Further Ado: Post 2; Morning Line: 2-1
Trainer: Brad Cox; Jockey: Irad Ortiz, Jr.
Wednesday, July 15, 2026
Further Ado – 2026 Haskell Stakes Profile
Horse: Further Ado
Pedigree: Gun Runner-Sky Dreamer, by Sky Mesa
Owners: Spendthrift Farm
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Irad Ortiz, Jr.
Post Position: 2
Morning Line Odds: 2-1
Running Style: Stalker
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 107
Career Record: 8-4-1-1
Career Earnings: $1,446,958
Race: $1 million Haskell Stakes, Monmouth Park (59th running)
Distance: 1 1/8 miles (dirt)
Last race: 1st Matt Winn Stakes (G3), Churchill Downs (June 7)
Yes, Further Ado went off as the 5-1 favorite in the Kentucky Derby (G1) on May 2. And yes, he had a troubled trip and wound up 11th of 18. He then missed the Preakness Stakes (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1) to regroup for the second half of the season.
So far, so good for the 3-year-old Gun Runner colt trained by Brad Cox. Five weeks after the Derby, Further Ado rebounded with an easy two-length victory in the 1 1 1/16-mile Matt Winn Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs on June 7.
The Matt Winn was a planned next step to get Further Ado to the Haskell, a race that has him back in the national spotlight.
“We’ve had this race as a target after the Derby, and he came into it training well,” Cox said after the Matt Winn. “We felt like this was a good steppingstone to try something like the Haskell Stakes.’’
It has been an interesting eight-race career so far for Further Ado. Last summer, he ran fifth and third, respectively, in his first two starts at Saratoga. He moved on to Keeneland, and on Oct. 10 he put on an astonishing performance, breaking his maiden by 20 lengths in a 1 1/16-mile race.
He closed out his 2-year-old season by winning the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs. He made his 3-year-old debut in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3), finishing a solid second to The Puma by three-quarters of a length on March 7. He stamped himself the Derby favorite after a second amazing effort – an 11-length romp in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at Keeneland.
The Derby was a dud, but the rebound in the Matt Winn, followed by a recent 5-furlong work in 59.00 at Churchill on July 4 indicates he could be ready for a winning second half of the season.
Whoever sets the early pace likely hasn’t done so before, with Further Ado and most of the field running best as stalkers. In his maiden win, he was second with just under a half-mile to go before moving into the lead and rolling by 20 lengths; in the Blue Grass, Further Ado didn’t take the lead until the quarter-pole and then stretched out and won by 11 lengths. Last out, he kicked clear from the leader with seven-sixteenths to go and cruised home by two lengths.
Irad Ortiz, Jr., has been aboard for six of Further Ado’s races, including both wins at Keeneland and the Matt Winn.
Napoleon Solo won the Champagne Stakes (G1) going gate-to-wire as a 2-year-old, but he pressed the pace set by Taj Mahal before taking charge and winning the Preakness over a closing Iron Honor.
Which Further Ado will show up at the Jersey Shore? The Keeneland version or the Derby version? We’re tossing out the Derby flop (John Velazquez was aboard for the first time) and focusing on the Matt Winn and a most recent solid 5-furlong workout on July 4. Brad Cox has won this race before, in 2022 with Cyberknife, who ran 18th in Derby, came back and won the Matt Winn and then the Haskell. Sounds familiar.
-- By Richard Rosenblatt
Richard Rosenblatt is an award-winning journalist and former Associated Press Horse Racing Editor. Currently, he serves as the news editor at US Racing, overseeing exclusive content from contributors worldwide.
