Takeaways from the 2026 Kentucky Derby

The 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby (G1) will be remembered, among other things, for the first time a female trainer saddled the winner of the Run for the Roses. Conditioner Cherie Devaux’s Golden Tempo made a spectacular last-to-first move under Jose Ortiz to get up late and etch his (and his trainer’s) name in the history books as racing immortality. Congratulations and well done to the horse, trainer, and jockey!

Below are three additional things that stood out to me most about the race: 

Closers Dominate the Derby

The top three finishers of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday were in 18th, 16th, and 15th-place, respectively, after the opening six furlongs of the historic contest. Of the top seven finishers, only one entrant (Danon Bourbon) was in the top nine at the same point of call. 

I didn’t find the pace of the Derby overly taxing (one mile in 1:36.45), nor did I feel there was any kind of bias towards late runners that afternoon. And after watching the race on multiple occasions the following day, it seemed to me that the majority of runners had reasonable voyages in the 19-horse field. Traveling 1 1/4 miles in early May remains an obstacle for many talented three-year-olds.  

Chief Wallabee Never Got a Chance to Let Loose

Bill Mott’s Chief Wallabee finished a commendable fourth, and I think that he was the unluckiest horse in the field. Equipped with blinkers for the first time, the colt was under a long hold on the backside leading up to the turn for home with nowhere to go, and once a seam opened up for him, and jockey Junior Alvarado asked him to put in his closing run, the sophomore was squeezed and bumped hard, losing all momentum nearing midstretch. He was very brave in recovering and continuing on to be a very good fourth under the wire, and my belief is that he would have surely challenged for the win with a different kind of voyage. Chief Wallabee is my leading contender for the Belmont (G1). 

Curlin Gets His Derby Winner

Superstar stud Curlin completed a Triple Crown of his own kind with Golden Tempo’s fine score in the Derby after being the sire of the runner-up in the event on a trio of occasions, including the second-place run from Journalism in 2025. He is now responsible for a winner in each of the three Triple Crown legs, which is a fantastic and well-deserved feat for the two-time Horse of the Year, who has also left an indelible mark in the breeding shed, as well. And it’s also worth noting that he not only sired the winner but is the broodmare sire of runner-up Renegade, as well as the grandsire of third-place finisher Ocelli. It was the ‘Curlin Derby,’ and he was due!