Kentucky Derby Context: Chip Honcho

A close second to (now sidelined) Paladin in the Risen Star (G2), Chip Honcho will try to rebound from a fifth in the TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (G2). The dark bay colt led all the way when capturing a maiden at Churchill Downs last November and followed with a frontrunning victory in the Gun Runner S. at Fair Grounds a month later. Chip Honcho didn’t perform as well when settling just off the pace in January’s Lecomte (G3), checking in fourth, but he bounced back with a strong showing in the Risen Star, leading all the way until grudgingly giving way by a half-length in deep stretch. Rating tactics didn’t work again in the Louisiana Derby, and Chip Honcho projects to show early speed if he makes the Kentucky Derby field (outside top 20 at publication).

OWNER: Chip Honcho would be the first Kentucky Derby starter for Leland Ackerley Racing (Lee Ackerley), James Sherwood, Jode Shupe, and John Cilia.

TRAINER: North America’s all-time leading trainer by wins, Steve Asmussen, has won more than 11,000 races, with earnings of nearly $500 million, since recording his first victory in July 1986. The Kentucky Derby is one of the few major races missing from his resume, compiling a 28-0-3-2 mark. He finished second with Nehro (2011), Lookin At Lee (2017), and Epicenter (2022), and the Hall of Famer saddled a pair of eventual Horse of the Year winners, Curlin (2007) and Gun Runner (2016), to thirds in the Kentucky Derby. Asmussen owns more wins at Churchill Downs than any trainer, and the 60-year-old horseman looks to complete a personal sweep of the Triple Crown, sending out Preakness winners Curlin and Rachel Alexandra (2009) and 2016 Belmont winner Creator.

JOCKEY: TBD

BREEDER: Bred in Kentucky by Venneri Racing (Alex Venneri) and Tony Fanticola, Chip Honcho was purchased for $210,000 as a yearling at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July sale. He would be the first Kentucky Derby starter as breeder for Venneri and Fanticola.

SIRE: Chip Honcho is from the fifth crop of Grade 1-winning dirt miler Connect, a son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin and a winner in six of eight career starts. Among his many accomplishments as a sire, Curlin produced 2025 Kentucky Derby runner-up and Preakness winner Journalism, but Connect still looks to make an impact on the Triple Crown with his offspring.

DAM: Chip Honcho is the first stakes winner out of the stakes-winning Miss My Rose, a daughter of 2013 Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) winner Magician. From a small sample size, Chip Honcho is the most successful runner as broodmare sire for Magician, a son of Epsom Derby (G1) winner and world-renowned sire Galileo.