Welcome to Kentucky Derby Prospect Profiles, where we take a look each week at a recent winner on the Road to the Derby schedule that offers qualifying points for the 1 ¼-mile classic race May 2, 2026, at Churchill Downs.
Tag: The Sport
John Asher: Dedicated Kentucky Derby Ambassador and Friend to All
The grounds of historic Churchill Downs features statues of figures essential to the track and its signature race, the Kentucky Derby: Aristides, the first victor; Barbaro, the fan favorite; and two men seated on benches, one talking and the other listening, beckoning visitors to eavesdrop on their conversation.
An Early Look at the Probable Field for the 2026 Pegasus World Cup
Invitations have been sent for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes Jan. 24 at Gulfstream Park, and the 1 1/8-mile stakes is shaping up to be a competitive race with plenty of intriguing contenders.
Racing Hall of Fame Trainer Allen Jerkens: The Chief
Allen Jerkens took out his trainer’s license as soon as he turned 21, and he only waited that long because his father forbid him to do so any sooner. He enjoyed solid success almost from the very beginning and won his first stakes race in 1955 with a horse named War Command, whom Jerkens had claimed for $8,000. Seven years later, he agreed to become the private trainer for Jack Dreyfus Jr.’s Hobeau Farm. Though Hobeau Farm didn’t always deal in the most fashionable of pedigrees, it did provide Jerkens with volume. And Jerkens certainly had a knack for getting the most out of his horses.
