Derby News

This weekend sees Pool 5 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager. By now, most of the likely runners are exposed, which is reflected in the relatively long 12-1 odds for the “all other three-year-olds” option. Not surprisingly, only one horse on this week’s...

A well-matched field of 10 three-year-olds with hopes of making it to Louisville in early May will contest the $500,000 Virginia Derby on Saturday.

Saturday’s $500,000 Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs is a recent addition to the Road to the Kentucky Derby. The 1 1/8-mile race joined the series last year and awards 50-25-15-10-5 points to the top five finishers.

OGMA Investments, JR Ranch, and High Step Racing’s three-year-old horse named The Puma punched his ticket to the Run for the Roses following his game score in the $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby (G3) on March 7.

Speedway Stable’s three-year-old colt named Potente moved his career mark to two-for-two and also picked up 50 points on the 2026 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series after winning the $201,000 San Felipe (G2) at Santa Anita on March 7.

The Road to the Kentucky Derby series swung through Santa Anita and Tampa Bay Downs last weekend, with the San Felipe (G2) and Tampa Bay Derby (G3) offering qualifying points to the top five finishers.

In honor of Saturday’s Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs, it’s an opportune time to highlight Virginia’s tapestry of racing history.

Repositioned as a Kentucky Derby (G1) prep last season, the $500,000 Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs highlights a special three-day weekend meeting at Colonial Downs this week.

The connections of Road to the Kentucky Oaks leader Explora - Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman along with Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert - now have another contender in Forced Entry.

Speedway Stables’ Potente passed his first test on the Road to the Kentucky Derby in the San Felipe (G2), giving Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert a record-extending 10th win in the prep at Santa Anita.