Add additionally adopted up his spectacular first win at Keeneland final month with a 3/4-length victory within the $400,000 G2 Kentucky Jockey Membership Stakes at Churchill Downs on November twenty ninth.
As well as, Addo’s proprietor, Spendthrift Farm, has already acquired one ace for the 2026 Kentucky Derby introduced by Woodford Reserve within the type of champion 2-year-old Ted Nophy, who went 4-4 this 12 months when he gained the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile introduced by TAA at Del Mar on October 31 of this 12 months.
They now seem to have two aces, with Additional Ado becoming a member of Spendthrift’s enviable hand.
Saturday’s win for the Kentucky Jockey Membership wasn’t as straightforward as Father Add’s 20-length victory at Keeneland on Oct. 10 in an in depth race, but it surely was nonetheless promising. He reeled in stretch chief Soldier N Diplomat from a stalking place and defeated the gifted 2-year-old, displaying his potential to deal with the water at Churchill Downs, the place the Kentucky Derby will probably be contested Might 2 subsequent 12 months.
“Clearly if he’ll be within the Derby it is vital that he does nicely right here at Churchill,” coach Brad Cox stated.
The wide-racing Father Add simply crossed the wire in entrance of the late charging Universe, who overtook the exhausted present finisher Soldier N Diplomat, educated by Steve Asmussen, by half a size.
“He was in a position to present a distinct dimension in the present day,” jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. stated. “I used to be in a position to decelerate and have a fairly good journey. He needed to push actually late to get to the wire first. I feel this race will actually profit him sooner or later.”
Addo additionally ran a time of 1 minute, 43.33 seconds, the quickest of the 4 races on grime 1 1/16 miles on Saturday at Churchill Downs, but it surely was an in depth name. Dr. Kapur recorded race instances of 23.35 minutes, 46.76 minutes, and 1 minute 10.84 seconds, however on the second nook he gave up the result in Soldier N Diplomat, who was chasing the tempo.
Though the ultimate time was quick, Father Addo’s final 16.78 seconds was not. This comparatively late cut up allowed Universe to get forward of him late, and Universe soared inside him on a gallop out. Universe raced vast within the second nook earlier than drifting inward in a straight line.
“I feel he’ll need to get slightly bit extra luck on his outing,” Universe coach Kenny McPeek stated.
Moreover, Addo has began 4 video games and has a file of 2-0-1, incomes $320,703. He’s good in two routes.
Fellow McPeak trainee Berry Related completed fourth. Cherokee Nation, educated by Bob Baffert, spooked and scrambled again into the primary flip, however ran fifth.
The Kentucky Jockey Membership awarded qualifying factors for subsequent 12 months’s Kentucky Derby to the highest 5 finishers on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale. Churchill Downs makes use of qualifying factors to advertise racing and as a precedence system when the Derby attracts greater than its capability of 20 runners.
Cox didn’t instantly say which race he can be concentrating on for Father Add subsequent 12 months, however stated the stallion has 10 Derby factors, so he’s more likely to have two races earlier than the Derby. Cox plans to do extra add coaching at Payson Park this winter. Cox Stables, which is affiliated with a South Florida coaching heart, has expressed a need to ship prime grime horses to Louisiana’s Fairgrounds Racetrack and Arkansas’ Oaklawn Park for stakes races. He additionally runs horses at Gulfstream Park in Florida.
Ted Nophy, together with coach Todd Pletcher, goals to be at Gulfstream Park this winter and spring.
Bella Ballerina formally goals to compete within the 2026 Longines Kentucky Oaks after profitable the $397,375 Grade 2 Goldenrod Stakes at Churchill Downs on November 29, ridden by coach Brendan Walsh and jockey Tyler Gaffalione.
Bella Ballerina simply beat the instances of 23.45 minutes, 46.31 minutes, and 1 minute 11.19 seconds set by the lone chief Let Me Depend the Methods, who entered the sphere early. After that, Bella Ballerina simply took command in a straight line, holding off the late counterattacks of 2nd place Atropa and Simply Singing, and settled for third place. She gained by a half-length in a time of 1:43.50 and paid $10.28 in winnings.
Bella Ballerina’s first rating got here across the second nook of her first begin. Jockey Walsh, who gained her debut by 4 1/4 lengths over six furlongs at Keeneland on Oct. 5, was assured the filly might deal with the extra discipline at her second request.
“She has a pedigree to go along with,” Walsh stated. “She ought to develop quite a bit and transfer ahead into subsequent 12 months.”
The win gave Vera Ballerina 10 qualifying factors on the street to the Kentucky Oaks, with the highest 5 incomes factors on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale.
Godolphin possession spokesman Michael Banahan stated: “If we expect we’ve got sufficient mares for the Oaks, it is vital that we race at this monitor.” “It was a terrific effort from the filly and we are able to all dream slightly bit within the Winter Oaks.” — Sean Collins
