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.
Every longshot has his or her own story. Some overcome adversity or a run of bad luck, others defy logic, and sometimes a change in circumstance provides the key to unlocking an upset. Such was the case in the 2020 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby.
Sam F. Davis Stakes winner Sole Volante was a viable favorite coming off a 2 ½-length win at the same track and 1 1/16-mile distance, and the Tampa Bay Downs Derby prep drew a deep field of 12 3-year-olds, but there is no way King Guillermo should have been 49.20-1 odds.
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 fourth edition of this blog for the 2026 run for the roses, the focus is on what has changed since the previous edition on Feb. 18.
Saturday’s San Felipe Stakes Presented by DK Horse is the second of three Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve points preps held at Santa Anita Park, following the Robe