Chip Honcho

Chip Honcho won his maiden race in his second lifetime start as a 2-year-old on Nov. 20 in a one-mile race on a sloppy track at Churchill Downs. From there he was sent up against stakes company for his next outing in the $100,000 Gun Runner Stakes going 1 1/16 miles at Fair Grounds on Dec. 20. Sent off as the 3.90-1 third choice on the tote board in a field of six horses in the Gun Runner, Chip Concho pressed the pace throughout won prevailed in a tight finish by three-quarters of a length after a game stretch battle. The Gun Runner Stakes was a points race on the Road to the 2026 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve, and with his win he earned 10 qualifying points.

Chip Honcho disappointed in his following start with a fourth-place finish in the Grade 3 $250,000 Lecomte Stakes Jan. 17 at Fair Grounds but still earned another four Kentucky Derby qualifying points. Chip Honcho then was back on his game in his next start on the Fair Grounds’ road to the Kentucky Derby when he battled gamely throughout the stretch enroute to a solid second-place finish by a half a length behind favored Paladin in the Grade 2 $500,000 Risen Star Stakes going 1 1/8 miles in a field of eight on Feb. 14.  Chip Honcho completed his Triple Crown prep season with a fifth-place finish in the Grade 2 $1 million Louisiana Derby on March 21 at Fair Grounds.

Chip Honcho earned enough qualifying points to secure a spot in the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby, but his connections opted to bypass the Derby and instead point to the second jewel of the Triple Crown in the Preakness Stakes on May16. Run at Laurel Mark in Maryland instead of Pimlico during Pimlico's reconstruction, the 2026 Preakness Stakes drew a 14-horse field and Chip Honcho ran a solid effort to finish third.

Chip Honcho began the second half of his 3-year-old campaign in the $500,000 Grade 3 Ohio Derby on June 20 at Thistledown and earned the headline win of his career with a victory atop a nine-horse field. Sent off as the 5-2 second choice on the tote board, Chip Honcho stalked the pace up close throughout the 1 1/8-mile trip, swung out off the rail to make his move at the top of the stretch, passed the early leaders and grinded down late leader Ocelli to prevail by a length on the wire. 

Chip Honcho is trained by Steve Asmussen. He was bred in Kentucky by the sire Connect out of the dam Miss My Rose by Magician.