Blue Grass Stakes 2026 Entries, Horses, Odds, and Predictions

The first of three Road to the Kentucky Derby prep races is the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, as post time is scheduled for 6:22 p.m. ET in the quest for a piece of the $1.25 million purse. The last Blue Grass winner to head up the road from Lexington to Louisville and win the Run for the Roses under the twin spires came back in 2007, so the winner of this race will be trying to end an extended drought.

Nine runners are in the field, as the Keeneland spring meet has brought out some big names in terms of jockeys and trainers, which could lead to some horses getting overbet prior to post time. Across the field, there are only 13 total wins, so we don’t have a ton of accomplished participants, but one of them will pick up a signature win, a big paycheck, and some extra hay and goodies in the barn.

Our friends at DRF have updated their Derby Watch List as a result of last week’s outcomes and you can bet that there’ll be another huge shift after the Blue Grass Stakes, as well as the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct and the Santa Anita Derby out in California.

Blue Grass Stakes 2026 Entries, Horses, Jockeys, and Trainers:

Ocelli and Ottinho were cross-entered in the Wood Memorial, but opted to run at Keeneland instead, adding some traffic to a field that they are long shots to factor in. Further Ado, Reagan’s Honor, and Class President are at the head of the class here based on the odds. Creole Chrome, stuck between Reagan’s Honor and Further Ado, may be able to follow one or both of their leads and that 8/1 price becomes very interesting at that point.

Here are some thoughts on each horse at the odds at time of publish:

1. Talkin (12/1; Rosario/Gargan): The rail post goes to the son of Good Magic and Rote, but this horse is just a one-time winner in four career starts. He did hit the points board in the Tampa Bay Derby by finishing fifth to grab five Kentucky Derby points to add onto the five that he got for finishing second in the Champagne last August. This is a good horse and one that will likely win some undercard races as we go throughout the summer, but he hasn’t taken a big enough leap yet as a 3-year-old to feel like a major factor here.

2. Class President (3/1; Velazquez/Pletcher): Pletcher goes to his trusted hand here in Johnny Velazquez aboard Class President, who has already accumulated 50 Kentucky Derby points by virtue of winning the Rebel Stakes. With strong connections and a good bloodline with Uncle Mo and Top Quality, the daughter of Quality Road, this is very likely to be the second choice on the odds board to Further Ado, if not really close the gap on that price. Velazquez should get the trip he wants from the 2 post with a short trip to the inside from the gate and just a little bit of a bump off of past performances would be enough to finish first or second.

3. Great White (15/1; Achard/Ennis): It seems fitting that Great White is the son of Volatile because that’s exactly how to best describe him here. This will be the dirt debut after running on the Turfway Park synthetic surface in each of his first three races, winning two of them. The distance wasn’t really a problem going 1 1/16 in a win over Fulleffort last time out. Fulleffort just won the Jeff Ruby Steaks, so that win gained a little favor by association. Still, it’s a very uncertain outcome for what appears to be a solid horse.

4. Reagan’s Honor (5-2; J. Ortiz/DeVaux): Reagan’s Honor doesn’t have any Derby points, but has two wins in three tries and the best speed figures in this field. The son of Honor A. P. and grandson of Medaglia d’Oro is going to want to break quickly for Jose Ortiz and trainer Cherie DeVaux. The distance doesn’t appear to be a problem, having crushed two fields at 1 1/16 down at Fair Grounds. There are two big questions, really. The first is whether or not he can set the pace with Class President on the inside and Creole Chrome to his right. The second is if his speed figures are sustainable with the step up in class and the new environment. The talent is undoubtedly there.

5. Creole Chrome (8/1; Gaffalione/Sharp): Another Volatile entry here, both in pedigree and definition. Creole Chrome has gone 3-for-4 with a very impressive bloodline from father Volatile and mother Funny Moon. This is a major step up in class for a Grade 1 stakes event, but he’s already won twice this year and moving up in distance didn’t make much of a difference. He still hasn’t run a two-turn race, going a mile and 70 yards in the Star Guitar Stakes at the end of February. Tyler Gaffalione gets the call here as his rider in the last race is aboard Reagan’s Honor.

6. Further Ado (8-5; I. Ortiz/Cox): It’s safe to say that the son of Gun Runner and Sky Dreamer has been bred and built for distance. He ran 1 1/16 in his maiden here at Keeneland and won last year. He then followed that up with a win in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes in November before taking a break for the winter. Off the shelf, he was second to The Puma in the Tampa Bay Derby, which, on the surface, was maybe a tad disappointing, but after The Puma ran second in the Florida Derby last week, it’s a stronger data point. Also, it was Further Ado’s first race since Thanksgiving weekend. He’s coming back on a quicker turn here and that seems like a positive.

7. Ocelli (30/1; Ramos/Beckman):  Winless in five starts, D. Whitworth Beckman has opted to take the blinkers off of Ocelli. Maybe that helps, maybe it doesn’t, but it’s worth trying anything after finishing sixth in the Virginia Derby and a sixth in the Sam F. Davis. He’s already run at Fair Grounds, Tampa Bay Downs, and Colonial Downs, so the son of Connect and Zaila is no stranger to shipping, but he is a stranger to winning and has only finished second once. He’s outclassed here.

8. Moonstrocity (30/1; Morelos/Antonucci): Unfortunately, names don’t win races, but the son of Tiz the Law and Ana Luna seems to have the best one in the field. In two starts, he’s finished eighth on the turf and third on the dirt. It’s a nearly impossible ask, but the bump on dirt should at least be promising against lesser fields in the summer, if Antonucci and the connections opt to keep him off the turf.

9. Ottinho (20/1; Prat/Brown): I would venture a guess that Chad Brown feels better about this horse than bettors and oddsmakers do. That’s the only way to justify moving out of the Wood Memorial to run here, which is likely a better field. Ottinho certainly has a lot of positive attributes – a strong bloodline (Quality Road, Quiet Giant, Giant’s Causeway), one of the best jockey/trainer combos, and a win at this distance. The results just haven’t been there with one win and two thirds, including one in the Withers back in February. Jose Lezcano had that ride. Brown is going to his ace in this race.

Blue Grass Stakes Picks

Further Ado is a great horse and likely winner, but there isn’t a lot of juice to squeeze out of the price. I’ll take Class President, who should not face as much traffic getting to the front and getting the line Velazquez wants. Creole Chrome is a really interesting candidate to hit the board, as well as Ottinho at a price. Brown has Prat and moved into this race for a reason.

Prediction: 2-6-5-9

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