2026 Blue Grass Stakes Betting Odds and Contenders Preview

Key Takeaways:

• The Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland Race Course shapes as a pace-influenced race, with multiple forward runners signed on and the potential for contested early fractions to test stamina late.
• The expected scratch of Class President removes a proven graded winner from the lineup, leaving the race without a clear second-tier anchor behind the favorite and increasing the importance of trip and progression.
• Further Ado brings the most reliable two-turn form in the field and returns to a track where he delivered his strongest performance, giving him a steady foundation even at a short price.
• Surface and class transitions stand out as key variables, particularly for runners like Great White trying dirt for the first time and Reagan’s Honor stepping into stakes company after dominant allowance form.
• Tactical flexibility remains a meaningful edge in a race with several speed types, positioning adaptable runners such as Creole Chrome to stay involved if the early tempo proves demanding.

The most eagerly awaited race of the Keeneland spring meet is always the Grade 1 Blue Grass, one of the best and most historic races on the Kentucky Derby leg of the Triple Crown trail. The 2026 edition of the race happens Saturday, April 4. The race offers a $1 million purse (plus $250,000 for Kentucky-breds, which everyone but Creole Chrome can earn), as well as 100-50-25-15-10 Road to the Kentucky Derby points. That virtually assures the top two finishers a spot at Churchill Downs.

The 2026 edition of the Blue Grass, which covers 1 ⅛ miles on dirt, drew nine but is expected to scratch to eight with the defection of Rebel Stakes (G2) winner Class President. The favorite is Further Ado, who won the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) last fall and missed by three-quarters of a length to The Puma in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) in his sophomore debut. Other leading contenders include impressive allowance winner Reagan’s Honor and stakes winners Creole Chrome and Great White.

Nineteen Kentucky Derby winners have used the Blue Grass as a prep for victory on the first Saturday in May, including 10 who won both races. Though the last Kentucky Derby winner who prepared in the Blue Grass was Street Sense (2007), Blue Grass winners have run well in recent years. Sierra Leone (2024) ran second in the Run for the Roses, Zandon (2022) finished third, and Essential Quality (2021) finished a close fourth. And, though Art Collector (2020) bypassed the Derby completely, he stayed good as an older horse and won the Pegasus World Cup (G1) in 2023!

Blue Grass Stakes 2026 Information

• Race Date: Sunday, April 4, 2026
• Track: Keeneland
• Post Time: 6:22 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
• Distance: 1 1/8 miles
• Age/Sex: three-year-olds
• Where to Watch: FanDuel TV, NBCSN, Peacock
• Where to Bet: FanDuel Racing

Blue Grass Stakes Odds

This is the field for the 2026 Blue Grass Stakes, including trainers, jockeys, post positions, and morning-line odds for each entrant.

Note that Class President is expected to scratch.

Blue Grass Stakes Prep Results

The nine horses in the Blue Grass come out of eight different races. The only race with two last-out runners is the Tampa Bay Derby on March 7. Further Ado finished second, three-quarters of a length behind The Puma, who franked that performance when just missing in the Florida Derby (G1) photo finish. Talkin tracked the pace in the Tampa Bay Derby, but weakened to fifth and will need to improve at Keeneland.

Three others expected to compete come out of Kentucky Derby points races. Great White got up by a neck to win the John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway on February 21, over next-out Jeff Ruby Steaks winner Fulleffort, and will try dirt for the first time. Ottinho was a well-beaten third in the Withers on February 6, and the maiden Ocelli will have to pick it up after finishing sixth in the Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs on March 14. (Class President won the Rebel last out, but trainer Todd Pletcher has announced plans to scratch him.)

One other horse comes out of a stakes race, albeit a restricted one. Creole Chrome was last seen winning the Louisiana Stallion of the Year Star Guitar Stakes at Fair Grounds on February 28, thrashing Louisiana-breds by 6 ¾ lengths.

Two runners come out of non-stakes company. Reagan’s Honor wired a 1 1/16-mile allowance at Fair Grounds on February 19, winning by 6 ¾ lengths and earning a ticket to the Derby trail. Moonstrocity, the other maiden in the field, battled on the pace before weakening to third in a maiden special weight mile at Gulfstream on February 28.

Blue Grass Stakes Contenders

These are the contenders in the Blue Grass Stakes, organized by post position:

1. Talkin: Talkin made a strong entrance, beating a field that included Further Ado on debut at Saratoga last summer. However, he has yet to run back to that start in three stakes-level starts since, including Further Ado turning the tables on him last out in the Tampa Bay Derby. His tactical speed is a plus, but despite his two-turn pedigree on paper, his race form hasn’t shown that he wants more distance. He could move forward in his second start off a three-month lay, but a minor award still looks like the ceiling.
2. Class President: Class President will be scratched from the race after not training well into it, according to a Daily Racing Form report on Thursday.
3. Great White: He stepped up big time last out in the Battaglia, stalking the pace and holding off Fulleffort to take top money in the John Battaglia Memorial. Fulleffort came back to win the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) next out, franking that form. His tactical speed is a plus, and he doesn’t need much of a step forward in his speed figure to be a contender here – the big question is how he handles the dirt. But, the price should be long enough to take that risk, and he has enough stamina, particularly in his female family, to interest at the distance.
4. Reagan’s Honor: The new face in the field, he makes his stakes debut in the Blue Grass after impressive wins in maiden and allowance company. It’s worth noting that the allowance win came against older horses – he’s the only horse in the field who has faced his elders, and he absolutely thrashed them, winning by 6 ¾ lengths after leading at every call. The question is pace, of course. He hasn’t proven he can do anything but win gate to wire, and there are some other speedy ones here: Creole Chrome is a pacesetter, Further Ado will be forward, and Moonstrocity and Ottinho may not be far back, either. In short, the route form is there, but the pace raises questions at the short price.
5. Creole Chrome: Creole Chrome has been the breakout Louisiana-bred of his class, and now the Joe Sharp trainee gets the chance to prove himself against open company. He is very fast but can also be tactical, as he showed in his maiden and allowance wins, but also may just be fast enough to shape as the speed of the speed. If he can tap into that tactical speed going two turns, he shapes as an interesting price chance.
6. Further Ado: The marquee horse in the field, he’ll be an even heavier favorite with the defection of Class President. There’s no doubt he can perform at Keeneland, as he broke his maiden by twenty lengths last October. Since then, he hasn’t done anything quite as eye-popping, but he has been perfectly solid: he won the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) last fall and missed narrowly to The Puma last out in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3), which has shaped out to be a quality form line. Perfectly solid may be good enough, and back at Keeneland, there’s that horse-for-course potential again.
7. Ocelli: A five-start maiden, he has been overmatched in a pair of stakes races in his last two starts, when sixth in both the Sam F. Davis and the Virginia Derby. The way he weakened late in the 1 ⅛-mile Virginia Derby doesn’t scream that he wants this distance, at least not yet. The fact that he had rallied from off the pace in his maiden efforts means his running style could benefit if the speeds lock up, but a class drop would probably benefit him more than anything.
8. Moonstrocity: The other maiden in the field, he has raced just twice and never looked a winner either time. His switch from turf to dirt was an improvement, though the fact that he battled on the pace and weakened isn’t great, given that there is some other speed in this race. The stretch out to two turns for the first time stands to move this Jena Antonucci trainee forward – after all, he is a son of Tiz the Law with European turf stamina underneath – but it would be a surprise to see him move forward enough to be a threat.
9. Ottinho: Chad Brown has been the king of the Blue Grass in recent years, though usually he sends out horses pretty likely to be high in the market. This time, he sends out a long shot. Ottinho broke his maiden at 1 ⅛ miles at Aqueduct and has another effort at the distance, though he was well beaten that day, third behind Talk to Me Jimmy in the Withers. The combination of the forward trip in his maiden win and the addition of blinkers this time suggests he’ll be forward – but with Creole Chrome and Reagan’s Honor in the field, it’s questionable whether the blinkers will move him forward enough. Watch the tote – if he stays somewhere close to his morning line, perhaps there’s enough to bet Chad Brown and Flavien Prat can pull rabbits out of their hats. But if they take too much money on people blindly betting high-percentage connections, this half to Gun Runner just hasn’t done enough on track to take a short price.

Blue Grass Stakes Past Winners Past Performances

In the ten years since the Blue Grass got back on dirt, six different races have produced winners of the race. The most common last-out race among recent winners is the Fountain of Youth: Burnham Square (2025) was fourth and both Vekoma (2019) and Good Magic (2018) were third. Tapit Trice (2023) came out of a victory in the Tampa Bay Derby (G2), while Brody’s Cause (2016) rebounded from a seventh-place finish in that race. Two recent winners came from the Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds: Sierra Leone (2024) won it, and Zandon (2022) was third.

Two other recent Blue Grass winners came out of other points races. Essential Quality (2021) won the Southwest (G3), and Irap (2017) came out of a fourth-place try in the Sunland Derby (G3). Art Collector (2020), who won the COVID-delayed July edition of the Blue Grass, came out of an allowance win at Churchill Downs but did have one graded-stakes try as a two-year-old.

Blue Grass Stakes: 3 Best Bets

These are the three best bets in the 2026 Blue Grass:

1. Great White (15-1)

Great White will be a price as he tries dirt for the first time. All three of his starts so far have come on the Tapeta at Turfway for trainer John Ennis and jockey Alex Achard, and he switches surfaces for his final race on the Kentucky Derby trail. Ennis and Achard will fly under the radar at Keeneland with so many big names in the field, but they have been firing hot together.

And, they unite with a quality horse in Great White. This son of Volatile has already won a points race – he held off Fulleffort in the Battaglia after a stalk-and-pounce trip. Fulleffort returned to air in the Jeff Ruby, punching his ticket to Kentucky and marking Great White’s win in the Battaglia as a quality one. In terms of trip, Great White should be able to stalk or chase, staying out of what is likely to be a lively pace. And, as long as he handles the dirt well – something that his pedigree suggests a chance to do – he should be right in the mix late at very bettable odds.

2. Creole Chrome (8-1)

Class is the question for Creole Chrome. This Joe Sharp trainee won three of four outings over the winter at Fair Grounds, all of which came against Louisiana-bred company. He had been entered in the Gotham (G3) at Aqueduct in February but was scratched from that to stay home and face Louisiana-breds again – and he led at every call, winning his two-turn debut in blowout fashion.

The biggest question for Creole Chrome is pace. He has a lot of early speed – but he’s going to clash with Reagan’s Honor, who has only won from the lead, as well as a few others who might be forward, including the blinkers-on Ottinho. But, he was able to win a pair of one-turn races from a stalking spot, suggesting that he could be tactical enough to let jockey Tyler Gaffalione keep him out of a pace battle.

3. Further Ado (8-5)

Further Ado will be a heavy favorite here, probably even heavier than his morning line, since a major contender in Class President was taken out of consideration. However, he has run good races in all three of his two-turn starts. His most impressive race by far came at 1 1/16 miles at Keeneland – and though that was just a maiden race, he won by 20 lengths and turned in the fastest race of his career to date. That suggests that he may be a Keeneland horse for the course, making the Blue Grass the most logical possible prep.

And, though he has early speed, he doesn’t have to make the front and, in fact, never has led at the first call of any race he has run in. He has been able to run from a pressing spot as well as from a bit further back from that, giving him the tactical options to work a trip. If he runs back to his best, he has every chance to run to the money.

Blue Grass Stakes Undercard

The Blue Grass is the finale on Saturday’s 11-race card at Keeneland, a card that features five stakes in total. Other major races on the card include the $650,000 Madison (G1) for older female dirt sprinters, the $500,000 Appalachian presented by Japan Racing Association (G2) for sophomore female turf milers, the $400,000 Shakertown (G2) for older turf sprinters, and the $350,000 Commonwealth (G3) for older dirt sprinters.

Saturday is one of the best days of the spring horse racing season with 100-point Kentucky Derby preps at three tracks. In addition to the Blue Grass at Keeneland, the Aqueduct card features the Wood Memorial (G2), and Santa Anita hosts its flagship Santa Anita Derby (G1). With big fields all day, make plans to watch on FanDuel TV and bet with FanDuel all day long!

Keeneland

Lexington, Kentucky, is the home of one of the most important venues in worldwide horse racing—Keeneland. A group of horsemen opened the track in 1936, three years after the closure of the Kentucky Association track. Keeneland is unique in that it is not only home to a top-class racecourse, but also a sales ground from which top-class horses are purchased not just by US-based owners and trainers but from those as far afield as England, Ireland, France, and Dubai.

Racing fans flock to Keeneland for both top-class racing and excellent betting opportunities during two meets, held annually in April and October. Keeneland’s standing was highlighted again in 2009 when the Horseplayers Association of North America introduced its rating system, which placed it right at the top, at number one. Nestled in the heart of Kentucky horse country, it is also a designated National Historic Landmark.

Blue Grass Stakes FAQ

Q: When and where is the Blue Grass Stakes?

A: The Blue Grass (G1) (for sponsorship purposes, known as the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes) will be run Saturday, April 4 at 6:22 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky. The race is the last of 11 on the Saturday card.

Q: Which trainer has the most wins in the Blue Grass Stakes?

A: Todd Pletcher owns the record with four wins in the Blue Grass Stakes. He could have extended that to five with Class President, but Class President will be scratched. Among the trainers actually running horses in the 2026 edition, Chad Brown leads with three wins in the race. He can tie Pletcher if Ottinho wins.

Q: Who is the favorite for the Blue Grass Stakes?

A: Further Ado, a 20-length maiden winner at Keeneland who has held up well in two stakes starts since, is the 8-5 morning line favorite. With the defection of Grade 2 winner Class President, there is every reason to think Further Ado will be an even heavier favorite for trainer Brad Cox.

Q: Who is the best Blue Grass Stakes jockey?

A: Bill Shoemaker leads all jockeys with six wins in the Blue Grass between 1959 and 1982. Among jockeys riding in the race in 2026, four have won the race once before. Those include Tyler Gaffalione (Creole Chrome), who won with Sierra Leone (2024); Jose Ortiz (Reagan’s Honor), who won with Good Magic (2018); Flavien Prat (Ottinho), who won with Zandon (2022); and Joel Rosario (Talkin), who won with Brilliant Speed (2011)

Q: Who won the 2025 Blue Grass Stakes?

A: Burnham Square won the 2025 Blue Grass Stakes for trainer Ian Wilkes and jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr. Neither returns to the race in 2026, though Hernandez rides Paseo for Wilkes in a turf maiden earlier on the card.

New to FanDuel Racing? Place your first bet of $10 on any race at any track & get $50 back in Racing Bonus! Valid in participating states. See here for full terms and conditions. Learn about today’s other offers at FanDuel Racing Promos.

Looking for more horse racing betting opportunities? Head over to FanDuel Racing to see all of today’s horse racing odds.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!