Two Weeks and Counting - Time to Get to Work
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 11 hours ago
Our annual Derby pep talk usually takes a nostalgic trip back to the glory days of the past.
Last year, we hearkened back to the past with Bobby Darin’s “Beyond the Sea” and paid tribute to the 1959 Kentucky Derby champion, Tomy Lee, who made it to America by pure chance and grabbed that trophy by a nose over Sword Dancer.
This year, for the 152nd Kentucky Derby, we’re shattering tradition. No looking backward. No romanticizing the legends of yesteryear. Not this year.
Instead, we’re shining the spotlight on fresh, electrifying, raw talent. Never too old to recognize high skill and talent.
Enter Justin - that flawless, gorgeous voice, strutting his stuff onstage with uncontainable happiness in his first live concert in years. This young superstar radiates pure gifted talent, and the night explodes into a breathtaking, well-deserved fireworks finale.
This one video of that "Daisies" performance has already rocketed past 8.5 million views in just 4 days. That’s the level of talent we’re talking about. It's infectious.
Everything about it screams the perfect setup for this year’s Derby. And yes - I’ll confess - I’ve mimicked that same strut around my living room after quite a few preps this season, blasting that song!
This year feels entirely different. It’s fresh. It’s alive. It’s bursting with happiness and raw excitement to witness gifted, untamed talent everywhere you look. We’ve waited and worked very hard this year - and it’s finally here.
Throw in the 24 brand-new Chefs-de-Race handpicked by Dr. Roman himself, and the entire season bursts with new energy.
Now it's 2026. Louisville, Kentucky. And the talent is overflowing this year.
Whoever fights their way to that finish line and receives those roses will have conquered one of the deepest, strongest fields in recent Derby memory.
Look at Further Ado - in just one maiden and one Derby prep, he absolutely devoured his competition by a staggering combined 31 lengths.
We have the undefeated Danon Bourbon flying in from Japan, who shattered the track record in the Fukuryu Stakes.
We have Commandment, who unleashed a monstrous late Beyer of 121 in the Florida Derby to beat out another gifted colt in The Puma.
We have two fiercely competitive colts in Potente and Emerging Market, both unraced as two-year-olds but still exuding class from day one.
We have Renegade, who finally high-tailed it out of Aqueduct and then crushed both of his final prep races.
We have Wonder Dean, who powered through a forward lead speed track bias to dominate the 9.5-furlong UAE Derby and secures the riding skills of Forever Young's Jockey, Ryusei Sakai.
And we have several exciting up-and-coming colts quietly waiting to unleash their brilliance at the 10f distance.
What a year this has been so far! We began the season with a few very high caliber stand-out horses with Ted Noffey, Plutarch, Paladin and Thunderously who will make a very welcome return to rejoin this talented group.
The second half of the year promises to be even more star-studded than the first.
I can't even imagine what the Travers Stakes will be like this year if they are all back in time.
I’m thrilled to be even a small part of it and incredibly grateful to every single member of the Dirty Horse Club. This is shaping up to be one of the most unforgettable Derbies in recent memory. I can't wait for that Bugle to sound.
The post position draw for the 152nd Kentucky Derby (and the Kentucky Oaks) is scheduled for:
Saturday, April 25, 2026
Live Stream: KentuckyDerby.com, Kentucky Derby YouTube, and FanDuel TV
Saturday, May 2nd, 2026
Derby Day Race 1: Starts at 11:00 a.m. ET
Kentucky Derby Post Time: 6:57 p.m. ET
2026 Kentucky Derby Viewing Schedule (May 2, 2026):
10:30 a.m. – Noon ET: Early Coverage (FanDuel TV).
Noon – 2:30 p.m. ET: Undercard Races (USA Network, Peacock).
2:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. ET: Main Derby Coverage (NBC, Peacock).
7:30 p.m. ET – Final Race: Post-Race Coverage (FanDuel TV).
Streaming and Other Viewing Options:
Streaming: Peacock, Fubo, and DirecTV.
Online/Apps: NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app, and the Churchill Downs App.
THE DIRTY HORSE CLUB
The 2026 Kentucky Derby Notes & Analysis, a long tradition here at the Club, will be posted soon with tracking notes and then updated with the Analysis at the earliest possible time after the Past Performances are released. The PP Sheets will also be posted with it.
The Annual Head to Head article with Brian, Gerard and myself will also be posted at the earliest possible time.
The Derby Day Dirt Race Results and running styles will be posted and analyzed throughout the day. This is helpful in order to facilitate an active bias leading up to the Derby. As soon as charts are posted after each dirt race, I will update the article throughout the day.
The handicapping process for the Kentucky Derby is constantly evolving - right up until the “Riders Up” call and the Post Parade. Track bias can shift, horses can behave unpredictably, and fresh information can drop at any moment. That’s why it pays to check back often.
And finally, for those who want a head-start to the 152nd Kentucky Derby... HERE YA GO!!!! And we're off!!