Kentucky Derby Power Rankings: Derby Season About to Fully Launch [Jan. 13]

Jan 13, 2026 Alastair Bull/TwinSpires.com

Ted Noffey winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Del Mar (Photo by Horsephotos.com)

Week 15: The Kentucky Derby trail has been underway for some time, but this is the week it really becomes a constant path.

From now until mid-April, there is a race where points are available on the Road to the Kentucky Derby (if you count the UAE 2,000 Guineas, which you should, as there is a decent chance a Derby runner will be present), so we will have Derby-relevant horses running for the next 13 weeks.

It’s also the first week that 42-point races will be run on the U.S. Road, with 20 points for the winner. All previous races have only had 10 points going for the winner, bar the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, which has 30, and the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun on the Japanese Road, which has 20.

To mark this significant point, we also have Pool 3 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager this weekend, running from January 16-18. The list of options is now available, and 18 of the 20 horses listed here are individual options.

The past week has seen one new entry to the Derby Rankings and one notable faller, which is explained in the list. There is also one new entry to the Oaks Rankings – a filly that wouldn’t even have been thought of as an Oaks candidate had rain not forced her onto dirt at the weekend.

There were also some notable maiden wins this week from Chief Wallabee, Thunderously, and Robusta, but they will need to prove themselves further to get onto the Power Rankings list.

There are some fascinating horses due to run in the preps this week – the Lecomte (G3) features former Derby Power Rankings alumni Chip Honcho, Golden Tempo, and Stop the Car, along with promising types like Carson Street, Crown the Buckeye, Mesquite, Thunder Buck, and White Tiger, while the Silverbulletday features Oaks Power Rankings number nine Atropa and Pocahontas winner Taken by the Wind, who features very prominently in some foreign Oaks odds markets.

Feel free to disagree with the Power Rankings – and to back your own judgment in Pool 3 of the Future Wager this weekend!

KENTUCKY DERBY POWER RANKINGS

1.         Ted Noffey (1 last week, no change).

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 3 Morning Line Odds: 6-1.

TwinSpires Horse Profile: Ted Noffey

2.         Brant (2, no change)

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 3 Morning Line Odds: 30-1.

Brant training at Santa Anita, October 2025 (Photo by Horsephotos)

TwinSpires Horse Profile: Brant

3.         Napoleon Solo (3, no change)

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 3 Morning Line Odds: 40-1.

Napoleon Solo wins the Champagne Stakes at Aqueduct. (Photo by Coglianese Photo)

TwinSpires Horse Profile: Napoleon Solo

4.         Blackout Time (4, no change)

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 3 Morning Line Odds: 60-1.

Blackout time wins at Ellis Park. (Photo by Coady Media)

TwinSpires Horse Profile: Blackout Time

5.         Litmus Test (5, no change)

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 3 Morning Line Odds: 20-1.

Litmus Test breaks maiden at Del Mar. (Photo by Horsephotos.com)

TwinSpires Horse Profile: Litmus Test

6.         Further Ado (6, no change)

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 3 Morning Line Odds: 10-1.

Further Ado wins the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs. (Photo by Coady Media)

TwinSpires Horse Profile: Further Ado

7.         Incredibolt (7, no change)

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 3 Morning Line Odds: 30-1.

Incredibolot wins at Churchill Downs. (Photo by Coady Media)

TwinSpires Horse Profile: Incredibolt

8.         Boyd (8, no change)

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 3 Morning Line Odds: 60-1.

Boyd works in preparation for the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita Park. (Photo by horsephotos.com)

TwinSpires Horse Profile: Boyd

9.         Paladin (9, no change)

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 3 Morning Line Odds: 10-1.

Paladin wins the Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct. (Photo by Coglianese Photo / Credit to Chelsea Durand)

TwinSpires Horse Profile: Paladin

10.   Desert Gate (10, no change)

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 3 Morning Line Odds: 50-1.

Desert Gate winning the Best Pal (G3) at Del Mar (Photo by Benoit Photo)

TwinSpires Horse Profile: Desert Gate

11.   Strategic Risk (12, +1)

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 3 Morning Line Odds: 40-1.

Strategic Risk wins the Smarty Jones at Oaklawn Park. (Photo by Coady Media / Credit to Kara West)

TwinSpires Horse Profile: Strategic Risk

12.   Intrepido (13, +1)

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 3 Morning Line Odds: 80-1.

Intrepido wins the American Pharoah at Santa Anita. (Photo by Benoit Photo)

TwinSpires Horse Profile: Intrepido

13.   Satono Voyage (14, +1)

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 3 Morning Line Odds: 4-1 (All other 3-year-olds)

If you like the chances of a Japanese Derby winner, you’ll have to back it via the “all other 3-year-olds” option in Pool 3, as neither Cattleya Sho winner Satono Voyage nor Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun victor Pyromancer are available as individual options.

Satono Voyage kicked off the Japan Road with a popular victory in the Cattleya S. (Photo by Tomoya Moriuchi/Horsephotos.com)

TwinSpires Horse Profile: Satono Voyage

14.   Renegade (15, +1)

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 3 Morning Line Odds: 60-1

TwinSpires Horse Profile: Renegade

15.   So Happy (new entry)

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 3 Morning Line Odds: 75-1.

A shock winner on debut, So Happy was deemed the most likely to stop the Bob Baffert locomotive in the San Vicente (G2) at Santa Anita, and he put up a very nice performance, stalking the pace before shrugging off Grade 1 placegetter Buetane comfortably in the stretch. Though his sire, Runhappy, was a sprinter, he’s out of a mare by the stamina influence Blame and looks like he can get 1 1/16 miles at least.

So Happy wins the San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita. (Photo by Benoit Photo)

TwinSpires Horse Profile: So Happy

16.   Englishman (11, -5)

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 3 Morning Line Odds: 60-1.

Englishman had a setback after his exciting September maiden win. This week, it was reported that he was scheduled to join Cherie DeVaux’s Fair Grounds training team and begin breezing in early February. That means he will have very few chances to earn a Derby start, so with those doubts, he’s taken a fall in the Rankings. Let’s hope we see him on the Triple Crown trail at some point.

Englishman wins at Churchill Downs. (Photo by Coady Media)

TwinSpires Horse Profile: Englishman

17.   Universe (16, -1)

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 3 Morning Line Odds: 4-1 (All other 3-year-olds).

His poor effort in the Smarty Jones S. has led to his removal as an individual option for Pool 3 of the Future Wager. That’s understandable, but chances are it was a one-off, and I wouldn’t write him off totally just yet.

Universe wins at Saratoga. (Photo by Coglianese Photo)

TwinSpires Horse Profile: Universe

18.   Nearly (17, -1)

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 3 Morning Line Odds: 50-1.

TwinSpires Horse Profile: Nearly

19.   Express Kid (18, -1)

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 3 Morning Line Odds: 60-1.

The biggest news for Express Kid this week came online, when he was auctioned off in a Fasig-Tipton Digital one-horse flash sale for $800,000 – a great return on the $2,000 that his previous owner Steve Haahr paid for him. The Remington Springboard Mile winner will do his future racing for Brad Kleven; whether he remains with trainer Wade Rarick remains to be seen.

Express Kid outran his 34-1 odds in the Springboard Mile (Photo by Dustin Orona Photography/Remington Park)

TwinSpires Horse Profile: Express Kid

20.   Commandment (19, -1)

Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 3 Morning Line Odds: 20-1.

Commandment wins the Mucho Macho Man Stakes. (Photo by Coglianese Photo)

TwinSpires Horse Profile: Commandment

Largest gain: Strategic Risk, Intrepido, Satono Voyage, Renegade (all up 1).

Largest fall: Englishman (down 5).

New to Derby Power Rankings: So Happy (15).

Removed from Derby Power Rankings: My World (20th last week).

KENTUCKY OAKS POWER RANKINGS

1.   Super Corredora (1 last week, no change)

TwinSpires Horse Profile: Super Corredora

2.   Explora (2, no change)

Showed she had recovered from her post-Breeders’ Cup break with a comprehensive victory in the Santa Ynez S., biding her time behind a fast pace before outpointing her rivals in the stretch. Overall, the time wasn’t brilliant, and she didn’t show anything we didn’t already know, but Explora is clearly on track to be a major player in the Kentucky Oaks.

TwinSpires Horse Profile: Explora

3.    Zany (3, no change)

TwinSpires Horse Profile: Zany

4.   Bella Ballerina (4, no change)

TwinSpires Horse Profile: Bella. Ballerina

5.   Percy’s Bar (5, no change)

TwinSpires Horse Profile: Percy's Bar

6.   Dazzling Dame (6, no change)

TwinSpires Horse Profile: Dazzling Dame

7.   Tommy Jo (7, no change)

TwinSpires Horse Profile: Tommy Jo

8.   Meaning (8, no change)

TwinSpires Horse Profile: Meaning

9.   Atropa (9, no change)

TwinSpires Horse Profile: Atropa

10.   Bottle of Rouge (10, no change)

TwinSpires Horse Profile:  Bottle of Rouge

11.   Consequent (11, no change)

TwinSpires Horse Profile: Consequent

12.   Just Singing (12, no change)

TwinSpires Horse Profile: Just Singing

13.   Mythical (13, no change)

TwinSpires Horse Profile: Mythical

14.   Powered by Family (new entry)

Powered by Family wasn’t even scheduled to run on dirt this weekend, but when the rains came to Fair Grounds, her turf race was switched to the muddy dirt track. She was 14 lengths behind the pace at one point, but put in an astounding rally in her 1 mile 70 yard maiden, storming four lengths clear of the runner-up and more than 13 lengths clear of the rest. She’s by Quality Road out of an Empire Maker mare, so there’s plenty of dirt pedigree there.

TwinSpires Horse Profile: Powered by Family

Largest Gains: Powered by Family (new entry at 14)

Largest Fall: Hit Parade (removed from list)

New to Oaks Power Rankings this week: Powered by Family (14)

Removed from Oaks Power Rankings this week: Hit Parade (14th last week)

Previous Kentucky Derby & Kentucky Oaks Power Rankings

Week 14 — Jan. 6, 2026
Week 13 — Dec. 30, 2025
Week 12 — Dec 23, 2025
Week 11 — Dec. 16, 2025
Week 10 — Dec. 9, 2025
Week 9 — Dec. 2, 2025
Week 8 — Nov. 24, 2025
Week 7 — Nov. 18, 2025
Week 6 — Nov. 10, 2025
Week 5 — Nov. 3, 2025
Week 4 — Oct. 27, 2025
Week 3 — Oct. 21, 2025
Week 2 — Oct. 14, 2025
Week 1 — Oct. 7, 2025