The Sport

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Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs, America's Best Racing, Triple Crown, Kentucky Derby, horse racing, ABR

An Early Look at the Probable Field for the 2026 Kentucky Derby

The last round of prep races for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve that award 100 points to the winner are now complete, so it’s time to take a look at the cast of 3-year-old racehorses expected to compete in the first jewel of the Triple Crown May 2 at Churchill Downs.

Equibase, earnings, leaderboard, horses, jockeys, trainers, So Happy, Further Ado, Albus, Wood Memorial, Santa Anita Derby, Blue Grass Stakes, Keeneland, Irad Ortiz, Flavien Prat, Steve Asmussen, Brad Cox, horse racing, ABR

Equibase Rankings: Major Movement in Top 20 Earnings List

The opening weekend of Keeneland’s Spring Meet along with other stakes races around the country reshaped the Equibase leaderboard in a big way, with eight horses moving into the top 25 in the overall standings for 2026 North American earnings. Three significant preps for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve led the way.

Joseph Early Widener, Belmont Park, Hialeah, America's Best Racing, Triple Crown, Kentucky Derby, horse racing, ABR

A Patron of the Track: The Lasting Influence of Joseph E. Widener

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.

Lexington Stakes, Keeneland, Corona de Oro, Exhibition Only, Decisive Win, Enforced Agenda, Mister T, Ramblin, The Hell We Did, Trendsetter, Ezum, Confessional, I Did I Did, Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, horse racing, ABR

2026 Lexington Stakes at a Glance

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.

Kentucky Derby, Heating Up, Cooling Down, Santa Anita Derby, Blue Grass Stakes, Wood Memorial, Further Ado, So Happy, Albus, Potente, Right to Party, Ottinho, Reagan’s Honor, Iron Honor, Talk to Me Jimmy, Intrepido, Great White, horse racing, ABR

2026 Kentucky Derby Trail: Three Heating Up, Three Cooling Down for April 7

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 eighth edition of this blog for the 2026 run for the roses, the focus is on what has changed since the previous edition on March 31.

HEATING UP

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