Tipsheet: 2026 Lecomte Stakes

A super competitive field of 11 sophomores will travel 1 1/16 miles over the Fair Grounds main oval in Saturday’s $250,000 Lecomte (G3). The 2026 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series contest will reward the top five across the wire with qualifying points on a 20-10-6-4-2 basis. 

Lecomte Stakes Picks

• #10 Stop the Car
• #3 Crown the Buckeye
• #8 White Tiger
• #7 Mesquite

Lecomte Stakes Wagers

• $10 win and place #10 Stop the Car
• $3 exacta key box 10 with 3,7,8
• $.50-cent trifecta box 3,7,8,10

Lecomte Stakes Contenders

#1 QUALITY MISCHIEF (10-1): The first of three in the field for Brad Cox gets an advantageous rail post and comes off a solid fourth in the Gun Runner S. on the oval most recently. The $300,000 Into Mischief colt has improved with each career run to date and will be in the hunt with another move in the right direction beneath Pedroza. 

#2 CARSON STREET (8-1): Street Sense colt aired in an off-the-turf maiden tilt on the course in his latest venture and has never run a bad one in his career. One of two in the cast for Brendan Walsh, the Kentucky-bred will be forwardly placed in his stakes debut with Axel Concepcion in the irons. 

#3 CROWN THE BUCKEYE (4-1): Multiple stakes winner gave way late in his third-place finish in the Gun Runner last out and will be the one to catch as the field turns for home on Saturday. The Mike Maker trainee has very good early foot, and the son of Yaupon will improve while making his second run off the short layoff. Ricardo Santana, Jr., inherits the mount. 

#4 EXOSOME (20-1): Candy Ride colt graduated second time out, going a route of ground at Keeneland, and has trained forwardly in the interim. The Kelsey Danner pupil will have to get faster to upset this deep group, but he is lightly raced with room for improvement and could grab a share late with a leap forward under Loveberry. 

#5 GOLDEN TEMPO (8-1): Curlin colt made a fine last-to-first run in a sprint on the course in his unveiling and appears to have a very bright future. The well-bred bay should thrive with the added distance in this spot, and I feel that he has a lot of appeal with Jose Ortiz retaining the ride for Cherie DeVaux. 

#6 THUNDER BUCK (6-1): The second Cox charge made good in his route bow when beating maidens on this surface on Dec. 20. The Calumet homebred finished with good energy in his victory and is not without a shot with another move in the right direction with Luis Saez taking the reins. 

#7 MESQUITE (8-1): Second from the DeVaux shedrow, was a last-to-first maiden victor in his first run going a route of ground at this venue second time out, and rates a solid chance in his stakes debut. The son of Union Rags has closed well in both career appearances to date, and if the pace backs up in the lane, then the bay will have a chance at a nice price inside the final furlong beneath Flavien Prat. 

#8 WHITE TIGER (8-1): Constitution homebred ran into a fine winner in a sprint at first asking and graduated next out when stretching out in distance at Churchill Downs on Oct. 26. The gray has trained well in the interim, and the colt also owns the tactical speed to be in range as the field approaches the turn for home, as well. Irad will be in the silks once again. 

#9 OCELLI (12-1): Connect colt from the Beckman barn finished a clear second in his route debut in advance of this one and will race with blinkers on. The sophomore figures to be a bit closer to the pace on Saturday and could be well placed at the top of the lane with Joseph Ramos on board. 

#10 STOP THE CAR (8-1): Upset pick is the second from the Walsh barn in the field and gets the nod in his stakes bow. The $110,000 son of Maximum Security made up a ton of ground late to get the job done in a dash at Keeneland first time out, which preceded a strong allowance score at Churchill Downs at one mile. The Kentucky-bred figures to take another step forward while going two turns for the initial time under the guidance of Ben Curtis. 

#11 CHIP HONCHO (9-2): Gun Runner star was assigned a difficult post for his second local appearance, but could surely be the one for Asmussen. The $210,000 son of Connect has two wins and a second from a trio of career runs to date, and he possesses the gate presence to avoid being left behind in the early stages of the race, as well. Paco Lopez stays in the silks atop the logical win threat.