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. As an even more valuable Kentucky Derby points race, Chip Honcho earned another 25 Derby qualifying points.  Chip Honcho completed his Derby prep season by compiling another 10 points for his fifth-place finish in the Grade 2 $1 million Louisiana Derby on March 21 at Fair Grounds, bringing his point total up to 49 points, which is likely to earn him a starting spot in the run for the roses.

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.