Kentucky Derby Update for Wednesday, April 22, 2026: California Derby Contenders Make Initial Appearances

Apr 22, 2026

Following late Tuesday afternoon arrivals at Churchill Downs from Southern California, a trio of Kentucky Derby 152 hopefuls were on the track on a mild Wednesday morning.

Norman Stables and Saints and Sinners’ Santa Anita Derby (GI) winner So Happy jogged a mile under Gustavo Alvarado during the 7:15-7:30 training window for Derby and Kentucky Oaks runners.

Also at the same time, Reddam Racing’s Pavlovian jogged a mile under Tony Romero and Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures’ Intrepido jogged two miles under Alejandro Galindo.

Trainer Michael McCarthy’s two Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI) hopeful Bridlewood Farm and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Meaning and Sun-Missed Stables and Bobby Flay’s Brooklyn Blonde galloped a mile with Brooklyn Blonde on the track at 5:25 and Meaning at 7:15. Isael Alvarez Perez galloped both fillies.

On deck for Thursday morning is a scheduled work from John Oxley’s Silent Tactic at 7:15 for trainer Mark Casse. Casse also plans to work his two Kentucky Oaks runners, West Point Thoroughbreds’ Counting Stars and Tracy Farmer’s Search Party, at 5:15.

KENTUCKY DERBY UPDATE

ALBUS/INCREDIBOLT – Pin Oak Stud’s Albus and Incredibolt had routine mile and a half gallops during the 7:15-7:30 Derby/Oaks training window for trainer Riley Mott.

Antonio Garcia was on Albus, winner of the Wood Memorial (GII) and Charlotte O’Connell partnered Incredibolt, winner of the Virginia Derby.

With storms in the forecast for Friday afternoon, Mott plans to work Friday morning “or I could push it back to Sunday.”

The son of Hall of Famer Bill Mott who saddled his first Derby starter in 1984 before Riley was born, Riley is no stranger to the Derby scene that he is stepping into for the first time as a trainer.

“The first Derby I saw here, I think it was Smarty Jones in 2004,” Riley said. “I was a big Smarty Jones fan and (runner-up) Lion Heart too.”

CHIEF WALLABEE – Mike and K.K. Ball’s Chief Wallabee galloped a mile and a half at 7:15 under Marvin Orantes for trainer Bill Mott.

The training occurred during the special training window for Kentucky Derby hopefuls and previous Derby winners. That meant Chief Wallabee was followed on the track by 2025 Derby winner Sovereignty, who jogged a mile.

CHIP HONCHO – Leland Ackerley Racing, James Sherwood, Jode Shupe and John Cilia’s Chip Honcho galloped Wednesday morning for trainer Steve Asmussen as connections continue to monitor his Kentucky Derby status.

“We’ve timed it to where we plan on working him on Saturday morning, which is entry morning,” Asmussen said. “We need all the information you can possibly have, and we’ll obviously wait to make a final decision after his last work.”

COMMANDMENT/FULLEFFORT/FURTHER ADO – Trainer Brad Cox’s Derby trio of Wathnan Racing’s Commandment, St. Elias Stable and Starlight Racing’s Fulleffort and Spendthrift Farm’s Further Ado warmed up in the chute before galloping Wednesday morning at Churchill Downs. All three horses are scheduled to have their final Derby breezes Saturday or Sunday.

DANON BOURBON – Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby invitee Danon Bourbon arrived Tuesday evening in Chicago and will undergo 42 hours of USDA quarantine prior to shipping to Churchill Downs.

EMERGING MARKET – Klaravich Stables’ Emerging Market galloped a mile and a half under exercise rider Luis Ortiz Trinidad for trainer Chad Brown.

“He got around there beautifully,” Brown said, adding “with the weather that looks like it is coming in late Friday, it looks like I will have to move the final work up to Friday morning.”

GREAT WHITE – Three Chimneys Farm and trainer John Ennis’ Great White worked a half-mile in :52.20 out of the gate at The Thoroughbred Center in Lexington.

Fifth in the Blue Grass (GI) in his most recent start, Great White is 23rd on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard and would need three defections from anticipated entrants to make the main body of the 20-horse field.

Ennis plans to van Great White to Keeneland Saturday morning and onto Churchill Downs should he enter the Derby. All Derby and Oaks horses need to be at Churchill Downs by 11 a.m. Saturday.

INTREPIDO – Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures’ Intrepido jogged two miles under Alejandro Galindo for trainer Jeff Mullins.

Fourth in the Santa Anita Derby (GI) in his most recent start, Intrepido is 21st on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard and would need one defection from anticipated entrants to make the main body of the 20-horse field.

LITMUS TEST – SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital and Catherine Donovan’s Litmus Test galloped a mile and a half under Hector Garcia for trainer Bob Baffert.

Dan Ward, who is overseeing the Baffert string here, said Litmus Test is scheduled to work Friday

Seventh in the Arkansas Derby (GI) in his most recent start, Litmus Test is 22nd on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard and would need two defections from anticipated entrants to make the main body of the 20-horse field.

PAVLOVIAN – Reddam Racing’s Pavlovian jogged a mile under Tony Romero for two-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Doug O’Neill at 7:15.

Romero said Pavlovian is scheduled to work Sunday.

Also jogging a mile under Romero was Calumet Farm’s Robusta who was seventh in the Santa Anita Derby (GI) in his most recent start.

RIGHT TO PARTY – Chester Broman Sr.’s Right to Party galloped Wednesday morning for trainer Kenny McPeek and is scheduled to have one more work prior to Kentucky Derby 152.

The colt will be ridden by 20-year-old Chris Elliott in the Derby, who is expected to arrive at Churchill Downs in seven days.

SILENT TACTIC – John Oxley’s Silent Tactic, second in the Arkansas Derby (GI) in his most recent start, jogged a half-mile in the mile chute and then galloped a mile and a half under Dass Garcia at 5:15.

Trainer Mark Casse said that Silent Tactic would work at 7:15 Thursday morning.

SO HAPPY – Norman Stables and Saints or Sinners’ Santa Anita Derby (GI) winner So Happy jogged a mile during the Derby-Oaks training period under Gustavo Alvarado for trainer Mark Glatt.

Glatt is scheduled to arrive in Louisville this afternoon with plans to work So Happy Friday morning.

STARK CONTRAST – Amerman Racing’s Stark Contrast galloped a mile and a quarter under Christian Garcia after coming on the track at 5:25.

THE PUMA – OGMA Investments, JR Ranch and High Step Racing’s The Puma tack-walked in Barn 42 Wednesday morning.

“We wanted to give him an extra day,” Gustavo Delgado Jr. said of the Florida Derby (GI) runner-up. “He will not have a work but may have a strong gallop Monday or Tuesday.”

Three years ago, Delgado and his father captured Derby glory with Mage, who had his final work before the Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs.

The schedule will be varied this time as Gustavo Delgado pointed, “his last work was very, very strong (at Gulfstream Park).”

That work was last Saturday in 1:00.60 with jockey Javier Castellano up.

WONDER DEAN (JPN) – Yoshinari Yamamoto’s Wonder Dean (JPN) galloped Wednesday morning and is scheduled to work six furlongs Friday.

SHAPING UP: THE $5 MILLION KENTUCY DERBY PRESENTED BY WOODFORD RESERVE (GI) – Here is the top 20 preference list for the $5 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) in alphabetical order (with jockey and trainer): Albus (Manny Franco, Riley Mott); Chief Wallabee (Junior Alvarado, Bill Mott); Chip Honcho (TBD, Steve Asmussen); Commandment (Luis Saez, Brad Cox); Danon Bourbon (Atsuya Nishimura, Manabu Ikezoe); Emerging Market (Flavien Prat, Chad Brown); Further Ado (John Velazquez, Brad Cox); Fulleffort (Tyler Gaffalione, Brad Cox); Golden Tempo (Jose Ortiz, Cherie DeVaux); Incredibolt (Jaime Torres, Riley Mott); Pavlovian (Edwin Maldonado, Doug O’Neill); Potente (Juan Hernandez, Bob Baffert); Renegade (Irad Ortiz Jr., Todd Pletcher); Right to Party (Chris Elliott, Kenny McPeek); Silent Tactic (Cristian Torres, Mark Casse); Six Speed (TBD, Bhupat Seemar); So Happy (Mike Smith, Mark Glatt); Stark Contrast (TBD, Michael McCarthy); The Puma (Javier Castellano, Gustavo Delgado); Wonder Dean (JPN) (Ryusei Sakai, Daisuke Takayanagi). Also Eligibles: Intrepido (Hector Berrios, Jeff Mullins); Litmus Test (TBD, Bob Baffert); Great White (TBD, John Ennis); Ocelli (TBD, Whit Beckman).

LONGINES KENTUCKY OAKS UPDATE

ALWAYS A RUNNER – Douglas Scherbauer and Three Chimneys Farm’s Always a Runner galloped a mile and a half under Oscar Becerra Laynen.

Trainer Chad Brown said the Gazelle (GIII) winner would work Friday morning.

BELLA BALLERINA – Godolphin’s Bella Ballerina galloped about 1 ½ miles early Wednesday morning at Churchill Downs and will have her final Oaks work this weekend.

COUNTING STARS/SEARCH PARTY – West Point Thoroughbreds’ Counting Stars and Tracy Farmer’s Search Party jogged a half-mile in the mile chute and then galloped a mile and a half.

Froylan Garcia partnered Counting Stars while Elver Vargas was on Search Party.

Trainer Mark Casse said the two fillies would work at 5:15 Thursday morning.

MEANING/BROOKLYN BLONDE – Trainer Michael McCarthy’s two Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI) Bridlewood Farm and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Meaning and Sun-Missed Stables and Bobby Flay’s Brooklyn Blonde galloped a mile with Brooklyn Blonde on the track at 5:25 and Meaning at 7:15. Isael Alvarez Perez galloped both fillies.

Brooklyn Blonde is 16th on the Oaks leaderboard and would need two defections for the roster of anticipated Oaks entrants to be in the main body of the race.

MY MISS MO – Averill Racing, Mathis Stables and Tristan De Meric’s My Miss Mo worked a half-mile in :48.67 at Gulfstream Park Wednesday morning.

“She worked very well,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said of the Gulfstream Park Oaks (GII) runner-up. “She will ship Friday and arrive at Churchill Downs early Saturday morning.”

Joseph plans to arrive in Louisville Sunday.

PASHMINA – Red White and Blue Racing’s Pashmina arrived at Churchill Downs at 4:30 Wednesday morning following a van trip from Belmont Park.

PROM QUEEN – Gary and Mary West’s Prom Queen schooled in the starting gate then galloped Wednesday morning around 8:45 a.m. under Katie Tolbert.

KENTUCKY DERBY, OAKS MORNING WORKOUTS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC THURSDAY, APRIL 23 THROUGH WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29 – Starting Thursday and continuing through Wednesday, April 29, Churchill Downs will be open free-of-charge daily from 6:45-10 a.m. so guests can watch the nation’s top 3-year-old Thoroughbreds train toward their engagements in this year’s Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks during Dawn at the Downs.

Horses train on Churchill Downs’ main track daily from 5:15-10 a.m. There is an exclusive training window only for Derby and Oaks participants from 7:15-7:30 a.m. following the 6:45-7:15 a.m. renovation break. Those horses will be identified by special saddle towels that include their names: yellow saddle towels for Derby horses and pink saddle towels for Oaks contenders.

Guests can park for free in the Yellow Lot off Longfield Ave. (all vehicles must be removed by 10:30 a.m.) and enter Churchill Downs through the Clubhouse Gate. Guests will be directed to Sections 115-117 to watch the morning workouts.

On Monday, fans can enjoy a premium breakfast in Millionaires Row or the Stakes Room for Dawn at the Downs Dining. Tickets and more information can be found at www.kentuckyderby.com/visit/derby-week-events/dawn-at-the-downs/

The 152nd runnings of the $1.5 Longines Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) and $5 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) will be held Friday, May 1 and Saturday, May 2, respectively. Opening Day of Derby Week and the 44-day Spring Meet is Saturday at 12:45 p.m.

KENTUCKY DERBY MORNING WORKS SHOW CONTINUES THROUGH THURSDAY, APRIL 30 – The Kentucky Derby Morning Works Show presented by TwinSpires.com continues through Thursday, April 30, offering fans an exclusive look at the final preparations of Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks contenders.

Airing daily from 6:45-7:45 a.m. (all times Eastern), the one-hour program will be streamed live on the Kentucky Derby Facebook Page, YouTube and X accounts. The show will highlight the 15-minute exclusive training window from 7:15-7:30 a.m. for horses preparing for the $5 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade I) and the $1.5 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI).

Hosted by Churchill Downs’ expert handicappers Joe Kristufek, Kaitlin Benson, Tony Calo and Kevin Kilroy, the show will include insight, commentary and exclusive interviews from notable figures such as the voice of the Kentucky Derby Travis Stone, former leading rider Rosie Napravnik, TwinSpires.com handicapper James Scully, Churchill Downs morning line oddsmaker Nick Tammaro and racing analyst Ren Carrothers.

All Kentucky Derby and Oaks contenders are required to be on-site by Saturday, April 25. The show will continue through Thursday, May 1, showcasing every contender’s final training sessions leading into Kentucky Derby and Longines Kentucky Oaks.

For more information, visit www.kentuckyderby.com.

KENTUCKY DERBY NEWSFEED MEDIA PORTAL –The Kentucky Derby Newsfeed will be providing a media portal to access high quality video and audio files. Files are 1080 59.94p and will be uploaded on a daily basis.

This service is available via any web browser. To access, type the following into your web browser address bar: kyderby.hammondcg.com

When you get to the media portal page, you will be prompted to enter credentials to access and download training footage, b-roll, color, interviews and press conferences.

Username: kyderby2026

Password: D3rby2026

Please tag your footage with the following: CREDIT: CHURCHILL DOWNS

For further information, inquires or to report technical difficulties, please contact Jesse B. Kelsey, Vice-President of Hammond Communications Group, Inc. at (859) 492-5768 or at jkelsey@hammondcg.com.

COADY MEDIA KENTUCKY DERBY COVERAGE – Here is the link to access Coady Media’s daily photo coverage of the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks morning training, along with race day coverage: https://www.coadyplus.com/gallery-collection/152nd-Kentucky-Derby/C0000KUCsBDLVdJ4.

Please credit photos: Coady Media

KENTUCKY DERBY MEDIA GUIDE – For the updated 2026 Kentucky Derby Media Guide, visit: www.kentuckyderby.com/media-guide-info/