The “Kentucky Derby Prep Season” is here and the action heats up with each series being worth more points as we approach the Kentucky Derby on May 2nd, 2026. The series runs from the Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs in mid-September through the Lexington Stakes on April 11th. The field is limited to 20 horses, with up to four ‘also eligibles’ in case of a late withdrawal from the field. We will update this page after every weekend. In the meantime, check out all of our other Free Horse Picks.
| Rank | Horse | Points | Trainer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fulleffort | 110 | Brad H. Cox |
| 2 | Emerging Market | 100 | Chad C. Brown |
| 3 | Pavlovian | 70 | Doug F. O'Neill |
| 4 | Paladin | 60 | Chad C. Brown |
| 5 | Incredibolt | 60 | Riley Mott |
| 6 | Golden Tempo | 60 | Cherie DeVaux |
| 7 | The Puma | 56 | Gustavo Delgado |
| 8 | Silent Tactic | 50 | Mark E. Casse |
| 9 | Class President | 50 | Todd A. Pletcher |
| 10 | Stark Contrast | 50 | Michael McCarthy |
| 11 | Commandment | 50 | Brad H. Cox |
| 12 | Iron Honor | 50 | Chad C. Brown |
| 13 | Potente | 50 | Bob Baffert |
| 14 | Chip Honcho | 49 | Steven M. Asmussen |
| injured | Ted Noffey | 40 | Todd A. Pletcher |
| 15 | Universe | 38 | Kenneth G. McPeek |
| 16 | Grittiness | 36 | Todd A. Pletcher |
| 17 | Further Ado | 35 | Brad H. Cox |
| 18 | Litmus Test | 34 | Bob Baffert |
| not nominated | Crown the Buckeye | 28 | Michael J. Maker |
| 19 | Renegade | 25 | Todd A. Pletcher |
| not nominated | Medici | 25 | Richard Mandella |
| 20 | Chief Wallabee | 25 | William I. Mott |
| 21 | Robusta | 25 | Doug F. O'Neill |
| 22 | Intrepido | 23 | Jeff Mullins |
| bypassing | Plutarch | 23 | Bob Baffert |
| 23 | Express Kid[d] | 20 | Justin Evans |
| 24 | Nearly | 20 | Todd A. Pletcher |
| 25 | Talk to Me Jimmy | 20 | Rudy R. Rodriguez |
| 26 | Great White | 20 | John Eniss |
| 27 | Bravaro | 20 | Saffie Joseph Jr. |
| 28 | Soldier N Diplomat | 18 | Steven M. Asmussen |
| 29 | Buetane | 16 | Bob Baffert |
| 30 | Secured Freedom | 16 | Tim Yakteen |
| injured | Mr. A. P. | 15 | Vladimir Cerin |
| 31 | Napoleon Solo | 15 | Chad Summers |
| bypassing | Solitude Dude | 15 | Saffie Joseph Jr. |
| 32 | Blackout Time | 15 | Kenneth G. McPeek |
| 33 | So Happy | 15 | Mark Glatt |
| 34 | Confessional | 15 | Brad H. Cox |
| 35 | Stop the Car | 15 | Brendan P. Walsh |
| not nominated | Right to Party | 15 | Kenneth G. McPeek |
| 36 | Canaletto | 15 | Chad C. Brown |
| 37 | Brant | 14 | Bob Baffert |
| 38 | Balboa[f] | 14 | Brittany T. Russell |
| bypassing | Spice Runner | 11 | Steven M. Asmussen |
| 39 | Carson Street | 11 | Brendan P. Walsh |
| 40 | Argos | 10 | Brad H. Cox |
| bypassing | Strategic Risk | 10 | Mark E. Casse |
| 41 | My World | 10 | Brad H. Cox |
| 42 | Talkin | 10 | Danny Gargan |
| not nominated | Wayne's Law | 10 | Amador Merei Sanchez |
| 43 | Redland Rebels | 10 | Patrick Biancone |
| injured | Mesquite | 10 | Cherie DeVaux |
| not nominated | Exhibition Only | 10 | Rudy R. Rodriguez |
| 44 | Desert Gate | 9 | Bob Baffert |
| 45 | Baytown Dreamer | 7 | Paul McEntee |
| 46 | Maximus Prime | 7 | Anthony Mitchell |
| 47 | Bricklin | 6 | Rodolphe Brisset |
| 48 | Very Connected | 6 | Kenneth G. McPeek |
| 49 | Project Ace | 6 | Dale L. Romans |
| 50 | Ottinho | 6 | Chad C. Brown |
| bypassing | Comport | 5 | Eddie Kenneally |
| 51 | Rancho Santa Fe | 5 | Brad H. Cox |
| 52 | Arctic Beast | 5 | Michael J. Maker |
| 53 | Blacksmith | 5 | Bob Baffert |
| euthanized | Liberty National | 5 | Kenneth G. McPeek |
| 54 | Lockstocknpharoah | 5 | Thomas Drury Jr. |
| not nominated | Daneyko | 4 | Edward Kereluk |
| 55 | Quality Mischief | 4 | Brad H. Cox |
| 56 | Cannoneer | 4 | Brad H. Cox |
| 57 | Schoolyardsuperman | 4 | Chad C. Brown |
| bypassing | Game for It | 4 | Chad Summers |
| not nominated | Royalamerican | 3 | C. R. Trout |
| not nominated | Vost | 3 | William Walden |
| bypassing | Provenance | 3 | Bob Baffert |
| bypassing | Enforced Agenda | 3 | George Weaver |
| 58 | Cherokee Nation | 3 | Bob Baffert |
| not nominated | Diciassette | 2 | Patrick L. Biancone |
| 59 | Civil Liberty | 2 | Doug F. O'Neill |
| 60 | Sleepingonfreedom | 2 | Kenneth G. McPeek |
| 61 | Acknowledgemeplz | 2 | Doug F. O'Neill |
| 62 | Circle Tap | 2 | Dallas Stewart |
| bypassing | It's Our Time | 2 | Thomas M. Amoss |
| 63 | Courting | 2 | Todd A. Pletcher |
| not nominated | Western Man | 2 | Joe Offotler |
| 64 | Forty Twenty | 2 | Robertino Diodoro |
| bypassing | Nothing Personal | 2 | Gregory Compton |
| not nominated | I Did I Did | 2 | Michael J. Maker |
| not nominated | Star Sweeper | 2 | Louis C. Linder Jr. |
| not nominated | Freedom's Echo | 2 | Guadalupe Preciado |
| bypassing | Global Aviator | 2 | Rohan G. Crichton |
| 65 | Epic Desire | 2 | Todd A. Pletcher |
| 66 | Steel Imperium | 2 | Caio Caramori |
| not nominated | Stradale | 1 | Steven M. Asmussen |
| not nominated | Way Beyond | 1 | Steven M. Asmussen |
| not nominated | Ganaas | 1 | Andrew McKeever |
| bypassing | American King | 1 | Ruben Gomez |
