Steve Asmussen didn't like what he saw Saturday morning, and he pulled the trigger fast. After watching Chip Honcho go five furlongs in 1:00 4/5 during the 7:15 a.m. Churchill Downs training window reserved for Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks hopefuls, the Hall of Fame trainer announced roughly an hour later that the Connect colt would bypass the Derby and point to the Preakness Stakes on May 16 at Laurel Park.
That decision, made public ahead of the 2 p.m. ET draw, opened a spot in the 20-horse main field. Litmus Test's connections wasted no time confirming their colt was in. No more sweating the also-eligible list. They're in the gate.
Asmussen's Thinking on Chip Honcho
The Connect colt had shown enough earlier this year to generate real interest. He broke his maiden in November at Churchill, won the Gun Runner Stakes at Fair Grounds in December, ran fourth in the Lecomte Stakes (G3), and came home a close second behind Paladin in the Risen Star Stakes (G2). That's a respectable prep cycle. The problem is what came next.
In the Louisiana Derby (G1) on March 21, Chip Honcho finished fifth. Asmussen has been watching him closely since that effort and, by his own admission, still doesn't have a clean explanation for it.
"I think we don't have a good answer for the disappointing run in the Louisiana Derby, and we don't want to put two of those in a row," Asmussen said. "We don't want to waste a horse that obviously showed a level of ability at 2 and early in the year. He can be a significant 3-year-old."
That's the right call from a horseman's standpoint. When a talented horse throws up a clunker and you can't identify the cause, running him back in the most demanding mile-and-a-quarter race in the country three weeks later is a gamble with the horse's confidence, not just your bankroll. Asmussen is protecting a long-term asset. The 1 3/16-mile Preakness gives him a shorter distance, a fresh setup, and time to figure out what went wrong.
"Horses are extremely fluid from one day to the next, and I think we're headed in the right direction with a very big horse," Asmussen said. "We want to regroup and move forward, not back up."
From a Kentucky Derby betting perspective, Chip Honcho's absence tightens up the narrative around the bottom of the field and shifts some attention back to horses whose form cycles are cleaner heading into May 2.
Litmus Test: Now in the Main Field, Now Worth a Harder Look
The Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) winner came into this week sitting on the also-eligible list, which is never a comfortable place to be if you're building a Derby campaign. That changed Saturday. Litmus Test is confirmed in the field.
He's trained by Bob Baffert, who has six Kentucky Derby wins on his résumé and knows how to have a horse ready for the first Saturday in May. Baffert also has Potente in the expected field, the San Felipe Stakes (G2) winner who ran second in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) for Speedway Stables. Having two live runners in the Derby is a real position of strength, and Baffert has navigated that situation before.
Litmus Test is campaigned by a deep partnership: SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan. Starlight's racing manager Corbin Blumberg confirmed the colt had worked well in the days leading up to the draw.
"It's exciting for us. He worked great the other day," Blumberg said. "Now we have not one but two horses in the Kentucky Derby. It's such a special horse race, so anytime you can have a shot at it, it's well worth it."
If you're looking at Kentucky Derby odds right now, Litmus Test deserves a serious look, not just as a ticket item but as a potential overlay depending on where the morning line slots him. A Futurity winner with a sharp work tab and a six-time Derby-winning trainer is not a horse you want to dismiss simply because he was sitting on the also-eligible list this week. That's a circumstantial footnote, not a form defect.
Check the Kentucky Derby contenders page for the full updated picture on where Litmus Test stacks up against the rest of the field on class and speed figures.
Brad Cox, Fulleffort, and the Rest of the Expected Field
Starlight Racing also has Fulleffort in the expected lineup. The Jeff Ruby Stakes (G3) winner is trained by Brad Cox and runs in partnership with St. Elias Stable. Cox is one of the sharper trainers in the country when it comes to placing horses at the right spot in their condition cycle, and Fulleffort's graded stakes win on the Derby prep trail gives him a legitimate path to the gate.
For a full breakdown of all confirmed Kentucky Derby entries, including post positions and morning line numbers once they're released, keep that page bookmarked through the weekend.
The Also-Eligible Picture
As of Saturday morning, three horses remained on the also-eligible list with a shot to draw into the field. John Battaglia Memorial Stakes winner Great White was entered as No. 21 by trainer John Ennis, who also cross-entered him in the Pat Day Mile (G2) on the same card as insurance. Trainer Whit Beckman confirmed that Ocelli, the Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) third-place finisher, was entered at No. 22. San Felipe runner-up Robusta was also listed as a potential also-eligible.
With Chip Honcho's spot now open, Great White appears to be the most likely beneficiary. If he draws in, the Pat Day Mile cross-entry becomes moot. If he doesn't, Ennis has a sensible fallback at a softer level. That's smart horse management on a day with a lot of moving pieces.
How This Changes the Derby Betting Picture
Field composition matters when you're building tickets. Chip Honcho's exit removes a horse whose form cycle was genuinely hard to read after the Louisiana Derby. From a pace scenario standpoint, you'll want to revisit how the race shapes up without him, particularly if he would have been a factor on or near the lead. Check the Kentucky Derby prep races results to map out which horses in the field are stalkers, closers, and speed types, because at a mile and a quarter on the first Saturday in May, the pace scenario is everything.
Litmus Test drawing into the main field is the story of the day from a wagering angle. His addition to the field could affect exacta and trifecta prices depending on where public money flows, but if the morning line underestimates him, there's value to be had. Keep an eye on his trainer betting trends with Baffert and cross-reference his jockey assignment once that's confirmed.
For sharp players putting together multi-race exotic tickets, the Kentucky Derby betting guide at US Racing walks through the structure of the card, the value plays, and how to approach the race from a singles-versus-spread perspective depending on your ticket budget.
If you're ready to bet on Kentucky Derby online, US Racing has you covered from first post through the final leg. Get $1,000 Cash at BUSR and up to 10% Rebates when you sign up through US Racing. That rebate structure matters on a day with heavy handle, where even partial returns on losing tickets add up across a full card.
Saturday, May 2 is coming fast. The field is nearly set. Know who's in, know who's out, and make sure your Kentucky Derby odds are current before you build a ticket.
