As of April 3, 2026, at 5:10 a.m. ET
- The Wood Memorial and Santa Anita Derby, both scheduled for Saturday, serve as crucial preparatory events for the Kentucky Derby.
- Unbeaten Iron Honor, trained by Chad Brown, holds the distinction of being the morning-line favorite for the Wood Memorial.
- Bob Baffert is fielding a pair of leading contenders, Potente and Cherokee Nation, in the Santa Anita Derby.
Trainer Chad Brown faced a setback when Paladin, an early Kentucky Derby favorite, sustained an injury during a Saturday workout; however, Brown remains pragmatic about the situation.
“I’m not the only trainer that’s been in this position before,” Brown commented to the Daily Racing Form. “There’s been a lot of disappointment along the Derby trail with favorites in the past. He was by no means the certain winner of the race anyway. It’s a very competitive race.”
Beyond Paladin, Brown retains two additional prospects for the Kentucky Derby: Louisiana Derby winner Emerging Market and Iron Honor, currently the 5-2 morning-line favorite for the $750,000, Grade 2 Wood Memorial on Saturday at Aqueduct.
Manny Franco, Iron Honor’s jockey, expresses optimism about the horse’s prospects.
“I think this is a very talented 3-year-old,” Franco stated. “He is 2 for 2 in his career, so I’m just happy to be on his back. I think the distance will be no problem, with the size he has, and he has Chad, too. He is a great trainer.”
For the Wood Memorial, Iron Honor was assigned the outermost post position within the 12-horse lineup. Brown opted to withdraw his other entrant, Ottinho, who will instead compete in Saturday’s Grade 1 Blue Grass event at Keeneland.
Secure your tickets for the Better Derby Betting event
Presented below are five horses to observe in Saturday’s Wood and Santa Anita Derby, each with the potential to emerge as a prominent Kentucky Derby contender (morning-line odds included):
Hailing from sire Not This Time, Cherokee Nation commanded a price of $1.15 million at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in 2024.
This Bob Baffert-trained horse placed fifth in two graded stakes before ultimately securing his maiden victory in his sixth attempt—a one-mile contest on Feb. 27 at Santa Anita Park, where he achieved a 100 Beyer Speed Figure.
The most significant race of Intrepido’s career occurred during his 2-year-old season, securing a victory in the Grade 1 American Pharoah at Santa Anita Park on October 4.
After a fifth-place showing in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, he commenced his 3-year-old season by finishing second in the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis on February 7 at Santa Anita.
As a progeny of Maximus Mischief, Intrepido was acquired for $385,000 during the 2025 Ocala Breeders’ Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.
With only two races under his belt, he first claimed his maiden victory on December 13, subsequently triumphing in the Grade 3 Gotham at Aqueduct on February 28.
Brown mentioned that upon the colt’s arrival at his Payson Park Training Center after his maiden win, he exhibited some body soreness.
“This horse missed a little training when he shipped down to Florida,” Brown explained. “If you look, there was a gap of about a month (mid-December to mid-January) for the works. He didn’t ship in completely healthy, and then he came back good. I appreciate the owners for being patient. My team did a great job.”
Iron Honor, a descendant of Nyquist, was acquired for $475,000 at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
This progeny of Liam’s Map secured victories in both of his 2-year-old races, notably clinching the Grade 1 Champagne, prior to initiating his 2026 season with a fifth-place result in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park on February 28.
“He was going to need that race regardless,” trainer Chad Summers remarked. “There were a lot of things going on in that race. Now, we are going to have one more bite at the apple. …
“He’s obviously going to be the only Grade 1 winner in the field. He’s got questions to answer. There are some other horses that will be favored over him, so we’ll see what happens.”
Napoleon Solo was purchased for $40,000 at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
From the lineage of Into Mischief, Potente did not race as a 2-year-old, then achieved his maiden victory on January 31 at Santa Anita, followed by a win in the Grade 2 San Felipe on March 7, accumulating 50 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby.
Currently, Potente appears to represent Baffert’s most promising contender for the Kentucky Derby.
“This horse has a lot of talent,” jockey Juan Hernandez commented following the San Felipe. “He’s big, he’s strong, and he showed up today.”
Potente, owned by Speedway Stables, was acquired for $2.4 million at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale.
Post time: 6:34 p.m. Saturday, taking place at Aqueduct in South Ozone Park, New York. Purse: $750,000. Grade: 2. Distance: 1 1/8 miles. Jockey weight: 123 pounds. TV: Broadcast on FS2 and FanDuel TV. Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 100 for first, 50 for second, 25 for third, 15 for fourth, 10 for fifth.
Post Position, Horse, Jockey, Trainer, Odds
1. Napoleon Solo, Paco Lopez, Chad Summers, 7-2
2. Talk to Me Jimmy, Ruben Silvera, Rudy Rodriguez, 6-1
3. Right to Party, Christopher Elliott, Kenny McPeek, 20-1
4. Steel, Sahin Civaci, Bill Mott, 12-1
5. Ocelli, Joe Ramos, Whit Beckman, 20-1
6. Minorinconvenience, Jaime Rodriguez, Amelia Green, 30-1
7. Albus, Jaime Torres, Riley Mott, 12-1
8. Courting, Kendrick Carmouche, Todd Pletcher, 8-1
9. Bravaro, Edwin Gonzalez, Saffie Joseph Jr., 8-1
10. Red Zone Runner, Mychel Sanchez, Hugo Padilla, 30-1
11. Ottinho, Dylan Davis, Chad Brown, SCRATCHED
12. Buetane, Martin Garcia, Bob Baffert, 8-1
13. Iron Honor, Manny Franco, Chad Brown, 5-2
Post time: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, held at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Purse: $500,000. Grade: 1. Distance: 1 1/8 miles. Jockey weight: 124 pounds. TV/livestream: Available on NBCSN, FanDuel TV, Peacock. Kentucky Derby qualifying points: 100 for first, 50 for second, 25 for third, 15 for fourth, 10 for fifth.
Post Position, Horse, Jockey, Trainer, Odds
1. Cherokee Nation, Florent Geroux, Bob Baffert, 5-2
2. Potente, Juan Hernandez, Bob Baffert, 2-1
3. Vitruvian Man, Antonio Fresu, Doug O’Neill, 15-1
4. Robusta, Emisael Jaramillo, Doug O’Neill, 8-1
5. So Happy, Mike Smith, Mark Glatt, 7-2
6. Start the Ride, Armando Ayuso, Dan Blacker, 30-1
7. Intrepido, Hector Berrios, Jeff Mullins, 7-2
Jason Frakes can be reached at: 502-582-4046; [email protected]. Find updates on X @KentuckyDerbyCJ.