Friday’s Derby/Oaks barn notes: Big work day – Saturday bigger
Today’s Kentucky HBPA Youtube videos
By Churchill Downs’ Kentucky Derby notes team (Coady Media/Renee Torbit photo above of So Happy working under jockey Mike Smith)
EMERGING MARKET, SO HAPPY, WONDER DEAN (JPN) TUNE UP FOR DERBY 152
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Friday, April 24, 2026) – Norman Stables and Saints or Sinners’ Santa Anita Derby (GI) winner So Happy and Klaravich Stables’ Louisiana Derby (GII) winner Emerging Market tuned up for forthcoming engagements in Kentucky Derby 152 by working over a fast track Friday morning at Churchill Downs.
So Happy was the first of the Derby runners to work during the 7:15-7:30 (all times Eastern) training period for Derby and Oaks horses. With jockey Mike Smith up for trainer Mark Glatt, So Happy worked five furlongs in 1:00.20
Next up was Emerging Market with Flavien Prat aboard. Working with the 3-year-old maiden Hedge Book, Emerging Market covered the half-mile in :47.60.
Yoshinari Yamamoto’s UAE Derby (GII) winner Wonder Dean (JPN) worked a solo six furlongs in 1:17.80 under Takuya Nakanoon.
At Keeneland, Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable’s Golden Tempo worked a half-mile in :47.40 in company with multiple graded stakes winner and $2.4 million earner Brilliant Berti for trainer Cherie DeVaux.
Also working at Churchill Downs were six fillies for next Friday’s 152nd running of the $1.5 million Longines Kentucky Oaks.
The sextet was comprised of Always a Runner (four furlongs in :48.40), Bella Ballerina (four furlongs in :47.40), Brooklyn Blonde (five furlongs in 1:01), Meaning (five furlongs 1:00), Paradise (four furlongs in :47.60) and Prom Queen (five furlongs in :59.80). Prom Queen worked at 9 o’clock.
Scheduled to work Saturday morning at Churchill Downs are the Brad Cox-trained trio of Commandment, Fulleffort and Further Ado, the Riley Mott-trained duo of Albus and Incredibolt, Wood Memorial (GII) runner-up Right to Party for trainer Kenny McPeek and the Steve Asmussen-trained Chip Honcho. Pashmina may work for the Oaks for trainer Rob Atras.
KENTUCKY DERBY UPDATE
ALBUS/INCREDIBOLT – Pin Oak Stud’s Derby duo of Albus and Incredibolt visited the paddock and then galloped a mile and a half for trainer Riley Mott.
Mott initially had considered working his colts Friday morning to beat anticipated showers forecast for the Louisville area Friday night into Saturday but opted to wait.
Apparently it is the right move with only brief rain forecast for tonight and clouds Saturday morning when the colts will work during the 7:15-7:30 training window for Derby and Oaks horses.
Antonio Garcia, who was on Albus this morning, is slated to handle his work Saturday while jockey Jaime Torres will work Incredibolt who was partnered by Charlotte O’Connell this morning.
CHIEF WALLABEE – Mike and Kay Kay Ball’s Chief Wallabee visited the paddock as well as the starting gate before galloping a mile and a half under Marvin Orantes.
Chief Wallabee will be attempting to give trainer Bill Mott and jockey Junior Alvarado consecutive Derby victories to go with the Sovereignty triumph of 2025.
The most recent trainer of six to win the Derby in consecutive years is Bob Baffert with Silver Charm in 1997 and Real Quiet in 1998 and Victor Espinoza is the most recent of six riders to go back to back with California Chrome in 2014 and American Pharoah in 2015.
Chief Wallabee is scheduled to work Sunday or Monday with Alvarado slated to be aboard for the final pre-Derby drill.
CHIP HONCHO – Leland Ackerley Racing, James Sherwood, Jode Shupe and John Cilia’s Chip Honchogalloped Friday morning for trainer Steve Asmussen and is scheduled to work Saturday as connections continue monitoring the Kentucky Derby field.
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 Adotrained a little later than normal Friday morning and remain scheduled to work Saturday.
Commandment and Fulleffort both trained around 6:15 a.m. Commandment jogged in the chute before galloping 1 ¼ miles, while Fulleffort jogged. About 20 minutes later, Further Ado galloped.
DANON BOURBON – Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby invitee Danon Bourbon arrived at Churchill Downs around 7:30 a.m. Friday following USDA quarantine in Chicago and is scheduled to train Saturday morning.
EMERGING MARKET – Klaravich Stable’s Emerging Market worked a half-mile in :47.60 Friday morning with Flavien Prat aboard for trainer Chad Brown. The colt worked in company with maiden Hedge Brook.
“He just glided through the lane,” Brown said. “He galloped way out past three-quarters the right way and came back good. I was very pleased with the way he was moving. He hit his fractions perfect, and he didn’t even look like he was going that fast, which is what you love to see as a trainer.”
GOLDEN TEMPO – At Keeneland, Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable’s Golden Tempo worked a half-mile under Ameth Gonzalez in :47.40 in company with multiple graded stakes winner and $2.4 million earner Brilliant Berti for trainer Cherie DeVaux.
It was the fourth Keeneland work, all in company, for Golden Tempo since a third-place finish in the Louisiana Derby on March 21.
“He has had different company, and he’s outworked each one,” DeVaux said “This was just a maintenance work and Brilliant Berti is a pretty good workhorse, and he’s older. It was good company with him, we didn’t want him doing too much in the work and the gallop out. It was a really good company, and with Brilliant Berti, even though he’s a turf horse, works pretty well on the dirt.”
Golden Tempo is scheduled to leave Keeneland at 7 in the morning for the van ride to Churchill Downs.
INTREPIDO – Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures’ Intrepido continued to move forward to his date in Derby 152 with a solid two-mile jog Friday morning under exercise rider Alejandro Galindo.
“He felt good,” Galindo offered afterward back at Barn 41.
Intrepido was the winner of the Grade I American Pharoah at Santa Anita last October and has banked more than $342,000 in purses so far. He is trained by West Coast veteran Jeff Mullins.
Intrepido is scheduled to work Sunday morning with Hector Berrios in the saddle.
POTENTE – Speedway Stables’ Potente turned in a solid mile jog Friday morning under exercise riderHumberto Gomez. The $2.4-million colt by super sire Into Mischief has only a trio of starts under his belt as he heads toward Derby 152, but they were good ones. He won first time out in January at Santa Anita, then came back there for another score in the San Felipe (GII) on March 7. In his most recent outing he ran second in the Santa Anita Derby.
The bay colt hails from the prolific barn of conditioner Bob Baffert, who already has six Derby victories on his ledger and is scheduled to make it into town this evening.
PAVLOVIAN – The homebred gray/roan colt by the California sire Pavel was feeling frisky Friday at Churchill Downs and went through a strong gallop under Tony Romero during the special Derby/Oaks training period on a picture-perfect morning. He was a handful back at Barn 41 afterward as he makes his way toward his 11th start – the 152nd Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May.
Trainer Doug O’Neill has been tending to his large string back on the West Coast, including runners for Pavlovian’s owner/breeder – J. Paul Reddam. The colt is scheduled to turn in his final drill for the Derby this Sunday, while his conditioner is slated to come on board Tuesday.
Pavlovian’s two most recent efforts saw him come away a winner in the Sunland Derby and be beaten a head in the Louisiana Derby.
RENEGADE – Robert and Lawana Low and Repole Stable’s Renegade was en route to Churchill Downs after leaving Palm Beach Downs in South Florida at 8:20 Friday morning with an early Saturday morning arrival expected at the track.
Renegade worked a half-mile in :49.07 Thursday morning at Palm Beach.
Trainer Todd Pletcher is scheduled to arrive in Louisville Saturday afternoon.
RIGHT TO PARTY – Chester Broman Sr.’s Right to Party galloped Friday morning for trainer Kenny McPeek and is scheduled to record his final Kentucky Derby work Saturday.
SILENT TACTIC – John Oxley’s Silent Tactic, who worked a half-mile in :48 Thursday morning, walked the shedrow at trainer Mark Casse’s barn Friday morning.
“He’s doing fine this morning,” said Casse, whose Derby hopeful has been dealing with a bruised foot for the past four weeks. “He is probably better now than he has been in months.”
SIX SPEED – Brunetti Dugan Stables, Black Type Thoroughbreds, Steve Adkisson and Swinbank Stables’ Six Speed got acquainted with the Churchill Downs surface Friday morning for the first time since arriving from Europe.
Jockey Declan Cannon was aboard the UAE Oaks (GII) runner-up for his morning training session. TrainerBhupat Seemar is scheduled to be the special guest Saturday on the Kentucky Derby Morning Works Show presented by TwinSpires.
SO HAPPY – Norman Stables and Saints or Sinners’ So Happy worked five furlongs in 1:00.20 Friday morning under jockey Mike Smith for trainer Mark Glatt.
“We thought he worked really well,” Glatt said. “He’s the type of horse that just goes through the motions in the morning. Oftentimes we will give him a little bit of company, but we decided not to do that today. He got over the track well and galloped out a little stronger than he normally does, so I felt like it was just about right coming into the race.”
Smith added, “He did what he always does, he just kind of does what he has to do. Especially by himself, I knew it was going to be a little bit challenging. The track was a little bit deeper in the second break than it was the first, but he still went good for him. He’s just not much of a flashy work horse.”
THE PUMA – Florida Derby (GI) runner-up The Puma, owned by OGMA Investments, JR Ranch and High Step Racing, galloped Friday morning in his first serious training session since arriving at Churchill Downs on Tuesday.
The Puma previously tack-walked Wednesday and jogged Thursday.
WONDER DEAN (JPN) – Yoshinari Yamamoto’s Wonder Dean worked six furlongs in 1:17.80 Friday morning under Takuya Nakano in preparation for Kentucky Derby 152.
The UAE Derby (GII) winner began with a methodical opening furlong in :15.40 before increasing his speed to a half-mile in :54.40 and finishing his final quarter-mile in :23.40.
“He felt similar today as he did during his breeze a week out from the UAE Derby,” Nakano said. “He felt really great. This gives me a lot of confidence that he will be able to perform his best on Derby Day.”
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); Intrepido (Hector Berrios, Jeff Mullins); 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); The Puma (Javier Castellano, Gustavo Delgado); Wonder Dean (JPN) (Ryusei Sakai, Daisuke Takayanagi). Also Eligibles: Litmus Test (TBD, Bob Baffert); Great White (Alex Achard, John Ennis); Ocelli (TBD, Whit Beckman); Robusta (TBD, Doug O’Neill)
LONGINES KENTUCKY OAKS UPDATE
ALWAYS A RUNNER – Douglas Scharbauer and Three Chimneys Farm’s Always a Runner completed her final serious Longines Kentucky Oaks tune-up Friday morning for trainer Chad Brown, working a half-mile in :48.40 under Jose Ortiz in company with maiden winner Leinani.
“I was able to get Jose Ortiz out to breeze her, who is going to ride her for the first time in the Kentucky Oaks, which I thought was a real positive,” Brown said. “He just loved the filly. Very smooth, and she galloped out well.”
BELLA BALLERINA – Godolphin’s Bella Ballerina worked a half-mile in :47.40 Friday morning with jockeyTyler Gaffalione aboard for trainer Brendan Walsh in company with Diamond Eyed Jack (four furlongs, :47.80). The filly galloped out five furlongs in :59.20.
“She worked very well this morning and did everything we wanted to see,” Walsh said. “Tyler was very happy with her, and she came out of it in great shape.”
Gaffalione is named to ride Bella Ballerina in the Longines Kentucky Oaks.
BOTTLE OF ROUGE/EXPLORA – The duo of trainer Bob Baffert fillies who are headed to next Friday’s Kentucky Oaks both stretched their legs Friday morning at Churchill Downs. Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman’s Explora (already a millionaire) and the trainer’s wife Jill’s Bottle of Rouge (a three-time stakes winner) turned in good jogs for their dates in next Friday’s Run for the Lillies.
Humberto Gomez was aboard for Explora’s mile exercise, while Talia Viscusi was at the controls for “Rouge’s” similar drill.
Overseeing the Baffert stable’s Kentucky string currently are a duo of racetrack veterans – Dan Ward and Jimmy Barnes. Ward, who has more than a half-century in the game working for such aces as the late Bobby Frankel and trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, just recently signed on with Baffert to handle his eastern runners. Barnes, the stable’s king of “on-the-road,” now has 27 years of playing right-hand-man to the Hall of Fame conditioner who will be aiming for his fourth tally in the filly classic.
BROOKLYN BLONDE/MEANING – The duo of fillies who come out of trainer Michael McCarthy’s Barn 27 on the Churchill Downs’ backside saddled up and went trackside for the 7:15 to 7:30 a.m. special training period for Derby and Oaks runners Friday morning.
Meaning, who is owned by Bridlewood Farm and Eclipse Thoroughbreds and is a go for the Run for the Lillies next Friday, had exercise rider Juanito Alverez in the tack, while “Brooklyn,” who is still hopeful to get a chance to run in the nine-furlong classic for owners Sun Kissed Stable and Bobby Flay, had rider Ben Curtisaboard.
Both fillies went through a brief warmup followed by Meaning, a double stakes winner at Santa Anita this year, firing off first and going through a solid five-panel drill in 1:00. The daughter of champion Gun Runner drew praise from her conditioner: “I was real happy with that,” he noted back at the barn afterward. Brooklyn Blonde followed her stablemate’s exercise and also went five furlongs with her time coming out at 1:01, which drew a thumbs up from her conditioner.
Entries for the 152nd Kentucky Oaks will be drawn Saturday between the third and fourth races at approximately 2 p.m.
COUNTING STARS/SEARCH PARTY – Trainer Mark Casse’s two Kentucky Oaks hopefuls – West PointThoroughbreds’ Counting Stars and Tracy Farmer’s Search Party – walked the shedrow following half-mile works from Thursday.
“All fine this morning,” Casse reported of Counting Stars (:48.60) and Search Party (:47.60).
DAZZLING DAME – Respect the Valleys, Medallion Racing and Madaket Stables’ Dazzling Dame arrived at Churchill Downs at 4:40 a.m. after vanning from the Fair Hill Training Center in Maryland.
Trained by Brittany Russell, Dazzling Dame had worked a half-mile in :49.20 on the dirt at Fair Hill Thursday morning. Russell is expected to arrive in Louisville tonight.
MY MISS MO – Averill Racing, Mathis Stables and Tristan De Meric’s My Miss Mo, runner-up in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (GII) in her most recent start, was scheduled to leave Gulfstream Park at 1 p.m. with an early Saturday morning arrival anticipated at Churchill Downs.
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. will arrive in Louisville Sunday.
PARADISE/PROM QUEEN – Trainer Brad Cox’s Longines Kentucky Oaks contenders Gary and Mary West’sProm Queen and NK Racing and LNJ Foxwoods’ Paradise both worked Friday morning at Churchill Downs.
Prom Queen worked around 9:15 a.m., breezing five furlongs in :59.80 with exercise rider Edvin Vargasaboard. The Gulfstream Park Oaks (GII) winner recorded fractions of :12.20 and :23.60, galloped out six furlongs in 1:12.40 and completed seven furlongs in 1:25.60.
“She’s a filly that gets a lot out of her training, and we kept her in her normal routine this morning,” Cox said of Prom Queen. “It was a really strong work and we’re in a good spot with her.”
Earlier in the morning, Gazelle (GIII) third-place finisher Paradise worked a half-mile in :47.60 in company with On Time Girl. Along with the Longines Kentucky Oaks, Paradise also is nominated to the $700,000 Eight Belles presented by Sysco (GII) on the Kentucky Oaks undercard.
PASHMINA – Red White and Blue Racing’s Pashmina visited the paddock under Jesse Sauter and then galloped a mile and a half during the 7:15-7:30 training window for Kentucky Derby and Oaks horses.
Runner-up in the Gazelle (GIII) in her most recent start, Pashmina is scheduled to work Saturday or Sunday for trainer Rob Atras who was en route to Louisville Friday morning. Ramon Vazquez has the Oaks mount.
PERCY’S BAR – Hat Creek Racing’s Percy’s Bar walked the shedrow at trainer Ben Colebrook’s Keeneland barn Friday morning a day after working a half-mile in :49.60 in company.
Colebrook plans to send Percy’s Bar to the main track at Keeneland early Saturday morning before vanning to Churchill Downs at 7 o’clock. All Kentucky Derby and Oaks horses have to be on the grounds by 11 a.m. Saturday.
SHE BE SMOOTH/ZANY – Calumet Farm’s She Be Smooth and Repole Stable’s Zany were en route to Churchill Downs after leaving Palm Beach Downs in South Florida at 8:20 Friday morning with an early Saturday morning arrival expected at the track.
The two fillies worked together in :49.07 for a half-mile Thursday at Palm Beach.
Trainer Todd Pletcher is scheduled to arrive in Louisville Saturday afternoon.
SHAPING UP: The $5 MILLION LONGINES KENTUCKY OAKS – Here is the top 14 preference list for the $1.5 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI) in alphabetical order (with jockey and trainer): Always a Runner (Jose Ortiz, Chad Brown), Bella Ballerina (Tyler Gaffalione, Brendan Walsh), Bottle of Rouge (Mike Smith, Bob Baffert), Counting Stars (Francisco Arrieta, Mark Casse), Explora (Flavien Prat, Bob Baffert), Meaning (Juan Hernandez, Michael McCarthy), My Miss Mo (TBA, Saffie Joseph Jr.), Paradise (TBA, Brad Cox), Pashmina(Ramon Vazquez, Rob Atras), Percy’s Bar (Luan Machado, Ben Colebrook), Prom Queen (Javier Castellano, Brad Cox), Search Party (Cristian Torres, Mark Casse), She Be Smooth (John Velazquez, Todd Pletcher), Zany(Irad Ortiz Jr., Todd Pletcher).
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 – 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 Wednesday, April 30, showcasing every contender’s final training sessions leading into Kentucky Derby and Longines Kentucky Oaks.
For more information, visit www.kentuckyderby.com.
