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If the 2026 Kentucky Derby were held in Lexington and not Louisville, then Further Ado would be your overwhelming favorite. The Brad Cox trainee's two best career races — by far — have come at Keeneland Race Course, about 72 miles east of Churchill Downs. But, for the 152nd straight year, the Derby will be held in Louisville, so Further Ado will need to prove he's more than a Lexington lover to don the blanket of roses. Bet Further Ado and the entire Kentucky Derby at TwinSpires, where new users who click through our links get a supersized $400 sign-up bonus:

18 Further Ado (4-1)

  • Trainer: Brad Cox
  • Jockey: John Velazquez
  • Last race: First in the Blue Grass Stakes by 11 lengths
  • Career record: 6 starts: 3 wins, 1 second, 1 third
  • Career earnings: $1,146,328
  • Best career Beyer Speed Figure: 106 (Blue Grass Stakes)
  • Sire: Gun Runner

Below, we'll dig further into Further Ado as part of our series profiling all the horses competing in the 152nd Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 2. We'll look back into his past performances, what questions need to be answered Saturday and analyze how the post draw affects his chances.

Now that you know who's in the field, you'll want to know how to bet the Kentucky Derby on the top horse racing betting apps. FanDuel Racing offers a $25 bonus with a $5 bet. Claim it here:

What to know about Further Ado

His two best races are, according to some metrics, faster than anyone's best race. He is coming off a dominant 11-length win in the Blue Grass Stakes. He has the right running style and is drawn perfectly in the No. 18 post. Yet, there are two big reasons why doubters say Further Ado will not win the Kentucky Derby.

Some critics say he's a horse for Keeneland Race Course. They note that he is a perfect 2-for-2 at Keeneland, having won his starts by 20 and 11 lengths and earned Beyer Speed Figures of 106 and 98. At all other tracks he is just 1-for-4 (though that one victory came at Churchill Downs), with his best Beyer being a 92.

Other doubters say that he is due to "bounce" in the Kentucky Derby and note that Further Ado dropped to an 82 speed figure after last year's 98 at Keeneland. Bounce is the term given to the theory that a horse can run only so many big efforts consecutively and reacts to a big performance by running a poor race in his next start. Think of it much like a roller coaster; it can only go up so much before it eventually must come down.

But if Further Ado is only a Keeneland lover who doesn't have any gas left in the tank, he sure isn't acting like it. In the mornings leading up to the Kentucky Derby, no horse has impressed trackside observers more than Further Ado, who has been floating over the Churchill Downs surface all week and showing boundless energy.

That could be an ominous sign for his rivals on Saturday since Further Ado already is the fastest horse in the field. His Blue Grass Stakes romp is the fastest race any horse in the Derby has run, no matter what speed figures you use. 

And he has the right running style to win this Kentucky Derby. While his major rivals — notably Renegade and Commandment — run from well off the pace, Further Ado stalks it. That should allow him to avoid most of the traffic trouble and get the jump on his rivals.

Though jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. hops off Further Ado (and Commandment) to ride Renegade for trainer Todd Pletcher, Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez takes the mount. Velazquez, who has won the Kentucky Derby three times, is a wizard at working out an outside stalking trip and is the perfect fit for this horse.

The buzz around Further Ado in the mornings could shorten his odds and make him the favorite at FanDuel Racing, TwinSpires and 1/ST BET even if he has his doubters. Claim our jumbo-sized 1/ST BET offer here to get a $500 sign-up bonus:

Post draw analysis

There was no bigger winner of the post draw than Further Ado. Trainer Brad Cox wanted an outside post for the colt so that he could be outside of the other speed horses, and Cox got exactly that, with the No. 18 post. From this spot, jockey John Velazquez should track expected pacesetter Six Speed, who's in post No. 17, and get his coveted outside stalking spot, which helped make Velazquez a Hall of Famer. Possible ground loss is a concern, but Further Ado should at least be able to stay out of traffic and keep his face clean.