Kentucky Derby Roundup: Strategic Risk, My World impress

The 2026 Kentucky Derby (G1) is 116 days away. Catch up on the latest news and notes as the Road to the Kentucky Derby unfolds:

Strategic Risk finishes fast in Smarty Jones

Strategic Risk, an exciting bay colt conditioned by Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse, joined the Road to the Kentucky Derby in a big way when he dominated Saturday’s Smarty Jones S. at Oaklawn Park by 4 1/2 lengths.

Entering off a nine-length win against fellow Florida-breds in the FTBOA Florida Sire In Reality S., Strategic Risk handled the jump in class at Oaklawn with aplomb. He tracked slow fractions of :24.48, :49.72, and 1:14.99 in second place before blazing his final five-sixteenths of a mile in :30.07 to reach the finish line in 1:45.06. Silent Tactic, Baytown Dreamer, Sleepingonfreedom, and Rancho Santa Fe rounded out the top five.

The Smarty Jones awarded Kentucky Derby qualification points to the top five finishers on a 10-5-3-2-1 basis. Strategic Risk joins the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard in 11th place, while his Casse-trained stablemate Silent Tactic debuts in 22nd place, just outside the Top 20 cutoff.

My World wears down Balboa in Jerome Stakes

My World is on a roll. The Nashua S. winner picked up his third straight win when conquering a small field in Saturday’s Jerome S. at Aqueduct, a one-mile Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifier worth 10-5-3-2-1 points.

The fifth-place point went unclaimed since only four horses started in the Jerome. Balboa, coming off a third-place finish in the Remsen (G2), started as the odds-on favorite. But My World launched a steady rally from last place (two lengths behind fractions of :23.58 and :47.12) to pass Balboa in the final furlong and score by two lengths in 1:38.96. Enforced Agenda and Freedom’s Echo trailed the field.

My World joins the Kentucky Derby qualification leaderboard in 10th place, one slot ahead of Strategic Risk, thanks to a tiebreaker based on earnings in non-restricted stakes races. Meanwhile, Balboa has advanced from 23rd to 16th place.

Ottinho on track for Withers after Aqueduct maiden win

Ottinho is bound for the Kentucky Derby trail after posting a determined maiden victory on New Year’s Eve at Aqueduct.

The Chad Brown trainee carved out the pace in a 1 1/8-mile maiden special weight and turned back a challenge from stablemate Hadrian’s Wall to prevail by a head in 1:54.07. Brown has since revealed Ottinho will target the Jan. 31 Withers S. at Aqueduct, a 1 1/8-mile Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifier.

Read more about Ottinho and other recent maiden winners in this week’s edition of Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch.

Paladin points for Risen Star

Paladin, winner of the Remsen on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, will make his three-year-old debut in the Feb. 14 Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds, revealed trainer Chad Brown.

This Remsen-to-Risen Star route is the same path taken by past Brown trainees Normandy Invasion, Zandon, and Sierra Leone. All three went on to record top-four finishes in the Kentucky Derby.

Strategic Risk, Nearly rejoin Kentucky Derby Power Rankings

A pair of horses previously ranked in the Kentucky Derby Power Rankings on KentuckyDerby.com have rejoined the Top 20 list.

Strategic Risk, fresh off his Smarty Jones win, has reappeared in 12th place. Meanwhile, flashy maiden winner Nearly has climbed back to 17th place after dominating a seven-furlong $75,000 allowance optional claimer on Friday at Gulfstream Park.

Conditioned by two-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Todd Pletcher, Nearly bumped hard with a rival at the start and trailed the field early, but gradually recovered to take command and win by five lengths in 1:22.88.

New names in the rankings are My World (20th) and Commandment (19th); the latter scored a convincing win in the Mucho Macho Man S. on Saturday at Gulfstream Park. Check out the full Top 20 on KentuckyDerby.com.

Latest Kentucky Derby contender workouts

Here are some of the latest workouts recorded by Road to the Kentucky Derby points earners:

Acknowledgemeplz: Clocked four furlongs in :48.60 on Wednesday at Santa Anita.

Arctic Beast: Sped four furlongs in :48.00 on Saturday at Oaklawn Park.

Blacksmith: Worked half a mile in :47.60 on Tuesday at Santa Anita.

Cherokee Nation: Blazed five furlongs in :59.80 over Santa Anita’s all-weather training track on Sunday.

Chip Honcho: Breezed five furlongs in 1:01.60 on Monday at Fair Grounds.

Courting: Rejoined the work tab with half a mile in :49.12 on Friday at Palm Beach Downs.

Crown the Buckeye: Went four furlongs in :48.40 on Saturday at Fair Grounds.

Desert Gate: Worked five furlongs over Santa Anita’s all-weather training track in 1:00.20 on Sunday.

Diciassette: Breezed half a mile in :49.45 on Sunday at Palm Meadows.

Grittiness: Clocked four furlongs in :49.45 over the Belmont Park training track on Saturday.

I Did I Did: Sped four furlongs in :48.80 on Saturday at Churchill Downs Trackside.

Incredibolt: Traveled half a mile in :50.85 on Wednesday at Palm Meadows.

Liberty National: Worked four furlongs in :49.20 on Saturday at Fair Grounds.

Maximus Prime: Clocked four furlongs in :49.80 on Saturday at The Thoroughbred Center.

Plutarch: Sped five furlongs in :59.60 over Santa Anita’s all-weather training track on Sunday.

Quality Mischief: Went four furlongs in :50.80 on Saturday at Fair Grounds.

Renegade: Breezed half a mile in :49.73 on Sunday at Palm Beach Downs.

Soldier N Diplomat: Cruised four furlongs in :50.00 on Thursday at Fair Grounds.

Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard top five

1. Ted Noffey (40 points)
2. Litmus Test (19 points)
3. Mr. A. P. (15 points)
4. Intrepido (13 points)
5. Universe (13 points)

European-Middle East Road to the Kentucky Derby top five

1. Hawk Mountain (20 points)
2. Puerto Rico (10 points)
3. Bow Echo (10 points)
4. Action (8 points)
5. Nighttime (5 points)

Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby top five

1. Pyromancer (20 points)
2. Tamamo Freesia (10 points)
3. Satono Voyage (10 points)
4. Best Green (6 points)
5. Don Erectus (5 points)