Study Guide: 2026 Lexington Stakes

Apr 07, 2026 J. Keeler Johnson/TwinSpires.com

Confessional wins at Keeneland. (Photo by Coady Media)

The Road to the Kentucky Derby concludes on Saturday with the running of the $400,000 Lexington (G3) at Keeneland.

Held over 1 1/16 miles on dirt, the Lexington awards Kentucky Derby (G1) qualifying points on a 20-10-6-4-2 basis to the top five finishers.

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

Corona de Oro

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

Owner: On Our Own Stable, Commonwealth Stable, U Racing Stables, Saints or Sinners, Titletown Racing, Jim Nichols, Edwin S. Barker, Daniel Rivers, John Haines, and Dallas Stewart
Breeder: Willow Oaks Stable
Trainer: Dallas Stewart
Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr.

Top Speed Rating: (91) when winning a maiden special weight at Fair Grounds.
Total Earnings: $54,540

Sire: Bolt d’Oro
Dam: Lemon de Oro
Color: Bay

Corona de Oro showed some ability in his first three starts sprinting, but improved significantly when stretching out for a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight at Fair Grounds, leading all the way to win by 4 1/2 lengths. He’s a logical contender even while facing tougher competition in the Lexington.

🍻 CORONA DE ORO is an easy winner in the second race at @fairgroundsnola as the betting favorite! @b_hernandezjr was up for trainer @dallasstewart3!

🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/md1uRSlyvw

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) March 7, 2026

Exhibition Only

Start(s): 6
Wins: 1
Place: 1
Show: 0

Owner: SEI Thoroughbreds and Rudy R. Rodriguez
Breeder: Brereton C. Jones
Trainer: Rudy Rodriguez
Jockey: Ruben Silvera

Top Speed Rating: (94) when winning a $75,000 maiden optional claimer at Aqueduct.
Total Earnings: $75,050

Sire: Complexity
Dam: Silla Manila
Color: Bay

Exhibition Only made his Road to the Kentucky Derby debut in the one-mile Gotham (G3), finishing a distant fourth. He’ll need a step forward to challenge for victory in the Lexington.

Decisive Win

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

Owner: Great Friends Stables and Mark Davis
Breeder: RTA Family Trust, George E. Saufley
Trainer: Doug O’Neill
Jockey: Antonio Fresu

Top Speed Rating: (83) when finishing fourth in a maiden special weight at Santa Anita.
Total Earnings: $4,200

Sire: Nyquist
Dam: Weekend Away
Color: Chestnut

Decisive Win is shipping from California after debuting with a fourth-place finish in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight at Santa Anita. The caliber of competition was strong, and Decisive Win’s pedigree suggests he’ll appreciate stretching out over 1 1/16 miles. Don’t count this lightly raced runner out of the mix.

Enforced Agenda

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

Owner: St. Elias Stable
Breeder: St. Elias Stable
Trainer: George Weaver
Jockey: Javier Castellano

Top Speed Rating: (82) when finishing third in the Jerome S. at Aqueduct.
Total Earnings: $64,750

Sire: Liam’s Map
Dam: Heart and Hope
Color: Gray/roan

Enforced Agenda joined the Road to the Kentucky Derby with a third-place finish in the one-mile Jerome S. He’s shown flashes of talent, but must improve upon his career-best 82 Brisnet Speed rating to challenge for first prize in the Lexington.

Mister T

Start(s): 4
Wins: 3
Place: 0
Show: 0

Owner: Baileyboy Racing
Breeder: FK Bailey Justin Clay Bailey
Trainer: Climaco Galindo-Torres
Jockey: Mitchell Murrill

Top Speed Rating: (76) when winning the Crown Ambassador S. at Horseshoe Indianapolis.
Total Earnings: $140,338

Sire: Sahara Sky
Dam: Gospel Singer
Color: Dark bay/brown

Mister T has won three straight races restricted to horses bred in Indiana, including two stakes. But he hasn’t run since November, and his career-best 76 Brisnet Speed rating looks light against the Lexington field.

Ramblin

Start(s): 9
Wins: 1
Place: 2
Show: 1

Owner: Don Blackwood
Breeder: Theta Holdings 1
Trainer: Bobby Barnett
Jockey: Mario Gutierrez

Top Speed Rating: (76) on two occasions, including when finishing third in a maiden special weight at Keeneland.
Total Earnings: $56,138

Sire: Ghostzapper
Dam: Vendura
Color: Dark bay/brown

Ramblin has spent the majority of his career competing on turf, most notably winning a one-mile $50,000 maiden optional claimer at Fair Grounds. But he failed to factor in his lone start on dirt, so returning to dirt for the Lexington is a question mark.

The Hell We Did

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

Owner: Peacock Family Holdings
Breeder: Joe R. Peacock Jr.
Trainer: Todd Fincher
Jockey: Luis Saez

Top Speed Rating: (93) when winning an allowance at Sunland Park.
Total Earnings: $58,818

Sire: Authentic
Dam: Rose’s Desert
Color: Bay

The Hell We Did trounced a six-furlong allowance at Sunland Park last month, winning by 13 lengths with a flashy 93 Brisnet Speed rating. But the Lexington is a much tougher and longer race, so stepping up in class and distance could be challenging for The Hell We Did.

Trendsetter

Start(s): 7
Wins: 2
Place: 1
Show: 1

Owner: Midway Racing
Breeder: Circle B Family Farm
Trainer: Ben Colebrook
Jockey: Kazushi Kimura

Top Speed Rating: (85) on three occasions, including when finishing second in the Turfway Prevue S. at Turfway Park.
Total Earnings: $186,362

Sire: Modernist
Dam: Suyapa
Color: Bay

Trendesetter has run well against stakes competition on dirt and Tapeta. He finished third in the 1 1/16-mile Rushaway S. at Turfway Park last time out. But he’s yet to post a Brisnet Speed rating higher than 85, so he’ll need a step forward if he’s going to win the Lexington.

Ezum

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

Owner: Shadwell Stable
Breeder: Nancy Shufford
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Flavien Prat

Top Speed Rating: (94) when winning a maiden special weight at Colonial Downs.
Total Earnings: $45,680

Sire: Essential Quality
Dam: Bashful Bertie
Color: Gray/roan

Ezum was tons the best in a one-mile maiden special weight at Colonial Downs last month, leading all the way to win by 19 1/2 lengths. He earned a strong 94 Brisnet Speed rating and has a big chance to give trainer Brad Cox a fifth Lexington win in the last seven years.

Wowza 👀

EZUM absolutely crushes the competition in R4 at @colonialdowns! 🔥

Flavien Prat piloted the 3YO colt for the @bradcoxracing barn.

🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/FDG0G0TYJ8

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) March 14, 2026

Confessional

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

Owner: Steve Landers Racing
Breeder: Breed First
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.

Top Speed Rating: (95) when finishing third in the Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs.
Total Earnings: $133,485

Sire: Essential Quality
Dam: Speedy Vanessa
Color: Gray/roan

The second Brad Cox trainee in the Lexington field is Confessional, who exits a respectable third-place finish in the 1 1/8-mile Virginia Derby on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. The 95 Brisnet Speed rating he received is the highest number belonging to any horse entered in the Lexington, suggesting Confessional is a serious win contender.

I Did I Did

Start(s): 7
Wins: 1
Place: 2
Show: 0

Owner: Paradise Farms, David Staudacher, Turman Racing Stable, and Skychai Racing
Breeder: Mt. Brilliant Farm & Ranch and TheCurlin Syndicate
Trainer: Mike Maker
Jockey: Juan Hernandez

Top Speed Rating: (88) when finishing fourth in the Street Sense (G3) at Churchill Downs.
Total Earnings: $120,360

Sire: Curlin
Dam: Ithinkisawapudycat
Color: Bay

I Did I Did started twice on the Road to the Kentucky Derby last year, finishing fourth in the Street Sense (G3) and seventh in the Remsen (G2). His career-best 88 Brisnet Speed rating suggests he’ll need at least a small step forward to challenge for a better finish in the Lexington.