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 | Commandment | 150 | Brad H. Cox |
| 2 | Further Ado | 135 | Brad H. Cox |
| 3 | Renegade | 125 | Todd A. Pletcher |
| 4 | So Happy | 115 | Mark Glatt |
| 5 | Fulleffort | 110 | Brad H. Cox |
| 6 | The Puma | 106 | Gustavo Delgado |
| 7 | Silent Tactic | 100 | Mark E. Casse |
| 8 | Emerging Market | 100 | Chad C. Brown |
| 9 | Albus | 100 | Riley Mott |
| 10 | Potente | 100 | Bob Baffert |
| 11 | Pavlovian | 70 | Doug F. O'Neill |
| 12 | Right to Party | 65 | Kenneth G. McPeek |
| injured | Paladin | 60 | Chad C. Brown |
| 13 | Incredibolt | 60 | Riley Mott |
| 14 | Golden Tempo | 60 | Cherie DeVaux |
| 15 | Ottinho | 56 | Chad C. Brown |
| 16 | Class President | 50 | Todd A. Pletcher |
| 17 | Stark Contrast | 50 | Michael McCarthy |
| 18 | Danon Bourbon | Japan | Manabu Ikezoe |
| 19 | Wonder Dean (JPN) | E/ME | Daisuke Takayanagi |
| 20 | Six Speed | E/ME | Bhupat Seemar |
| 21 | Iron Honor | 50 | Chad C. Brown |
| 22 | Chief Wallabee | 50 | William I. Mott |
| 23 | Chip Honcho | 49 | Steven M. Asmussen |
| injured | Ted Noffey | 40 | Todd A. Pletcher |
| 24 | Intrepido | 38 | Jeff Mullins |
| 25 | Universe | 38 | Kenneth G. McPeek |
| 26 | Grittiness | 36 | Todd A. Pletcher |
| 27 | Talkin | 35 | Danny Gargan |
| 28 | Nearly | 35 | Todd A. Pletcher |
| 29 | Bravaro | 35 | Saffie Joseph Jr. |
| 30 | Litmus Test | 34 | Bob Baffert |
| 31 | Great White | 30 | John Eniss |
| not nominated | Crown the Buckeye | 28 | Michael J. Maker |
| 32 | Napoleon Solo | 25 | Chad Summers |
| bypassing | Blackout Time | 25 | Kenneth G. McPeek |
| not nominated | Taptastic | 25 | Steven M. Asmussen |
| not nominated | Medici | 25 | Richard Mandella |
| 33 | Ocelli | 25 | Whitworth D. Beckman |
| not nominated | Vitruvian Man | 25 | Doug F. O'Neill |
| bypassing | Robusta | 25 | Doug F. O'Neill |
| bypassing | Plutarch | 23 | Bob Baffert |
| bypassing | Bricklin | 21 | Rodolphe Brisset |
| bypassing | Express Kid | 20 | Justin Evans |
| bypassing | Talk to Me Jimmy | 20 | Rudy R. Rodriguez |
| not nominated | Wayne's Law | 20 | Amador Merei Sanchez |
| bypassing | Soldier N Diplomat | 18 | Steven M. Asmussen |
| bypassing | Buetane | 16 | Bob Baffert |
| bypassing | Secured Freedom | 16 | Tim Yakteen |
| injured | Mr. A. P. | 15 | Vladimir Cerin |
| bypassing | Solitude Dude | 15 | Saffie Joseph Jr. |
| 35 | Confessional | 15 | Brad H. Cox |
| bypassing | Creole Chrome | 15 | Joe Sharp |
| bypassing | Stop the Car | 15 | Brendan P. Walsh |
| injured | Canaletto | 15 | Chad C. Brown |
| bypassing | Brant | 14 | Bob Baffert |
| bypassing | Balboa[j] | 14 | Brittany T. Russell |
| bypassing | Spice Runner | 11 | Steven M. Asmussen |
| bypassing | Carson Street | 11 | Brendan P. Walsh |
| bypassing | Argos | 10 | Brad H. Cox |
| bypassing | Strategic Risk | 10 | Mark E. Casse |
| bypassing | My World | 10 | Brad H. Cox |
| bypassing | Redland Rebels | 10 | Patrick Biancone |
| injured | Mesquite | 10 | Cherie DeVaux |
| not nominated | Exhibition Only | 10 | Rudy R. Rodriguez |
| bypassing | Start The Ride | 10 | Dan Blacker |
| bypassing | Desert Gate | 9 | Bob Baffert |
| bypassing | Baytown Dreamer | 7 | Paul McEntee |
| bypassing | Maximus Prime | 7 | Anthony Mitchell |
| bypassing | Very Connected | 6 | Kenneth G. McPeek |
| bypassing | Project Ace | 6 | Dale L. Romans |
| bypassing | Comport | 5 | Eddie Kenneally |
| bypassing | Rancho Santa Fe | 5 | Brad H. Cox |
| bypassing | Arctic Beast | 5 | Michael J. Maker |
| bypassing | Blacksmith | 5 | Bob Baffert |
| euthanized | Liberty National | 5 | Kenneth G. McPeek |
| bypassing | Lockstocknpharoah | 5 | Thomas Drury Jr. |
| not nominated | Daneyko | 4 | Edward Kereluk |
| bypassing | Quality Mischief | 4 | Brad H. Cox |
| bypassing | Cannoneer | 4 | Brad H. Cox |
| bypassing | 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 |
| bypassing | Cherokee Nation | 3 | Bob Baffert |
| not nominated | Diciassette | 2 | Patrick L. Biancone |
| bypassing | Steel Imperium | 2 | Caio Caramori |
| bypassing | Civil Liberty | 2 | Doug F. O'Neill |
| bypassing | Courting | 2 | Todd A. Pletcher |
| bypassing | Sleepingonfreedom | 2 | Kenneth G. McPeek |
| bypassing | Acknowledgemeplz | 2 | Doug F. O'Neill |
| bypassing | Circle Tap | 2 | Dallas Stewart |
| bypassing | It's Our Time | 2 | Thomas M. Amoss |
| not nominated | Western Man | 2 | Joe Offotler |
| bypassing | 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 |
| bypassing | Epic Desire | 2 | Todd A. Pletcher |
| 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 |
