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Kentucky Derby, Heating Up, Cooling Down, Louisiana Derby, Jeff Ruby, Fulleffort, Emerging Market, Pavlovian, Stark Contrast, Chip Honcho, Medici, Blacksmith, Brad Cox, Chad Brown, Doug O’Neill, horse racing, ABR

2026 Kentucky Derby Trail: Three Heating Up, Three Cooling Down for March 24

This feature provides a capsule look at three horses who are heating up on the Triple Crown trail and three horses whose chances for the 2026 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve are not as strong as they previously were. In the sixth edition of this blog for the 2026 run for the roses, the focus is on what has changed since the previous edition on March 17.

HEATING UP

Arkansas Derby, Cheat Sheet, Oaklawn Park, Kentucky Derby, Redland Rebels, Silent Tactic, Blackout Time, Bricklin, Taptastic, Renegade, Exosome, Litmus Test, Pletcher, Baffert, McPeek, jockey, trainer, owner, horse racing, ABR

2026 Arkansas Derby Cheat Sheet

On Saturday, Oaklawn Park hosts the $1.5 million Arkansas Derby, the track’s fourth and final qualifying points prep race for the May 2 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve. The 1 1/8-mile race offers a total of 200 points to the top five finishers toward reserving a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate, distributed on a 100-50-25-15-10 basis.

Stars of Yesterday: Looking Back at Best Florida Derby Winners

One of the preeminent prep races on the road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve will be held at Gulfstream Park, which hosts the Grade 1, $1 million Curlin Florida Derby presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa.

Florida Derby, Gulfstream Park, Kentucky Derby, Cheat Sheet, Albus, Chief Wallabee, Wayne’s Law, Commandment, Redland Rebels, Nearly, Timeless Victory, The Puma, Gregarious, jockey, trainer, owner, horse racing, ABR

2026 Florida Derby Cheat Sheet

No prep race has produced more Kentucky Derby winners than the Florida Derby, including four of the last 10 and five of the last 13 among 26 total winners of the run for the roses that emerged from the marquee Gulfstream Park race.

Just last year, Sovereignty followed a runner-up finish in the Florida Derby with victories in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes on his way to Horse of the Year honors.

Emerging Market, Kentucky Derby, Louisiana Derby, prospect, jockey, trainer, owner, Flavien Prat, Chad Brown, Klaravich Stables, Candy Ride, pedigree, breeding, speed figures, race record, Apollo, horse racing, ABR

2026 Kentucky Derby Prospect Profiles: Louisiana Derby Winner Emerging Market

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 offering qualifying points to the 1 ¼-mile classic May 2, 2026, at Churchill Downs.

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