Further Ado primed for Kentucky Derby (G1) 152
April 28, 2026
Further Ado drew post 18 for Kentucky Derby (G1) 152 Saturday at Churchill Downs as he seeks to become the second Derby winner of the decade for Spendthrift Farm.
Spendthrift’s Authentic won the 2020 renewal of the Run for the Roses and would go on to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) and be named Horse of the Year. Authentic now stands at Spendthrift alongside his sire Into Mischief.
Further Ado, who sold to Spendthrift Farm for $550,000 at the 2025 OBS March Sale, created quite a stir when he broke his maiden by 20 lengths in October at Keeneland. He closed out his 2025 campaign with a solid win in the Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2), his only start at Churchill Downs to date.
In 2026, Further debuted with a second-place finish in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) in early March, then romped to an 11-length win in the Blue Grass S. (G1), where he recorded the highest Beyer Speed Figure in the Derby field at 106.
Stabled at Churchill for trainer Brad Cox, Further Ado has posted a pair of works over the Louisville oval since the Blue Grass.
“I was very pleased with how he went,” Further Ado’s jockey John Velazquez said following his April 25 work. “I started paying attention to him after riding against him at Keeneland in his maiden race. He’s a very nice horse.”
With earnings of $1,146,328, Further Ado is the leading money-earner in the Derby field. The flashy chestnut was bred in Kentucky by John Oxley.
The Derby will be run at 6:57 pm ET and can be seen on the NBC family of networks.