA Oaks (G2), SA |
| Sneaky Good | 23rd | 21.00 | $143,925 | Ashland (G1), KEE |
| Nycon | 26th | 18.75 | $69,700 | Gazelle (G3), AQU |
| Percy’s Bar | 30th | 14.00 | $503,620 | Ashland (G1), KEE |
| Pashmina | 31st | 13.00 | $41,500 | Gazelle (G3), AQU |
| Need win to clinch | ||||
| Two Bits | 32nd | 10.00 | $110,250 | Gazelle (G3), AQU |
| Omaha Bay | 33rd | 10.00 | $9,800 | Ashland (G1), KEE |
| French Friction | 41st | 0.00 | $81,000 | Ashland (G1), KEE |
| Always a Runner | 42nd | 0.00 | $0 | Gazelle (G3), AQU |
| Slow Kara | 43rd | 0.00 | $0 | Gazelle (G3), AQU |
| Needs win & nom. | ||||
| Hollybygolly + | 0.00 | $24,800 | Ashland (G1), KEE | |
| Not yet | ||||
| Lorelei Lei | 11th | 50.00 | $179,040 | |
| Labwah | 12th | 50.00 | $130,704 | |
| Forced Entry | 13th | 50.00 | $60,000 | |
| Taken by the Wind | 14th | 48.75 | $145,460 | |
| Need help | ||||
| Dazzling Dame | 15th | 40.75 | $263,525 | |
| On Time Girl | 17th | 35.00 | $273,745 | |
| Lovely Grey | 18th | 35.00 | $93,650 | |
| Bank Shot | 19th | 31.00 | $32,000 | |
| Newtown Pike | 22nd | 25.00 | $98,800 | |
| Resist | 24th | 21.00 | $46,200 | |
| Hit Parade | 25th | 19.50 | $86,160 | |
| Just Singing | 27th | 18.00 | $71,200 | |
| Betty’s Pearl | 28th | 15.00 | $12,250 | |
| French Blue | 29th | 15.00 | $12,000 | |
| Interstatelovesong + | 11.25 | $51,000 | ||
| Baffle + | 11.25 | $27,500 | ||
| Touch of Magic + | 10.00 | $53,900 | ||
| Nasti Z + | 10.00 | $7,350 | ||
| Piney Woods | 34th | 10.00 | $6,000 | |
| Current Yield | 35th | 7.50 | $12,000 | |
| Rileytole + | 5.00 | $116,000 | ||
| Haute Diva | 36th | 5.00 | $109,690 | |
| Go to Girl + | 5.00 | $58,483 | ||
| Cashed | 37th | 5.00 | $42,500 | |
| Cee Drew | 38th | 5.00 | $2,500 | |
| Blazing Brat | 39th | 3.75 | $35,500 | |
| Concurrently + | 3.00 | $30,000 | ||
| Nimah | 40th | 3.00 | $24,000 | |
| Revera + | 2.00 | $88,024 | ||
| Have Faith + | 2.00 | $33,000 | ||
| Steer Clear + | 2.00 | $24,000 | ||
| * non-restricted stakes | ||||
| + not nominated |