Kentucky Derby Roundup: Potente, The Puma gain momentum

The 2026 Kentucky Derby (G1) is 53 days away. Catch up on the latest news and notes as the Road to the Kentucky Derby unfolds:

Potente handles class, distance jump in San Felipe

Potente, a debut winner sprinting six furlongs at Santa Anita, successfully stepped up in class and distance to win the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe (G2) in hard-fought fashion.

The son of Into Mischief rallied from as far back as fifth place to catch Robusta in the shadow of the wire and prevail by a head for six-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert. The final time was 1:42.92.

RELATED: Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Potente

So Happy, Secured Freedom, and Brant rounded out the top five, securing the last of the 50-25-15-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualification points up for grabs.

Potente debuts in seventh place on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 50 points. Robusta slots into 14th place with 25 points.

The Puma secures first victory in Tampa Bay Derby

The Puma ran well without winning in his first two starts. He finished second behind future Fountain of Youth (G2) runner-up Chief Wallabee in a maiden special weight, then ran third in the Sam F. Davis S. against Remsen (G2) runner-up Renegade.

The third time was the charm for The Puma. In the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs, he unleashed a tenacious last-to-first rally to triumph by three-quarters of a length over Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) winner Further Ado, completing 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.23.

RELATED: Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: The Puma

Further Ado, in his first run of 2026, edged flashy debut winner Canaletto by a head for third place. Redland Rebels and Talkin rounded out the top five.

The Puma secured the largest share of the 50-25-15-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualification points up for grabs. Having previously earned 6 points in the Sam F. Davis, he ranks second on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 56 points. Further Ado has advanced to ninth place with 35 points.

Buetane seeks first stakes win in Virginia Derby

A 10-horse field comprised of horses from around the country will contest Saturday’s Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs, a 1 1/8-mile Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifier worth 50-25-15-10-5 points.

The possible favorite is Buetane, a Bob Baffert trainee who has competed admirably without winning in graded-stakes competition. He’s finished second in the Hopeful (G1), second in the San Vicente (G2), and third in the Southwest (G3).

Buetane is joined in the entries by Street Sense (G3) winner Incredibolt, Withers S. runner-up Grittiness, Sam F. Davis alumni Epic Desire, Ocelli, and Confessional, $62,500 allowance optional claiming winner Lockstocknpharoah, $150,000 allowance optional claiming runner-up Clocker Special, and last-outmaiden winners Work and High Camp.

Paladin favored in Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 5

Undefeated Remsen (G2) and Risen Star (G2) winner Paladin is the 5-1 morning-line favorite in Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 5, which opens on Friday at noon ET and closes on Sunday at 6:00 p.m. ET.

Fountain of Youth (G2) winner Commandment (6-1) and Holy Bull (G3) conqueror Nearly (8-1) are other short-priced options among the 40 betting interests. 

Taptastic, Crude Velocity overcome trouble in debut wins

Last weekend, Taptastic and Crude Velocity overcame troubled trips to win maiden special weights in eye-catching fashion.

Taptastic broke slowly when debuting over one mile at Oaklawn Park, and he wound up boxed in behind a slow pace with nowhere to run. However, in the homestretch, he slipped through a narrow opening and blazed his final furlong in :11.77 to triumph by 1 1/2 lengths.

Crude Velocity likewise broke slowly in a 6 1/2-furlong sprint at Santa Anita, and after rushing up along the inside, he had to steady in traffic and lost a lot of ground. But despite this obstacle, the Bob Baffert trainee re-rallied to win by a neck.

Read more about Taptastic, Crude Velocity, and other impressive maiden winners in this week’s edition of Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch.

The Puma, Potente join Kentucky Derby Power Rankings

The top seven names in the latest Kentucky Derby Power Rankings on KentuckyDerby.com are unchanged from last week, but further down in the rankings, several horses have made big moves.

The Puma (eighth place) and Potente (15th) are new to the rankings following their wins in the Tampa Bay Derby and San Felipe, knocking out Brant and So Happy, who disappointed with defeats in the San Felipe. Canaletto has advanced sharply from 20th to 14th following his near-miss at Tampa, while Further Ado dropped one spot to 10th place.

Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard top five

1. Paladin (60 points)
2. The Puma (56 points)
3. Silent Tactic (50 points)
4. Class President (50 points)
5. Commandment (50 points)

European-Middle East Road to the Kentucky Derby top five

1. Six Speed (20 points)
2. Puerto Rico (10 points)
3. Lino Padrino (10 points)
4. Wonder Dean (6 points)
5. Keiai Agito (3 points)

Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby top five

1. Lucky Kid (30 points)
2. Pyromancer (20 points)
3. Itterasshai (9 points)
4. Best Green (6 points)
5. Arcadia Cafe (3 points)