(Albus works at Churchill Downs on Saturday morning / Photo by Coady Media)

From the Churchill Downs Media Team / Darren Rogers:

ALBUS, RIGHT TO PARTY BREEZE FOR KENTUCKY DERBY AT CHURCHILL DOWNS

 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Saturday, April 18, 2026) – Pin Oak Stud’s Albus and Chester Broman Sr.’s Right to Party, the top two finishers from last month’s Wood Memorial (Grade II) at Aqueduct, recorded their penultimate workouts Saturday at Churchill Downs in advance of the $5 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade I) on Saturday, May 2.

Albus, who defeated Right to Party by 1 ¼ lengths in the Wood Memorial for trainer Riley Mott, breezed four furlongs in :49 Saturday at 5:15 a.m. (all times Eastern) alongside stablemate Theoretical. The duo completed an opening quarter-mile in :24.40 and galloped out five furlongs in 1:02.20, according to Churchill Downs clocker Adam Wallace.

“He worked in :49 for a half-mile and did it really easily on his own,” Mott said. “That’s the move you’re looking for in the first work back from a race.”

Mott added that Pin Oak Stud’s Virginia Derby winner Incredibolt completed his major Kentucky Derby preparation in South Florida at Palm Meadows prior to arriving at Churchill Downs early Monday morning.

“From what I saw on video, he worked :49 and change and did it very well on his own,” Mott said. “He’s a good workhorse and pretty straightforward. We’re looking forward to getting him up here to our division at Churchill Downs.”

The colt will have his final work for the Derby next weekend at Churchill Downs.

Nearly two hours later, during Churchill Downs’ exclusive 15-minute training session for Kentucky Derby and Longines Kentucky Oaks contenders at 7:15 a.m., Right to Party worked five furlongs in 1:00.80 outside Very Connected under retired jockey Robby Albarado. The colt posted eighth-mile fractions of :12.40, :24, :36 and :48.40 before galloping out six furlongs in 1:14.20, according to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols.

“He was clipping along in :12s,” trainer Kenny McPeek said. “I didn’t want to do anything too crazy with him, but if you can clip along in :12s in the Derby, you can win the race.”

Also on the work tab was Leland Ackerley Racing, James Sherwood, Jode Shupe and John Cilia’s Chip Honcho, who would need two defections to draw into the Kentucky Derby field. The son of Connect worked five furlongs in :59.80 outside stablemateCorporate Power through eighth-mile fractions of :12.20, :23.80, :35.20 and :47.20 before galloping out six furlongs in 1:12.40, according to Nichols.

Aside from the trio of Derby workers Saturday morning, UAE Derby (GII) winner Wonder Dean (JPN) schooled in the starting gate while Florida Derby (GI) third-place finisher Chief Wallabee visited the Churchill Downs paddock and had a routine gallop. Chief Wallabee would need one defection to make the Kentucky Derby field.

It was a walk day for trainer Brad Cox’s trio of Kentucky Derby contenders Commandment, Fulleffort and Further Ado following their Friday morning drills at Churchill Downs.

There are no scheduled Kentucky Derby or Oaks workers Sunday morning at Churchill Downs.

KENTUCKY DERBY MORNING WORKS SHOW CONTINUES THROUGH THURSDAY, APRIL 30 – The Kentucky Derby Morning Works Show presented by TwinSpires.com continues daily through Thursday, April 30, offering fans an exclusive look at the final preparations of Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks contenders.

Airing each day from 6:45-7:45 a.m. (all times Eastern), the one-hour program is streamed live on the Kentucky Derby Facebook Page, YouTube and X accounts. The show highlights the 15-minute exclusive training window from 7:15-7:30 a.m. for horses preparing for the $5 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade I) and the $1.5 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (GI).

Hosted by Churchill Downs’ expert handicappers Joe Kristufek, Kaitlin Benson, Tony Calo and Kevin Kilroy, the show includes insight, commentary and exclusive interviews from notable figures such as the voice of the Kentucky Derby Travis Stone, former leading rider Rosie Napravnik, TwinSpires.com handicapper James Scully, Churchill Downs morning line oddsmaker Nick Tammaro and racing analyst Ren Carrothers.

All Kentucky Derby and Oaks contenders are required to be on-site by Saturday, April 25. The show will continue through Thursday, May 1, showcasing every contender’s final training sessions leading into Kentucky Derby and Longines Kentucky Oaks.

For more information, visit www.kentuckyderby.com.

KENTUCKY DERBY NEWSFEED MEDIA PORTAL – The Kentucky Derby Newsfeed will be providing a media portal to access high quality video and audio files. Files are 1080 59.94p and will be uploaded daily.

This service is available via any web browser. To access, type the following into your web browser address bar: kyderby.hammondcg.com

When you get to the media portal page, you will be prompted to enter credentials to access and download training footage, b-roll, color, interviews and press conferences.

Username: kyderby2026

Password: D3rby2026

Please tag your footage with the following: CREDIT: CHURCHILL DOWNS

For further information, inquires or to report technical difficulties, please contact Jesse B. Kelsey, Vice-President of Hammond Communications Group, Inc. at (859) 492-5768 or at jkelsey@hammondcg.com.

COADY MEDIA KENTUCKY DERBY COVERAGE – Here is the link to access Coady Media’s daily photo coverage of the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks morning training, along with race day coverage: https://www.coadyplus.com/gallery-collection/152nd-Kentucky-Derby/C0000KUCsBDLVdJ4.

Please credit photos: Coady Media

 

DOWN THE STRETCH – On the Saturday work tab in South Florida was Florida Derby (GI) runner-up The Puma, who breezed five furlongs in 1:00.60 at Gulfstream Park with jockey Javier Castellano aboard. The colt is scheduled to arrive at Churchill Downs on Monday morning and complete his final Derby breeze next weekend. … Prior to training Saturday morning at Churchill Downs, Arkansas Derby (GI) runner-up Silent Tactic arrived from Oaklawn Park. He’s scheduled to train at 5:15 a.m. Sunday. … At Keeneland on Saturday morning, Longines Kentucky Oaks contender Bella Ballerina breezed five furlongs in 1:00.20 with jockey Tyler Gaffalione in the saddle. She’s scheduled to have her final work for the Kentucky Oaks at Keeneland. … To view the updated Kentucky Derby media guide, visit:https://www.kentuckyderby.com/media-guide-info/. … Entries and post positions for the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks will take place Saturday, April 25 between Races 3-4 on the opening day program from 2:15-2:45 p.m. ET on the Paddock Terrace (weather permitting).