While people will be saying “Happy New Year!” on Thursday, all Thoroughbreds will be celebrating their birthdays. Horses that were 2 at the start of the week will turn 3 on Thursday and that’s when the talk about the 2026 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve really begins to intensify.
Category: Horse Racing News
Balboa Can Land Knockout Punch in 2026 Jerome Stakes
The first Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve qualifier of 2026 is Saturday’s $150,000 Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct, which will be followed by the Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn Park later that afternoon.
Final Rookie Rankings for Dec. 30: Leading 2026 Kentucky Derby Contenders
As 2025 draws to a close, Week 5 of the Rookie Rankings features a Top 10 that is largely unchanged from Week 4. But there is one small shift worth noting as the series wraps up.
Rookie Rankings for Dec. 30: Leading 2026 Kentucky Derby Contenders
As 2025 draws to a close, Week 5 of the Rookie Rankings features a Top 10 that is largely unchanged from Week 4. But there is one small shift worth noting as the series wraps up.
