20-length maiden winner Further Ado headlines Kentucky Jockey Club

Nov 23, 2025 Kevin Kerstein/Kentucky Racing Communications

Further Ado wins at Keeneland. (Photo by Coady Media)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025) – The Road to the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve returns to Churchill Downs next Saturday where Spendthrift Farm’s dominant maiden special weight winner Further Ado is set to test stakes company in the 99th running of the $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (Grade II).

The 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Jockey Club is the featured race on the Stars of Tomorrow II program that features 12 races all for 2-year-olds. The program, which started in 2005, has produced more than 50 Grade I winners including Kentucky Derby winners Sovereignty (2025), Mystik Dan (2024), Mandaloun (2021), and Super Saver (2010). The Kentucky Jockey Club field will go to post in Race 10 at 5:25 p.m. (all times Eastern). First post is 1 p.m.

Further Ado, trained by Brad Cox, scored a scintillating 20-length victory last month at Keeneland when testing two turns for the first time. A chestnut son of Gun Runner, Further Ado drew attention in Pool 1 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager where he closed as the fourth individual favorite at 21-1 behind Ted Noffey (10-1), Brant (14-1) and Blackout Time (20-1). Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. will have the return mount for Saturday’s race and break from post No. 6.

The Two-Year-Old Tracker is back with a look at the eye-popping performance of Gun Runner 2yo Further Ado, who dominated by 20 lengths at Keeneland on Oct. 10. 👀

Trainer: @bradcoxracing
Jockey: @iradortiz

Add to your Stable Alerts 👉 https://t.co/1snjx2zihq pic.twitter.com/PLtPXJMh9c

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) October 14, 2025

Trainer Kenny McPeek entered a duo of promising 2-year-olds in Saturday’s race: Street Sense (Grade III) second and third place finishers, respectively, Universe and Very Connected.

4 G Racing, Gregg Day, Steven Crain and Magdalena Racing’s Universe was sent off as the 7-5 favorite in the Street Sense where he was defeated 2 3/4 lengths by Incredibolt. The son of Global Campaign will be ridden from post 7 under Brian Hernandez Jr.

Dream Big Racing’s Very Connected finished 2 1/4 lengths behind his stablemate in the Street Sense. A son of Connect, Very Connected will have the services of Manny Esquivel in Saturday’s race from post 5.

McPeek is a three-time winner of the Kentucky Jockey Club with previous victories in the race coming from Repent (2001), Signalman (2018) and Smile Happy (2021).

Another top competitor entered in the Kentucky Jockey Club is St. Elias Stable’s Soldier N Diplomat, who dominated a first-level allowance contest by nine lengths under jockey Tyler Gaffalione. Trained by three-time Kentucky Jockey Club-winning conditioner Steve Asmussen, Soldier N Diplomat broke his maiden at first asking on July 26 at Saratoga. Following his fourth-place finish to Ted Noffey in the Hopeful (GI), Soldier N Diplomat returned to the winner’s circle on Oct. 26 at Churchill Downs while stretching out to a mile in the aforementioned first-level allowance. Gaffalione rides from post 4.

Asmussen also entered Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Spice Runner in the race. The winner of the Iroquois (GIII) to kick off the Road to Kentucky Derby 152, the son of Gun Runner will attempt to avenge his fifth-place finish in last month’s Breeders’ Futurity (GI). He’ll be ridden by Joel Rosario out of post 1.

Asmussen’s prior victories in the race were with Private Vow (2005), Tapiture (2013) and Silver Prospector (2019).

The field for the Kentucky Jockey Club in order of post position (with jockey and trainer):

• Spice Runner (Joel Rosario, Asmussen)
• Cherokee Nation (Flavien Prat, Bob Baffert)
• Dr. Kapur (Jose Ortiz, Saffie Joseph Jr.)
• Soldier N Diplomat (Gaffalione, Asmussen)
• Very Connected (Esquivel, McPeek)
• Further Ado (Irad Ortiz Jr., Cox)
• Universe (Hernandez, McPeek)

The Kentucky Jockey Club will award the top five finishers qualifying points based on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale for the $5 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (GI) on May 2. One race earlier, the Road to the Kentucky Oaks will roll through Churchill Downs for the $400,000 Golden Rod (GII). Other stakes on the card are the $225,000 Ed Brown and $225,000 Fern Creek.

Fans can watch and wager on all the action from Churchill Downs on www.twinspires.com, the official wagering platform of Churchill Downs Incorporated.