By Jill Williams
Keeneland's spring meet has kicked off and the GI Kentucky Derby is less than a month away. Let's take a look back at the recently concluded first quarter of 2026, where we got to enjoy 78 (19%) of the 410 graded races scheduled domestically for this year.
- Thus far in 2026, the 78 graded races already run can be categorized as six Grade I events, 21 Grade II, and 51 Grade III. Eight tracks across the country hosted graded races, led by Gulfstream Park's 24 and Santa Anita's 22.
- There were 72 individual winners of the 78 graded races, with Commandment, Destino d'Oro, Knightsbridge, Lagynos, Skippylongstocking, and Splendora capturing two apiece.
- Eleven (15%) of the graded winners were tabbed as 'TDN Rising Stars, presented by Hagyard' at the beginning of their careers.
- The only sire to capture two of the Grade Is was Into Mischief, whose sons Commandment and Renegade won the only two Grade I races for 3-year-olds run in the first quarter (and they did it on the same afternoon!).
- Into Mischief had five individual graded winners, while Gun Runner and Not This Time each had four.
- Bernardini and Tapit together led the broodmare sire category for the first quarter with four individual winners each out of their daughters. Blame and Uncle Mo both had three.
- Six breeders scored with two graded winners apiece: Calumet Farm, Camas Park (one in partnership), Gary and Mary West Stables, Godolphin, Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt, and Stoneriggs Farm.
- Nineteen of the first quarter individual winners are homebreds, four with partners added.
- Fifty went through a public auction once or more during their life, with seven selling for seven figures. An equal number–seven–sold for $25,000 or less. Six went through a sale in Europe.
- Brad Cox led all trainers in the graded category with nine wins, while Bob Baffert and Todd Pletcher were hot on his heels with eight each.
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