This week we will go into it in more detail Further Adthe 1 ¾ length winner of the $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes on Nov. 29 at Churchill Downs. With the win, Further Ado collected 10 points to help clinch a starting position in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve and moved into seventh place at the The road to the Kentucky Derby standings.
Race summary: Furthermore, Ado finished fifth in his debut in July and improved to third in his second start on August 30, both in sprints at Saratoga Race Course. His third start was a tour de force on October 10 when he stretched to 1 1/16 miles at Keeneland Race Course, where he completed a 20-length romp that left speed figure makers scrambling to quantify the runaway victory. Furthermore, Ado finished strong with a final eighth of a mile in :12.45.
The Gun Runner colt made his stakes debut at the same distance of 1 1/16 miles in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes and had to work considerably harder at Churchill Downs. He picked up the pace from fourth place under Irad Ortiz Jr. before challenging a match of Soldier N Diplomat at the top of the stretch. The duo battled through much of the stretch before Further Ado rode clear in the final 50 metres, with Universe rallying past Soldier N Diplomat for second place in the final strides.
Furthermore, Ado showed tenacity down the stretch and proved he could put up a fight, but he did not finish as fast as the previous start with a final furlong in:13.33 and a final quarter mile in:25.96. However, he went wide on the turn and during the stretch, so losing ground was a factor.
“He was able to show another dimension today. I was able to let go of the speed and have a pretty good ride,” Ortiz said. “He had to intervene late to get to the wire first. I think this race will really benefit him later.”
Speed figures: Furthermore, in his previous start, Ado made a huge leap to a career-best of 114 Equibase Speed Figure and 98 Beyer Speed Figure, both elite numbers for a 2-year-old in October. He came back to earth in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes with an Equibase figure of 93 and a Beyer figure of 82. Chances are he reacted negatively to the monster performance of his previous race, but it is to Further Ado’s credit that without all his effort he was still able to score a victory in an important class test.
Running Style: Furthermore, Ado pushed the pace in his breakout victory two starts ago and paced the pace in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes. He was a little further back when he sprinted at Saratoga and the results weren’t as positive, so expect Further Ado to use his tactical speed to follow or push the pace forward. A high cruising speed is a valuable asset on the Derby route.
Family tree notes: With a $550,000 purchase at the OBS Spring 2-year-olds in training sale, Further Ado is the 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner and was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 2024. Gun Runner was the leading first-year sire of 2021 and the leading sire of the second and third crops of 2022 and 2023. He has ranked in the top five on the overall sire list every year since. 2022, with Sierra Leone, winner of the 2024 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic, among its highlights. Other notable Grade 1 round two-turn winners include 2021 2-year-old champion Echo Zulu, 2022 Preakness winner Early Voting, and NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Super Corredora, as well as Locked, Society, Cyberknife and Taiba.
Furthermore, Ado was produced by Sky Dreamer, winner of the third division, by Sky Mesa. Sky Dreamer was a winner at 1 1/16 miles and finished second in the 2012 Arlington Oaks at 1 1/8 miles. Sky Dreamer also produced stakes winner Kimbear and is from the family of 1999 champion older bitch Beautiful Pleasure, the third mother of Verder Ado (maternal great-grandmother).
Derby potential: While I would have preferred to see Further Ado match or even better the speed figures he achieved in his previous start, the Gun Runner colt showed plenty of determination in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes. What is important is that he has at least proven that he is capable of running a big race. Furthermore, Ado’s pedigree suggests that with maturation and foundation he should be able to extend to at least 1 1/8 miles and most likely 1 ¼ miles. He will no doubt have based his skepticism on the regression of the speed figures, but I think Further Ado is a serious contender for the 2026 Kentucky Derby.
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