NEW ORLEANS – The top three finishers in the Louisiana Derby, if not more, will make their next start in the Kentucky Derby, all being well. Emerging Market, up by a head in the $1 million Louisiana Derby, appeared to have come out of the race in good shape, trainer Chad Brown said Sunday morning, and was traveling by van from New Orleans back to Brown’s string at Payson Park in Florida. Emerging Market, getting a textbook trip under Flavien Prat, ran 1 3/16 miles over a fast-playing racing surface in 1:55.18 and earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure, down from the 97 he got winning his debut in a Tampa Bay dirt-route maiden. Pavlovian got a 90, a career-best in his 10th start, while third-place Golden Tempo, finishing one length behind the top two, also earned a career-best Beyer, 88, while making his fourth start. Emerging Market easily could prove superior to his Beyer, and got a great trip Saturday because of his unusual mental maturity and professional comportment – as well as Prat’s great skill. :: KENTUCKY DERBY 2026: Top contenders, point standings, prep schedule, news, and more “The only reason I could go from maiden to this race is that horse has always acted like he was a year older than he is – like a 3-year-old as a 2-year-old and like a 4-year-old as a 3-year-old,” Brown said. “I’ve spent a lot of time around him, and the more I watched him, he acted like he has eight races. I’ve never seen him rattled, he’s consistent every morning, has never put one foot out of line in his attitude. He has so much class and intelligence.” Emerging Market looks more greyhound than gorilla. He will not bowl you over with his physical presence, but he is down for a fight. There was some contact in the Tampa race, but nothing like the Louisiana Derby, from which Pavlovian might have been disqualified had he finished first. Pavlovian under jockey Edwin Maldanado had a strong counterpunch when Emerging Market jumped on him at the head of the homestretch, and past the eighth pole Pavlovian began herding Emerging Market out, giving him a couple sound bumps. Prat straightened his mount out, and Emerging Market leaned his shoulder into Pavlovian and pushed forward to win. “He’s a very lightly made horse,” Brown said. “He’s not strong and muscular – he’s made like a cheetah. You wouldn’t think he’d be a horse who’d win dog fights. And he has an unbelievable amount of stamina.” Emerging Market started breezing last May at Saratoga. Twice, he neared race readiness before relatively minor setbacks took him out of training, delaying his debut until February. Emerging Market has experience and foundation beyond his mere two starts. The periods of serious work that didn’t lead to a race count for something in the long term, and the colt has trained at Saratoga, Belmont, and Payson, and already done his share of travelling. “We’ll see how the horse comes out, but I’m inclined to go on to the Derby because of all the things I said about him. It’s a good schedule timing wise; he’s got another six weeks.” All that, and Emerging Market rates only as Brown’s second-leading Derby hope – at least for now. Paladin, unbeaten in three starts, punched his ticket to the Derby winning the Risen Star here last month in his 3-year-old bow and tops many lists of Derby hopefuls. Tyler Gaffalione rode Paladin in the Risen Star since Prat was riding Nysos in the $20 million Saudi Cup the same day, but Prat regains the mount when Paladin starts in the Blue Grass on April 4 at Keeneland. Pavlovian returns to trainer Doug O’Neill’s base at Santa Anita to prepare for the Derby, and O’Neill confirmed Sunday that Pavlovian will go to the Derby, all being well. Pavlovian through seven starts looked nothing like a Derby horse, but he since has shown astronomical improvement – though O’Neill can’t quite say why or how. Pavlovian, winner last out of the Sunland Derby, has been in, then out, and now back in blinkers, and has improved his gate habits and his competitiveness. Pavlovian gave Emerging Market everything he could handle after Emerging Market looked like a sure, swooping winner at the quarter pole. Golden Tempo also has sufficient qualifying points to make the Derby and will take trainer Cherie DeVaux to her first Derby if all goes well. Racing for the first time in blinkers, Golden Tempo got knocked around at the start Saturday, winding up last, farther behind the leaders than hoped. He ran the best final three furlongs in the Louisiana Derby and might have lost a touch of momentum when regular rider Jose Ortiz elected to go to the rail when Pavlovian began pushing out Emerging Market. Golden Tempo still has lessons to learn, DeVaux said, but showed the sort of improvement Saturday she wanted to see if the colt was to go on to the Derby. The connections of fifth-place Chip Honcho had no race schedule planned as of Sunday, according to trainer Steve Asmussen. Chip Honcho has sufficient points to make the Derby but ran a disappointing race from just off the pace Saturday after a second-place finish in the Risen Star Stakes last month. *** Life of Joy earned a career-best 86 Beyer sharply winning the Fair Grounds Oaks at the expense of favored Bella Ballerina, and both horses will start next in the Kentucky Oaks, their connections said. The Oaks might not be in the cards, though, for third-place finisher Luv Your Neighbor, who was fortunate to hang onto third in the Fair Grounds Oaks. *** Owner Jake Delhomme will take some time to decide when and where Touchuponastar makes his next start following his repeat score in the New Orleans Classic. Touchuponastar set a 1 1/8-mile track record of 1:46.84 after fending off two challenges and holding clear a late run from Corporate Power, equaling his last-out 106 Beyer and three points below his career best. *** Lagynos, who followed his Fair Grounds Stakes win last month with a victory Saturday in the Muniz Memorial, likely will race next in the Grade 1 Turf Classic on the Derby undercard, trainer Steve Asmussen said. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.