Following his win in the Fasig-Tipton Risen Star Stakes on February 14 at Fair Grounds with Paladin, celebrated five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown achieved another triumph at Fair Grounds on March 21, securing the venue’s most lucrative contest, the Grade 2 $1 million Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby, with the horse Emerging Market, making only its second career start.
Much like Paladin’s narrow half-length win in the Risen Star, this particular victory was hard-fought. Emerging Market initiated its challenge from the fifth position and required the entire expanse of the Fair Grounds’ lengthy final straight to outpace Pavlovian, the Sunland Derby victor who had set the early pace. Under jockey Flavien Prat, the horse crossed the finish line a head in front, clocking 1:55.18 over 1 3/16 miles on a quick track. Emerging Market enhanced its perfect record to two wins from two starts and returned $6 for a win bet.
“During its initial outing, it displayed considerable professionalism,” commented Prat regarding Emerging Market’s inaugural win the previous month at Tampa Bay Downs. “I harbored some apprehension about the ninth gate position, but we managed to secure an advantageous journey. It exhibited great determination. It was a commendable and highly professional performance. Candidly, as we rounded into the homestretch, I anticipated an effortless victory, yet Pavlovian presented a formidable opposition.”
The time recorded by the winning horse ranked as the third quickest among the seven occasions the Louisiana Derby has been run since the Fair Grounds lengthened the race to its present 1 3/16-mile length in 2020.
The Louisiana Derby served as a preparatory contest awarding 100 points to its victor on the 2025-26 Road to the Kentucky Derby, sponsored by Woodford Reserve. This event allocated a cumulative 200 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby on May 2, distributed among the top five placers in a 100-50-25-15-10 hierarchy. Historically, the top two competitors generally accumulate sufficient points to guarantee their participation in the initial event of the Triple Crown series.
Golden Tempo, who previously won the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes and was equipped with blinkers for the initial time, made a strong surge to secure third place in Saturday’s competition following an unideal beginning. His acceleration diminished during the last eighth of a mile, placing him a full length behind the leading pair. Universe trailed by an additional 5 1/2 lengths, claiming fourth spot. Chip Honcho faded to finish fifth.
Pavlovian demonstrated considerable resilience, resisting being overtaken until the very final moments of the Louisiana Derby’s straightaway, having established sectional times of :22.65, :46.23, and 1:10.85. Pavlovian currently possesses a total of 70 points, comprising 50 points for its second-place performance and an additional 20 points previously gained from its narrow win in the Sunland Derby on February 15.
Contestants finishing in the third, fourth, and fifth positions might similarly secure entry into the Triple Crown’s inaugural event, given their accumulation of points in prior contests along the path to the Kentucky Derby. Golden Tempo holds an aggregate of 60 points, Universe has collected 38, and Chip Honcho possesses 49.
A minimum of thirty-nine points was necessary to join the primary roster for the Kentucky Derby in 2025, although Baeza gained admittance as an alternate participant following a withdrawal, having accumulated 37 1/2 points.
Emerging Market now holds 100 eligibility points for the Kentucky Derby and received $600,000 for its triumph on Saturday, elevating its total prize money to $618,880. Its initial success was achieved swiftly in a maiden long-distance race at Tampa Bay Downs on February 7.
Over the years, Brown has entered horses owned by Seth Klarman of Klaravich Stables into the Derby, yet they have periodically demonstrated prudence with less experienced competitors. Such decisions have yielded considerable returns in the Preakness Stakes, the second segment of the Triple Crown, which occurs two weeks subsequent to the Derby. In 2017, Brown secured his inaugural Triple Crown race victory by winning the 1 3/16-mile Preakness with Cloud Computing, partly owned by Klaravich Stables. Half a decade later, he again found success in the Preakness with Early Voting, also representing Klaravich Stables. These particular horses had not won their preparatory races leading up to the Derby.
Brown, during a conversation with BloodHorse following the race, conveyed his inclination to enter Emerging Market in the initial phase of the Triple Crown. He intends to convene with Klarman on March 22 to review the available choices.
“I believe ruling out the Derby at this juncture would be overly cautious,” stated Brown.
Brown’s record in the Derby stands at zero wins, two seconds, and one third with nine entries. His placements within the top three include a second-place result with Good Magic in 2018, a third-place showing from Zandon in 2022, and a narrow second-place finish by Sierra Leone in 2024.
For the current year, he has three equine contenders already eligible for the Derby by virtue of their accumulated points, among them Paladin and Iron Honor. Paladin is currently considered the frontrunner for the Derby.
No racehorse has claimed victory in the Derby having commenced fewer than three races. As per official communications from Churchill Downs, merely seven contenders have participated following just one or two previous career starts, the most recent instance being the Japanese thoroughbred T O Password, who secured fifth place in 2024.
Brown indicated that Emerging Market would not partake in any further races before the Derby should he and Klarman decide to enter the young male horse in the May 2 event.
A total of five horses who competed in the Louisiana Derby have subsequently achieved success in the esteemed “run for the roses.” The latest example is Mandaloun, who, despite placing sixth in the 2021 Louisiana Derby, later that spring was declared the winner of the Kentucky Derby following the disqualification of Medina Spirit due to a drug infraction. Black Gold (in 1924) and Grindstone (in 1996) remain the sole horses to have triumphed in both races.
