2026 Kentucky Derby Clocker: High-energy morning for international runners
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CHURCHILL DOWNS
Monday, April 27
Weather: Cloudy
Temp. 56°
Track: Fast
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Six Speed, Wonder Dean, and Danon Bourbon secured their respective spots in this year’s Kentucky Derby by earning points on the Japan and European/Middle East roads to the race. All three were in the spotlight Monday at Churchill Downs during the special training session reserved for Derby and Oaks horses at 7:15 a.m. after the renovation break.
Six Speed, runner-up to Wonder Dean in the Group 2 UAE Derby at Meydan, turned in the day’s only official Derby workout, breezing four furlongs in a maintenance-like 49.07 seconds. He shaded 24 for his final quarter without being asked for his best before galloping out five-eighths in 1:01.70 over a track that did not appear to be as quick as it had been the previous several days.
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Both Wonder Dean and Danon Bourbon were a handful for their riders this morning. Wonder Dean was full of run galloping closer to the outer than inner rail while zipping down the home stretch and around the clubhouse turn at a strong pace before finally coming to hand and easing up after one turn of the one-mile oval. This comes just 72 hours after the UAE Derby winner was set down to finish a serious six-furlong work on Friday.
Stamina should not be an issue in this year’s Derby for Danon Bourbon, whose three previous victories have come at distances ranging from nine furlongs to a mile and three-sixteenths. He proved his distance capability again this morning when first galloping a mile at far faster than a two-minute clip, in 1:56.03 to be exact, from the half-mile pole before continuing on to make nearly another full lap of the course at just a slightly slower pace.
The Puma got to really stretch his legs here for the first time on Monday, although he did not record an official work. He accelerated to a little faster than a two-minute lick from the three-eighths pole down the lane and into the clubhouse turn before slowly being geared down to complete a 1 1/2-mile gallop. Trainer Gustavo Delgado had originally planned on bringing jockey Javier Castellano to town for a similarly orchestrated session on Tuesday but called an audible due to weather concerns here tomorrow.
Renegade, who arrived on the grounds very early Saturday morning, was under a tight hold galloping a strong mile and a half this morning after having done all his major prep work for the Derby at trainer Todd Pletcher’s winter headquarters at Palm Beach Downs.
Emerging Market appears to have emerged from his impressive half-mile breeze here last Friday in good order. He has made a very favorable impression during his routine gallops on a regular basis since shipping up from South Florida last week.
Commandment, Fulleffort, and Further Ado all came out in trainer Brad Cox’s first set, at 5:15 a.m., and jogged a mile in their first day back to the track following strong workouts of their own on Saturday.
Kentucky Oaks entrant Dazzling Dame was having herself a good time this morning, running off with her rider through the wire and around the clubhouse turn, clipping off a couple of 13 and change furlong splits, before coming to hand midway down the backstretch.
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