Second 2026 Kentucky Derby Scratch: Fulleffort Is Out, Ocelli Draws In

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - APRIL 30: Ocelli trains on the track during morning workouts ahead of the running of the 152nd Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on April 30, 2026 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

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Until yesterday morning, stalwart Kentucky Derby trainer Brad Cox was doing a fair impression of a few trainers of old with three solid contenders studding the gate in the $5 million 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby, but late on April 30, his outside horse, the fetching silvery roan colt Fulleffort, who won the one-and-an-eighth-mile Jeff Ruby Steaks for Cox with a time of 1:49.94, was out jogging Thursday morning and Cox thought he seemed to be favoring his left hind ankle. A swift subsequent X-ray found a bone chip in his left hind ankle. It will require surgery and will cause him to miss the Derby, the two subsequent Triple Crown races, and the rest of the summer.

“Main thing is he’s fine,” Cox said, while noting that the surgery would be minor, and that it was never good timing. “Easy decision to withdraw from the Derby. We’ll get that cleaned up and hopefully have a fresh horse for next fall.”

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - APRIL 29: Fulleffort trains on the track during morning workouts ahead of the running of the 152nd Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on April 29, 2026 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

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Fulleffort had been breaking from the 19th stall in the gate, having been moved in one stall from his original post of the 20-hole as Great White drew into the gate on April 28. Fulleffort’s saddle cloth number 20 will be retired. Great White now moves into Fulleffort’s stall 19, and Ocelli, trained by Whit Beckman, pulls into Great White’s outside post No. 20. As per the Churchill drill, Ocelli will run under saddle cloth number 22.

Below, the revised field for the 2026 Kentucky Derby.