Study Guide: 2026 Lecomte Stakes

Jan 12, 2026 J. Keeler Johnson/TwinSpires.com

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

The second of four 2025-26 Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifiers taking place at Fair Grounds is Saturday’s $250,000 Lecomte (G3).

Held over 1 1/16 miles, the Lecomte has produced 16 Kentucky Derby starters in the last 10 years, including 2021 Derby winner Mandaloun.

Let’s meet the 11 horses entered in the 2026 Lecomte:

Quality Mischief

Start(s): 3
Wins: 1
Place: 0
Show: 0

Owner: West Paces Racing and Donegal Racing
Breeder: Robert Low and Lawana Low
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Marcelino Pedroza Jr.

Top Speed Rating: (84) when finishing fourth in the Gun Runner S. at Fair Grounds.
Total Earnings: $25,360

Sire: Into Mischief
Dam: Quality Way
Color: Bay

Quality Mischief exits a fourth-place finish in the Gun Runner S. on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. He was beaten only one length, but will need improvement to turn the tables on fellow Gun Runner alumni Chip Honcho and Crown the Buckeye, who are back for the Lecomte.

Congrats to the connections of Chip Honcho for the win in the Gun Runner Stakes worth 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby! 🌹pic.twitter.com/X2PCNdSMii

— Kentucky Derby (@KentuckyDerby) December 21, 2025

Carson Street

Start(s): 4
Wins: 1
Place: 1
Show: 2

Owner: Ike and Dawn Thrash
Breeder: Stonehaven Steadings
Trainer: Brendan Walsh
Jockey: Axel Concepcion

Top Speed Rating: (82) on two occasions, including when finishing second in a Churchill Downs maiden special weight.
Total Earnings: $85,400

Sire: Street Sense
Dam: Miz Kella
Color: Dark bay/brown

Carson Street was tons the best in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight at Fair Grounds last month, winning by 11 1/4 lengths. But he’ll need to improve from a Brisnet Speed rating perspective to beat tougher foes in the Lecomte.

Crown the Buckeye

Start(s): 4
Wins: 2
Place: 1
Show: 1

Owner: Paradise Farms, David Staudacher, and Hooties Racing
Breeder: Pick View, Paul W. Schaffer, and William D. Pickerrell
Trainer: Mike Maker
Jockey: Ricardo Santana Jr.

Top Speed Rating: (96) when winning the Best of Ohio Cleveland Kindergarten S. at Thistledown.
Total Earnings: $146,000

Sire: Yaupon
Dam: Feisty Tomboy
Color: Bay

Bred in Ohio, Crown the Buckeye won two stakes against fellow Ohio-breds before finishing third by three-quarters of a length in the Gun Runner. He’s talented, but needs at least a small step forward to turn the tables on Chip Honcho.

Exosome

Start(s): 2
Wins: 1
Place: 0
Show: 0

Owner: NBS Stable
Breeder: Stoneriggs Farm
Trainer: Kelsey Danner
Jockey: Jareth Loveberry

Top Speed Rating: (77) when winning a Keeneland maiden special weight.
Total Earnings: $64,705

Sire: Candy Ride
Dam: Incredible Grace
Color: Bay

Exosome was narrowly best in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight at Keeneland three months ago. He’s progressing in the right direction, but his career-best 77 Brisnet Speed rating looks light against the Lecomte field.

Golden Tempo

Start(s): 1
Wins: 1
Place: 0
Show: 0

Owner: Phipps Stable
Breeder: Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stables
Trainer: Cherie DeVaux
Jockey: Jose Ortiz

Top Speed Rating: (84) when winning a Fair Grounds maiden special weight.
Total Earnings: $33,000

Sire: Curlin
Dam: Carrumba
Color: Bay

Golden Tempo impressed when debuting in a six-furlong maiden special weight at Fair Grounds. After racing in last place for the first half-mile, he blazed his final quarter-mile in :23.67 to storm past the entire field and win by 1 1/2 lengths. Golden Tempo has the pedigree to relish racing 1 1/16 miles in the Lecomte, so he looms as a logical win threat while stretching out in distance under red-hot jockey Jose Ortiz.

Thunder Buck

Start(s): 2
Wins: 1
Place: 0
Show: 0

Owner: Calumet Farm
Breeder: Calumet Farm
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Luis Saez

Top Speed Rating: (85) when winning a Fair Grounds maiden special weight.
Total Earnings: $38,293

Sire: Gun Runner
Dam: Oxy Lady
Color: Bay

Thunder Buck has already won over the track and distance of the Lecomte, taking a recent maiden special weight by 1 3/4 lengths over Lecomte rival Occeli. He’s bred to improve with maturity and shouldn’t be underestimated for red-hot trainer Brad Cox, a spectacular 41% winner at Fair Grounds this meet.

Mesquite

Start(s): 2
Wins: 1
Place: 0
Show: 0

Owner: LBD Stable
Breeder: LBD Stable
Trainer: Cherie DeVaux
Jockey: Flavien Prat

Top Speed Rating: (84) when winning a Churchill Downs maiden special weight.
Total Earnings: $70,675

Sire: Union Rags
Dam: Taurasi
Color: Bay

Mesquite was narrowly best in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight at Churchill Downs during the fall, rallying from last place to beat 10 rivals (including Carson Street) by three-quarters of a length. He’s yet another lightly raced maiden winner with a chance to factor in the Lecomte.

Mesquite improves at second asking to graduate in R8 at @churchilldowns for trainer @reredevaux with @jose93_ortiz aboard! 💪

🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/Ulb5cO3lnz

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) November 7, 2025

White Tiger

Start(s): 2
Wins: 1
Place: 1
Show: 0

Owner: Twin Creeks Racing Stables
Breeder: Twin Creeks Farm
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.

Top Speed Rating: (88) when winning a Churchill Downs maiden special weight.
Total Earnings: $93,300

Sire: Constitution
Dam: Pure Silver
Color: Gray/roan

The second Brad Cox trainee in the Lecomte field is White Tiger. After finishing second to the highly regarded Englishman in a fast sprint at Churchill Downs, White Tiger led all the way to win a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight over the same track. Brisnet Speed ratings of 87 and 88 suggest White Tiger is fast enough to challenge even while stepping up in class for the Lecomte.

Ocelli

Start(s): 2
Wins: 0
Place: 1
Show: 1

Owner: Ashley Durr, Anthony Tate, and Front Page Equestrian
Breeder: Rosedown Racing Stables
Trainer: D. Whitworth Beckman
Jockey: Joseph Ramos

Top Speed Rating: (85) when finishing third in a Churchill Downs maiden special weight.
Total Earnings: $23,000

Sire: Connect
Dam: Zalia
Color: Bay

Ocelli has finished third and second in his first two starts. His runner-up finish came against Thunder Buck in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight at Fair Grounds. Ocelli has talent but must step forward to conquer tougher foes in the Lecomte.

Stop the Car

Start(s): 2
Wins: 2
Place: 0
Show: 0

Owner: Trade Winds Farm
Breeder: Gary and Mary West Stables
Trainer: Brendan Walsh
Jockey: Ben Curtis

Top Speed Rating: (92) when winning a $100,000 allowance optional claimer at Churchill Downs.
Total Earnings: $117,413

Sire: Maximum Security
Dam: Pussyfoot
Color: Bay

Stop the Car is unbeaten in two starts. Last time out, he trounced a one-mile $100,000 allowance optional claimer at Churchill Downs by 3 3/4 lengths over Time for Music, earning a 92 Brisnet Speed rating. But Time for Music subsequently finished a distant ninth in the Remington Springboard Mile on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, so it’s difficult at this point to gauge the true strength of Stop the Car’s allowance win.

Chip Honcho

Start(s): 3
Wins: 2
Place: 1
Show: 0

Owner: Leland Ackerley Racing
Breeder: Venneri Racing and Tony Fanticola
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Paco Lopez

Top Speed Rating: (90) when finishing second in a Keeneland maiden special weight.
Total Earnings: $150,475

Sire: Connect
Dam: Miss My Rose
Color: Dark bay/brown

Chip Honcho won the first of Fair Grounds’ four Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifiers, battling to victory by three-quarters of a length in the Gun Runner. But the 85 Brisnet Speed rating he received doesn’t stand out against the Lecomte field, and working out a winning trip from post 11 could be tricky.