all in The Sport

It's never a good thing when your boss calls you a knucklehead.

“You can teach him,” quipped legendary trainer Ben A. Jones of Whirlaway in the spring of 1941, “but you can't teach him much. ”

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.

Each week, members of the national media vote on the nation's top contenders on the Triple Crown trail in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) Top Thoroughbred Poll.

In a plain brown wrapper, the yearling colt did not leave the same impression that struck those closest to Secretariat when he was that age. With a fair pedigree and a front leg that toed out, he did not pass muster with one sales company and instead was relegated to the upstart alternative. But this would not deter fate. Neigh. Instead, the long-legged colt with an awkward stride was available for a price far below what he would eventually be worth.

The $1.5 million, Grade 1 Longines Kentucky Oaks is the marquee race each spring for elite 3-year-old fillies.

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