Chip Honcho faces Florida, California shippers in Louisiana Derby

Mar 16, 2026 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

Chip Honcho (right) succumbed grudgingly to Paladin in the Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds. (Photo by Hodges Photography)

In the Risen Star (G2) last time out at Fair Grounds, Chip Honcho beat everyone but early Kentucky Derby (G1) favorite Paladin. The good news for Chip Honcho is that he won’t have to face Paladin again in Saturday’s $1 million Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2). The less good news is that Chip Honcho will have to repel a fresh posse of invaders descending upon New Orleans for the final major prep at Fair Grounds.

Paladin’s highly-regarded stablemate from the Chad Brown barn, Emerging Market, leads a contingent from Florida that includes the Brad Cox duo of Easterly and Autobahn. Six-time Kentucky Derby winner Bob Baffert makes a rare Fair Grounds foray with Blacksmith, joined by fellow California shipper Pavlovian for Doug O’Neill.

Add in another well-fancied competitor based at Fair Grounds, Golden Tempo, and the Louisiana Derby shapes up as an intriguing battle for points on the 100-50-25-15-10 format to the top five finishers.

Chip Honcho is the only Louisiana Derby contender who has taken part in the entire Fair Grounds series on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, a five-time Louisiana Derby winner, Chip Honcho won the opening leg, the Dec. 20 Gun Runner S. He fared worse in the ensuing Lecomte (G3), where he checked in fourth behind Golden Tempo.

Asmussen made key changes for the Risen Star. Chip Honcho removed the blinkers and returned to aggressively forward tactics, with new rider Luis Saez. He responded by nearly going wire-to-wire, until he was just run down late by Paladin in the 1 1/8-mile affair. Chip Honcho will try to fend off all comers over an extra sixteenth of a mile in the 1 3/16-mile Louisiana Derby.

"Here's Paladin with power and purpose!" @johngdooley

PALADIN runs down CHIP HONCHO to win the G2 Risen Star and earns 50 points on the Road to the @KentuckyDerby! 🌹

Chad Brown trains the chestnut colt. @tyler_gaff was aboard.

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Golden Tempo has the opposite running style as a deep closer. The Cherie DeVaux trainee went last-to-first in his career debut and in the Lecomte, but he couldn’t get any nearer than third behind Paladin and Chip Honcho in the Risen Star. Now the Curlin blueblood, a homebred for Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable, adds blinkers in hopes of putting himself in a better position.

While Paladin awaits the April 4 Blue Grass (G1) at Keeneland, Brown sends another exciting prospect in Emerging Market. The Klaravich Stables colorbearer lacks much in the way of racing experience, but he showed real professionalism in his debut victory at Tampa Bay Downs. It’s significant that Brown, normally a patient and conservative horseman, is pitching Emerging Market straight into a Derby prep.

KENTUCKY DERBY MAIDEN WATCH: EMERGING MARKET RUNS FAST AT TAMPA

Is Emerging Market an emerging 2026 Kentucky Derby (G1) contender?

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Both of Cox’s entrants are coming off maiden wins at Gulfstream Park. Easterly, who was second on debut to eventual Rebel (G2) hero Class President, scored next time when stretching out in distance. Autobahn broke through in his third attempt, but his first around two turns, going 1 1/8 miles. The stablemates share the same owners as well – WinStar Farm, CHC, and First Go Racing.

Although Baffert’s Blacksmith took five tries to break his maiden, one of those losses was a runner-up effort to stablemate Litmus Test in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2). If Blacksmith can keep progressing here, he would give Qatari-based Wathnan Racing another Derby contender along with Fountain of Youth (G2) star Commandment.

Pavlovian is the only runner besides Chip Honcho to win a scoring race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. A California homebred for Reddam Racing, a two-time Derby winner with fellow O’Neill trainees I’ll Have Another (2012) and Nyquist (2016), Pavlovian just nipped Express Kid in the Sunland Park Derby.

Universe has overlapping connections with 2024 Kentucky Derby upsetter Mystik Dan, as a Kenny McPeek trainee with an ownership group led by 4 G Racing. A Road to the Derby veteran who placed in the Champagne (G1), Street Sense (G3), and Kentucky Jockey Club (G2), Universe was most recently fourth in the Risen Star.

Rounding out the nine-horse field is Dallas Stewart’s Spirit of Royal, a non-threatening ninth in his stakes debut in the Southwest (G3) at Oaklawn Park.

The Louisiana Derby is scheduled to go off as the 12th race (6:42 p.m. ET) on an action-packed day, including the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) on the undercard. You can watch and wager on all the races at TwinSpires.com.