Kentucky Derby Horse Profile: Albus

Apr 08, 2026 John Mucciolo/TwinSpires.com

Albus wins the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. (Photo by Coglianese Photo)

Pin Oak Stud’s three-year-old horse named Albus notched his first graded stakes win when putting in a sustained late rally to capture the $750,000 Wood Memorial (G2) by 1 1/4 lengths at Aqueduct on April 4. Trained by Riley Mott and guided home to victory by Jaime Torres, the colt clocked 1 1/8 miles on the fast track in 1:51.71 to punch his ticket to Louisville. The winner earned 100 qualifying points on the 2026 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series in the process.

Right to Party, Ocelli, Bravaro, and Napoleon Solo finished second through fifth and also earned qualifying points towards the Kentucky Derby on a 50-25-15-10 basis.

“I was really happy down the backside with our position,” Mott said. “Jaime was comfortable, got into a nice rhythm. They went pretty quick the first quarter, but slowed it down a bit, 47 and change. Jaime said when he asked him, he felt like the horse really had a lot of power underneath him. Jaime said at the quarter pole, he knew if the horse went through the hole, he’d probably win. At the eighth pole, when he made the lead, the horse tried to idle a little bit, sort of waiting on horses and being a little bit immature, which he is still – it’s his fourth career start. It was great to see him finish it off like that.”

𝗔𝗟𝗕𝗨𝗦 at 11/1 wins the 101st and final running of the Wood Memorial G2 at Aqueduct.

Jockey @jaimetorresjcky was in the saddle for trainer @Riley_Mott
and stamps his ticket to the @KentuckyDerby earning 100 KY Derby points. pic.twitter.com/fi2ESlEjds

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

Albus improved his lifetime mark to 4-2-0-1, $436,288, following his biggest score to date. The horse made his first run at Keeneland in October and finished fourth, and he then checked in third the second time out in a maiden special weight try at Churchill Downs. Prior to his Wood Memorial tally, the dark bay colt was a powerful winner at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 27.

The son of Yaupon was bred in Kentucky by Susan Casner and was purchased for $320,000 at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He was produced from the Bernardini mare named Adream, and he was preceded in stakes glory by Grade 3 heroine Song of Spring. His dam is a half-sister to multiple Grade 1 victress Dream Rush, who produced a trio of stakes winners, including Grade 1 standout Dreaming of Julia. This is the same female family as two-time champion Malathaat.

Albus has registered improving Brisnet Speed ratings of 79-85-87-91 from his four runs to date and will go to Louisville as an improving runner who appreciates going long distances.