Paladin showed why many consider him to be a leading contender for the May 2 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve by running down free-running leader Chip Honcho to win the $495,000 Grade 2 Fasig-Tipton Risen
The $500,000, Grade 2 Fasig-Tipton Risen Star Stakes Saturday at Fair Grounds is the first Championship Series qualifying race in Churchill Downs’ Road to the Kentucky Derby schedule, offering a boost in points distribution whereby 105 total points for the May 2
BloodHorse news editor Byron King presents his weekly Derby Dozen for 2026, with a look at his leading contenders for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve on May 2.
Everyone has an opinion in horse racing. It’s one of the most alluring aspects of the sport. Debates rage about which horse was better, which performance was greater, or which rivalry was the most memorable.
Handicappers, racing writers, and fans rarely — in fact, almost never — agree.
But there is one performance that stands out as unequivocally one of the best races a horse has ever delivered on the Triple Crown stage: Afleet Alex’s Preakness Stakes victory in 2005.
