Great White takes No. 20 post for 2026 Kentucky Derby
Updated
Updated · Courier Journal · Apr 29
Great White takes No. 20 post for 2026 Kentucky Derby
11 articles · Updated · Courier Journal · Apr 29
The gray-roan colt joins the May 2 field at Churchill Downs after Silent Tactic's scratch, with trainer John Ennis and jockey Alex Achard both making their first Derby starts.
Great White enters off a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Blue Grass at Keeneland after winning the Battaglia Memorial at Turfway Park.
Owned by Three Chimneys Farm and Ennis, the $55,000 purchase has two wins from four starts and $202,495 in earnings ahead of the 6:57 p.m. post time.
With Three Chimneys Farm seeking its first Derby win, does Great White’s late entry signal a changing landscape for Derby contenders and breeding strategy?
Could Great White, a 50-1 longshot with little dirt experience, pull off a Rich Strike-style Derby upset from the far outside post?
How much does Great White’s synthetic-track pedigree truly limit his chances over Churchill Downs’ demanding dirt surface and classic Derby distance?