Kentucky Derby Horse Profile: Chip Honcho

Dec 22, 2025 John Mucciolo/TwinSpires.com

Chip Honcho (left) wins the Gun Runner at Fair Grounds. (Photo by Hodges Photography)

Leland Ackerley Racing’s Chip Honcho picked up 10 qualifying points on the 2026 Road to the Kentucky Derby following his tally in the $100,000 Gun Runner S. at Fair Grounds on Dec. 20. Trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Paco Lopez, the victor endured one mile on the fast main surface in 1:44.76 en route to his initial stakes triumph.

Liberty National, Crown the Buckeye, Quality Mischief, and Very Connected rounded out the top five and picked up points on a 5-3-2-1 basis, respectively.

Lopez stated after the race, “I had him in good position to the outside after I got him to settle. He really started setting down a nice run at the quarter pole, and I thought we could go get the leader. My horse gave everything he had.”

Chip Honcho debuted at Keeneland on Oct. 16 in a seven-furlong maiden special weight dash and finished second. He preceded his Gun Runner score with a wire-to-wire win in a maiden special weight tilt going two turns at Churchill Downs on Nov. 20, and his lifetime line now reads 3-2-1-0, $150,475.

𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗣 𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗖𝗛𝗢 adds blinkers and captures 10 @KentuckyDerby points winning the Gun Runner S. @fairgroundsnola. ⚜️

Jockey @Pacolopez1018 was in the irons for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

⏪ #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/1Yx7j2Lmfd

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) December 21, 2025

He was bred in the Bluegrass State by Venneri Racing and Tony Fanticola, and the youngster is the first black-type victor produced from the stakes-winning Magician mare Miss My Rose, who captured the 2019 Angel’s Flight S. at Santa Anita. The son of Connect was purchased as a yearling in 2024 at Fasig-Tipton in Kentucky for $210,000 by his current connections.

Chip Honcho has garnered Brisnet Speed ratings of 90-84-85 from his trio of assignments to date while finishing first or second on each occasion. The two-year-old colt could appear next in the $250,000 Lecomte S. (G3) at Fair Grounds on Jan. 17.