(Further Ado wins the G3 Matt Winn Stakes in style / All Photos by Coady Media)

From the Churchill Downs Media Team / Darren Rogers:

FURTHER ADO REBOUNDS FROM DERBY 11TH TO ROLL IN $489,665 MATT WINN

 

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Sunday, June 7, 2026) – Further Ado, who finished a disappointing 11th as the 5-1 favorite in the $5 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade I), rebounded with authority Sunday at Churchill Downs as he rolled to a two-length triumph over longshot Our Moneyman in the 29th running of the $489,665 Matt Winn Stakes (Grade III).

          Further Ado, owned by Tammy and Eric P. Gustavson’s Spendthrift Farm and trained by Brad Cox, clocked 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:41.26, which was the second-fastest Matt Winn only behind his sire Gun Runner’s 1:41.12 in 2016.

          Irad Ortiz Jr., who chose to ride Renegade while second in the Kentucky Derby, returned to ride Further Ado as he did in five of his first six starts, which included wins in the $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) at 2 and the $1.25 million Blue Grass (GI) in April.

“He broke very well today which is something he didn’t do quite as well in the Derby. He was able to put himself right into the race and he finished up very well with a big run,” said Cox, who also won the Matt Winn in 2021-22 with Fulsome and Cyberknife, respectively.

          Sent to post as the 3-5 favorite in the field of eight 3-year-olds, Further Ado broke from post No. 7 and tracked the right hip of early leader Pavlovian through the early stages of the race through splits of :23.69 and :46.69. Midway around the final turn, Further Ado assumed control with three furlongs to run and crossed the six-furlong marker in 1:10.62 as the others chased to keep up. Further Ado was never pressured down the 1,234-foot Churchill Downs stretch and coasted to the two-length triumph – his fourth in eight career starts.

“We broke well today and I was able to get him into a good position just off the lead,” Ortiz Jr. said. “He’s a classy horse and I just tried to keep his attention through the wire. He was pretty straightforward to ride today and finished up well.”

Further Ado returned $3.38, $2.40 and $2.10. Our Moneyman, ridden by Axel Concepcion, returned $8.58 and $4.26 at odds of 14-1. Taptastic, with Jose Ortiz up at 9-1, was another 5 ½ lengths back in third and paid $3.82 to show.

Potente was another 4 ¼ lengths back in fourth and was followed by Corona de Oro, Stop the Car, Pavlovian and Steel Imperium.

The victory was worth $300,630 and improved Further Ado’s earnings to $1,446,958.

“We’ve had this race as a target after the Derby and he came into it training well,” Cox said. “We felt like this was a good steppingstone to try something like the (July 18) Haskell (GI) at Monmouth next.”

Further Ado is out of the Sky Mesa mare Sky Dreamer and was bred in Kentucky by John C. Oxley.

The Matt Winn is named in honor of the famed Churchill Downs president that served as the driving force in the development of the Downs and his beloved Kentucky Derby.

Following dark days on Monday and Tuesday, racing at Churchill Downs is scheduled to resume Wednesday with a nine-race card that begins at 12:45 p.m. ET.

MATT WINN QUOTES

Irad Ortiz Jr., jockey, Further Ado, winner: “We broke well today and I was able to get him into a good position just off the lead. He’s a classy horse and I just tried to keep his attention through the wire. He was pretty straightforward to ride today and finished up well.”

Brad Cox, trainer, Further Ado, winner: “He broke very well today which is something he didn’t do quite as well in the Derby. He was able to put himself right into the race and he finished up very well with a big run. We’ve had this race as a target after the Derby and he came into it training well. We felt like this was a good steppingstone to try something like the (July 18) Haskell (GI) at Monmouth next.”

Bret Calhoun, trainer, Our Moneyman, runner-up: “We’re really proud of how he ran today. He ran a huge effort to be second against a very nice horse.”