Keeneland’s Stonestreet Lexington Stakes can provide a 3-year-old with a way to catapult into the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve in the 24th hour of qualifying – but not this year.
A son of a butcher turned business magnate, Joseph E. Widener was a visionary architect of modern American racing, known for transforming Hialeah Park into a world-class destination and leading Belmont Park through a pivotal era of elegance.
As a titan of the sport and a dedicated preservationist, he combined his passion for fine art with a commitment to racing’s aesthetic and structural integrity. His lasting legacy remains in the pedigrees of the sport’s athletes as well as his tireless efforts to elevate the social and cultural prestige of the American turf.
Welcome to Kentucky Derby Prospect Profiles, where we take a look each week at a recent winner on the Road to the Derby schedule with races that offer qualifying points to the 1 ¼-mile classic May 2, 2026, at Churchill Downs.
The best way to describe the late Bill Nack’s passion for horse racing and his beloved Secretariat is to allow the master storyteller to do it himself.
“Horses have a way of getting inside of you, and so it was that Secretariat became like a fifth child in our house, the older boy who was off at school and never around but who was as loved and true a part of the family as Muffin, our shaggy, epileptic dog,” he wrote.
Mike Curry offers takeaways from a frenetic weekend of Longines Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve qualifying races from coast to coast.
