The long and winding road to the 2026 Triple Crown concludes Saturday with the Lexington Stakes (G3) at Keeneland. The journey began last September with the Iroquois Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs. Since then, Kentucky Derby (G1) hopefuls have accumulated qualifying points in designated Kentucky Derby prep races. The last points to be harvested come in the Lexington, where 20 go to the winner.
Alas, those 20 points won't be enough to propel any of the 11 Lexington runners into the Derby. The lineup for the Run for the Roses was cemented last weekend in the Wood Memorial (G2), the Blue Grass Stakes (G1), and the Santa Anita Derby (G1).
Confessional (7-2), our top selection, has 15 points in the bank. With a win in the Lexington Stakes, he would move up to 35. Unfortunately, the cutoff on the current list is 50.
Which is not to say that the Lexington is not an impactful event. We see some of these runners down the road in the Preakness Stakes (G1) and the Belmont Stakes (G1).
Confessional and Ezum are the two runners in the field from the Brad Cox barn. Think of them as the second tier of 3-year-olds from that powerful barn. Cox has three solid contenders lined up for the Derby in Commandment, Further Ado, and Fulleffort.
Think of this duo as AAA players working their way up to the majors.
Confessional was a rallying third most recently in the Virginia Derby. It was a nice rebound effort from a dull performance in the Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay, where he faced some tough customers in Renegade and The Puma.
There is plenty of speed in the race, so the pace scenario could play out nicely for Confessional and jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. When a closer has a clear setup like this, you back him with confidence and let the front-runners sort each other out.
One of those speedballs is stablemate Ezum, who scored his maiden victory last time out in a race at Colonial Downs. The 19.5-length victory dazzled the morning line maker into tabbing him the 2-1 favorite for only his second career start. Flavien Prat retains the mount in a solid vote of confidence.
Corona de Oro (6-1) could be the one to derail the Cox duo. He stretched out to this 1 1/16-mile distance to score his maiden win most recently for trainer Dallas Stewart at the Fair Grounds. The added distance was clearly the key that unlocked his potential.
He has the rail and enough speed to enjoy a solid tactical trip. For those building an exotic ticket, he belongs underneath at a price. Check the full graded stakes schedule and our handicapping stakes races guide for deeper context on how to structure your wagers around graded stakes races like this one.
If you are serious about the Kentucky Derby picture, our Kentucky Derby betting guide and Kentucky Derby betting page will keep you sharp through the first Saturday in May.
1. Confessional | 2. Ezum | 3. Corona de Oro
The field for the $400,000 Lexington Stakes (G3), from the rail out, with jockey, trainer, and morning line odds:
| # | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | M/L | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Corona de Oro | B J Hernandez, Jr. | D Stewart | 6/1 | |
| 2 | Exhibition Only | R Silvera | R R Rodriguez | 10/1 | |
| 3 | Decisive Win | A Fresu | D F O'Neill | 15/1 | |
| 4 | Enforced Agenda | J Castellano | G Weaver | 10/1 | |
| 5 | Mister T | M Murrill | C Galindo-Torres | 30/1 | |
| 6 | Ramblin | M Gutierrez | B C Barnett | 20/1 | |
| 7 | The Hell We Did | L Saez | T W Fincher | 8/1 | |
| 8 | Trendsetter | K Kimura | B Colebrook | 20/1 | |
| 9 | Ezum | F Prat | B H Cox | 2/1 | |
| 10 | Confessional | I Ortiz, Jr. | B H Cox | 7/2 | |
| 11 | I Did I Did | J J Hernandez | M J Maker | 10/1 |
Last Updated on 04/08/2026
The 2026 Lexington Stakes (G3) runs on Saturday, April 11, 2026, at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Kentucky. It is a $400,000 Grade 3 stakes race run at 1 1/16 miles for 3-year-olds and is one of the final Kentucky Derby prep races on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.
Ezum, trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Flavien Prat, opens as the 2-1 morning-line favorite following a dazzling 19.5-length maiden victory at Colonial Downs. Stablemate Confessional is the second choice at 7-2, while Corona de Oro is the third at 6-1.
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The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
