Expert Pick of the Week: 2026 Jim Dandy Stakes

Jul 29, 2026 John Mucciolo/TwinSpires.com

Commandment wins the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. (Photo by Coglianese Photo)

A compact but talented field of five three-year-old horses will jaunt 1 1/8 miles on the dirt surface at Saratoga Race Course in Saturday’s $500,000 Jim Dandy (G2). The Brad Cox-trained Commandment received a nice draw on the outside of the small field and will be making his first appearance since finishing a clear second in the Belmont (G1) on the surface last time out.

Commandment broke his maiden with authority at Gulfstream Park in November and ran off wins in his first three outings to begin 2026, led by tallies in the Florida Derby (G1) and Fountain of Youth (G2). Following a seventh-place run in the Kentucky Derby (G1) in Louisville on the first Saturday in May, where he didn’t have an ideal voyage, the son of Into Mischief was with Golden Tempo late prior to being outkicked by that impressive foe in the Belmont.

𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 could make history.

Four Derby winners for Into Mischief? 🏆 🌹

Or is this where the stamina skeptics finally win?

Receipts are in the pedigree.@J_Keelerman comes with the facts ⬇️https://t.co/BNIOXDkMLa pic.twitter.com/qjWwqv8Zc2

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) March 4, 2026

The Kentucky-bred colt will be equipped with blinkers for the first time on Saturday in hopes of keeping him focused and presumably closer to the early pace, and if the equipment change helps the sophomore, then he will be formidable in his second run on the track. Flavien Prat, who was aboard the horse in his Florida Derby victory, will take the reins.

Todd Pletcher’s Renegade missed by a neck in the Kentucky Derby two back and then tired late when a clear third in the Belmont, his latest venture. An exciting winner of the Arkansas Derby (G1) in the spring, the fast-closing son of Into Mischief has been freshened up for this tilt, and his morning works indicate that he is rounding up to a big run on Saturday. Bred in Kentucky, the bay colt will appreciate cutting back to 1 1/8 miles in this spot and should have no traffic concerns in the compact field. Regular pilot Irad Ortiz, Jr. will be in the saddle and rallying the sophomore from the back of the pack against this crew.

Expert Pick

An exacta with #5 Commandment on top of #3 Renegade in the 2026 Jim Dandy Stakes is the Best Bet of the Week.