Welcome to Kentucky Derby Prospect Profiles, where we take a look each week at a recent winner on the Road to the Derby schedule from which racehorses earn points toward qualifying for the 1 ¼-mile classic race May 2, 2026, at Churchill Downs.

This week, we take a closer look at Further Ado, the 1 ¾-length winner of the $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes Nov. 29 at Churchill Downs. With the victory, Further Ado banked 10 points to help gain a starting-gate position in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve and rose to sixth on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.

Racing Résumé: Further Ado finished fifth in his July debut and improved to third in his second start Aug. 30, both in sprints at Saratoga Race Course. His third start was a tour de force Oct. 10 when stretching out to 1 1/16 miles at Keeneland Race Course, where he powered to a 20-length romp that sent speed-figure makers scrambling to quantify the runaway victory. Further Ado finished powerfully with a final eighth of a mile in :12.45.

The Gun Runner colt made his stakes debut at the same 1 1/16-mile distance in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes and had to work considerably harder at Churchill Downs. He stalked the pace from fourth under Irad Ortiz Jr. before challenging a game Soldier N Diplomat near the top of the stretch. The duo battled through much of the stretch before Further Ado pulled clear in the final 50 yards, with Universe rallying past Soldier N Diplomat in the final strides for second.

Further Ado showed tenacity in the stretch and proved up to a fight, but he did not finish as fast as he had in the previous start with a final furlong in :13.33 and a final quarter-mile in :25.96. He was wide on the turn and through the stretch, however, so ground loss was a factor.

“He was able to show a different dimension today. I was able to let the speed go and sit a pretty good trip,” Ortiz said. “He had to really dig in late to get to the wire first. I think this race will really benefit him down the road.”

Speed Figures: Further Ado took a massive leap in his previous start to a career-best 114 Equibase Speed Figure and 98 Beyer Speed Figure, both elite numbers for a 2-year-old in October. He came back to earth in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes with a 93 Equibase figure and an 82 Beyer figure. There is a very good chance he reacted negatively to the monster effort in his previous race, but to Further Ado’s credit he still was able to dig in for a win in a significant class test without his best effort.

Running Style: Further Ado pressed the pace in his breakout win two starts back and stalked the pace in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes. He was a bit farther back when sprinting at Saratoga and the results were not as positive, so expect Further Ado to utilize his tactical speed to stalk or press the pace moving forward. High cruising speed is a valuable asset on the Derby trail.

Pedigree Notes: A $550,000 purchase at the OBS Spring 2-year-olds in training sale, Further Ado is by 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner, who was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 2024. Gun Runner was the leading freshman sire of 2021 and the leading second- and third-crop sire of 2022 and 2023. He has ranked among the top five on the general sire list every year since 2022, with 2024 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Sierra Leone among his standouts. Other notable Grade 1 winners around two turns include 2021 champion 2-year-old filly Echo Zulu, 2022 Preakness winner Early Voting, and 2025 NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Super Corredora as well as Locked, Society, Cyberknife, and Taiba.

Further Ado was produced by Grade 3-placed winner Sky Dreamer, by Sky Mesa. Sky Dreamer was a winner at 1 1/16 miles and finished second in the 2012 Arlington Oaks at 1 1/8 miles. Sky Dreamer also has produced stakes winner Kimbear and hails from the family of 1999 champion older female Beautiful Pleasure, Further Ado’s third dam (maternal great-grandmother).

Derby Potential: While I would have preferred to see Further Ado match or better the speed figures he earned in his previous start, the Gun Runner colt showed plenty of determination in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes. Importantly, he has at least proved capable of running a huge race. Further Ado’s pedigree suggests he should be able to stretch out to at least 1 1/8 miles and very likely 1 ¼ miles with maturation and foundation in the coming months. He will no doubt have his skeptics based on the speed-figure regression, but I think Further Ado is a serious candidate for the 2026 Kentucky Derby.