Wagering

Five horses forced their way onto the Power Rankings from a notable first weekend of racing in December, including one debutante that now looks to be one of the leading contenders for the Kentucky Oaks.

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.

Odds-on favorite Zany might have turned Saturday’s Demoiselle (G2) at Aqueduct into a laugher, but she announced herself as a serious candidate for the Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Bob Baffert has won the Starlet (G2) a grand total of 11 times, including the past eight years in a row, and the Hall of Fame trainer is poised to extend that streak in Saturday’s $200,000 renewal at Los Alamitos.

An exciting field of 12 two-year-old horses will travel 1 1/8 miles on the Aqueduct dirt surface in Saturday’s $250,000 Remsen S. (G2).

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.

As expected, the last weekend in November has seen a decent shake-up in Power Rankings for the first Friday and Saturday in May.

Spendthrift Farm’s Further Ado accumulated 10 points on the 2026 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series leaderboard following his 1 3/4-length triumph in the $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2) at Churchill Downs on Nov. 29.

Champagne (G1) runner-up Talkin faces well-regarded class climbers Paladin, Renegade, and Courting in the Remsen (G2) at Aqueduct.

Odds-on favorite Further Ado won Saturday’s $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2), giving Louisville native Brad Cox his milestone 500th Churchill Downs win as a trainer.