Grittiness

Paladin earned 10 points on the 2026 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series following his two-length score in the $250,000 Remsen (G2) at Aqueduct on Dec. 6.

With his pedigree, sales history, and connections, Paladin offers an early parallel at this stage of his career with Sierra Leone, who narrowly missed in the 2024 Kentucky Derby (G1) and eventually became the champion three-year-old male.

A total of 21 Road to the Kentucky Derby qualification points are up for grabs in Saturday’s $250,000 Remsen (G2) at Aqueduct. The top-five finishers will split the points on a 10-5-3-2-1 basis.