After some disappointing results in several points-scoring races, trainer Brad Cox started to get concerned about his prospects of participating in Kentucky Derby 152. “You start worrying, how good’s your group?” said Cox, who watched horses such as Cannoneer, Confessional, Quiet Mischief, Rancho Santa Fe, and My World fail to make an impact in recent Derby preps. “You start getting a little concerned because it is important to me. . . . The Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks mean a lot to me and our team.” Then, last Saturday at Gulfstream Park, Commandment crossed the finish line a head in front of Chief Wallabee in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth for his third consecutive victory. “First thing I thought to myself, the dream’s still alive,” Cox said. Officially, Cox has won the Derby, but not in the manner in which he – or anyone else, for that matter – would like to win it. When Medina Spirit was disqualified from first in the 2021 Kentucky Derby due to an overage of a regulated medication, Mandaloun, who had crossed the wire second, was elevated to first. That became official more than 1,000 days after the race was run. “I want to cross the wire first and experience the thrill of victory,” Cox said. :: DRF's Derby Watch Top 20 | Who's hot, who's not | Pedigree profile: Further Ado Cox has had starters in each of the last five Derbies. In 2023, Angel of Empire finished third in a year when Cox ran four horses in the race. In 2024, Catching Freedom was fourth while Just a Touch finished last. Last year, Final Gambit finished fourth while Cox’s top Derby horse, Tappan Street, was injured in a workout a week before the race. Cox hopes Commandment isn’t his only Derby starter in 2026. Further Ado, Cox’s lone graded stakes-winning 2-year-old colt of 2025, kicks off his 3-year-old campaign in Saturday’s Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby at Tampa Bay Downs. Cox likely started dreaming about this Derby last Oct. 10 at Keeneland when Further Ado won a 1 1/16-mile maiden race by 20 lengths. Further Ado, a son of Gun Runner, came back 50 days later to win the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs. With an eye on getting to the Grade 1 Blue Grass at Keeneland, the Tampa Bay Derby was chosen as the race for Further Ado to make his 3-year-old debut. Based at Payson Park this winter, Further Ado has impressed Cox in the morning. “His works have been phenomenal,” Cox said. “He’s really gotten through this track well. He’s given us a lot of confidence. He looks really good since he arrived. He really put on weight and physically filled out a good bit since last fall.” Further Ado is owned by Spendthrift Farm, which purchased the horse for $550,000 out of the OBS spring 2-year-old-in-training auction. Spendthrift’s Derby dreams took a hit in January when they announced their undefeated 2-year-old champion Ted Noffey would miss the Triple Crown due to bone bruising. “No question that was very disappointing, but having Further Ado waiting in the wings, that’s a pretty nice horse to fall back on,” said Ned Toffey, general manager of Spendthrift Farm, the racing and breeding operation of Eric Gustavson. “We were sort of wondering what would happen if and when the two would race [against each other].” While Further Ado impressed in his last two starts, he disappointed in his first two races, both sprints last summer at Saratoga. That’s what made the maiden win even more gratifying, according to Toffey. “He hadn’t run badly [at Saratoga], but we were definitely a little bit disappointed with what he had done, especially a horse that was precocious enough to work well at a 2-year-old-in-training sale,” Toffey said. “There’s no question two turns definitely seem to be his friend.” While Spendthirft has experienced the thrill of victory in the Derby, Authentic’s victory came in a somewhat dissimilar fashion to other Derbies. Due to COVID, the 2020 Kentucky Derby was delayed until September and run before an empty grandstand. Still, Toffey said, that didn’t take away the thrill when Authentic won the race by 1 1/4 lengths over favored Tiz the Law. “I remember Bob Baffert,” the trainer of Authentic, “saying that it felt nothing like the Derby until the gates opened and then after that it was just all surreal,” Toffey said. “I don’t think of it as an asterisk, I don’t feel like it’s jaded in any way. . . . We showed up on the day they scheduled the race and he won.” :: KENTUCKY DERBY 2026: Top contenders, point standings, prep schedule, news, and more Making that victory even more gratifying for the Spendthrift team is that Authentic was by Into Mischief, a stallion who stands at Spendthrift Farm. Into Mischief, arguably the top sire out there, has since sired two more Derby winners – Mandaloun and Sovereignty – tying him with Bull Lea and three others for most Derby-winning progeny. Into Mischief is also the grandsire of 2024 Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan. “Pretty remarkable record he’s amassed,” Toffey said. “Tremendous pride in what the horse has been able to do.” Into Mischief has three colts in the Derby Watch Top 20 – Commandment, Sam F. Davis Stakes winner Renegade, and Canaletto, who is expected to be one of the main challengers to Further Ado on Saturday. Entries for the Tampa Bay Derby were being taken Wednesday with the draw later in the afternoon. In addition to Further Ado and Canaletto, the field was expected to include Hulkamania, Powershift, Redland Rebels, Talkin, The Puma, and Thunder Buck. ◗ The Grade 1 winner Brant and the Grade 2 winner So Happy head a field of seven entered in Saturday’s Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita. Brant, trained by Bob Baffert, has not raced since finishing third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He won the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity at 2. So Happy, who has won both of his starts, tries two turns for the first time after winning the San Vicente in January and a maiden race in November. Secured Freedom, a solid third in the Robert B. Lewis, Robusta, Potente, Start the Ride, and Flashy Fritz complete the San Felipe field. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.