Ocelli (horse)
)
| Ocelli | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Sire | Connect |
| Grandsire | Curlin |
| Dam | Zalia |
| Damsire | Scat Daddy |
| Sex | Colt |
| Foaled | February 27, 2023 |
| Country | United States |
| Color | Bay |
| Breeder | Rosedown Racing Stables, LLC |
| Owner | Durr, Ashley, Tate, Anthony and Front Page Equestrian, LLC |
| Trainer | D. Whitworth Beckman |
| Record | 10:0-2-4 |
| Earnings | $842,300 |
| Major wins | |
| None American Classic Race placings: Kentucky Derby 3rd (2026) | |
Ocelli (foaled February 27, 2023) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who finished third in the 2026 Kentucky Derby at 70-1 despite having never won a race. He is now the highest-earning racehorse to have never won a race.[1]
Background
Ocelli was bred by Rosedown Racing Stables and foaled February 27, 2023, in Kentucky. He was sold as a yearling at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings Sale by Legion Bloodstock for $12,000. A price which was below average; the average price at the sale was $52,392.[2] His name was given to him by Travis Durr based on "ocelli," the plural term for the eye spots on a tiger's ears.[3] Ocelli is sired by Connect, who on the track won the 2016 Pennsylvania Derby and Cigar Mile Handicap. Ocelli is out of a Scat Daddy mare, Zalia. She has given birth to two foals that have made at least one start, and neither has won.
Before Ocelli made his official racing debut, he was entered on March 15, 2025, at the 81st Aiken Trials in Aiken, South Carolina. The Aiken Trials feature unofficial races which do not appear on a horse's racing record used as practice before a horse makes their first official start. Run over 1/4 mile, Ocelli, who was then unnamed, crossed the finish line first.[4] Famous horses like Summer Squall have participated in the Aiken Trails and gone on to future success. At the time, he was co-owned and trained by Travis Durr, who trained him at his training center in South Carolina while preparing him for his official start.
Racing career
2-year-old season
Ocelli's official sanctioned racing debut was on November 23, 2025, at Churchill Downs. He was now owned by Travis Durr's wife, Ashley Durr, and trained by D. Whitworth Beckman. He broke slowly, starting 10th of 12 horses, and by the finish rallied to finish third.[5] His next race at the Fair Grounds would be his last in his debut year, improving to finish second, beaten only 1 3/4 lengths.
3-year-old season
Starting his 3-year-old season, he would be aimed toward the Kentucky Derby by running in Road To The Kentucky Derby Prep Races. Now his ownership expanded to a three-group partnership. The majority interest still belongs to Ashley Durr, with two minority interests being Anthony Tate and Front Page Equestrian. His first two Kentucky Derby prep races were the Sam F Davis Stakes and the Virginia Derby. He placed 6th in both, missing out on qualifying points, only the top 5 finishers get awarded points. His final Kentucky Derby prep was the 101st running of the Wood Memorial Stakes. This iteration was the final running of the Wood Memorial at the now defunct Aqueduct Racetrack.[6] He was a 28-1 longshot, and similar to his previous races he started at the back of the pack. Starting ninth of the 12 horses running 12 lengths behind the front runners. Flying late he made up 10 3/4 lengths to finish third only 1 1/4 behind Albus but losing second place by a nose to Right To Party. This third-place finish earned Ocelli 25 qualifying points.
Kentucky Derby
The week before the Kentucky Derby when the races entrants were drawn for post positions Ocelli did not have enough points to be in the main field being 22 in the standings. This was enough for him to be an also eligible, a backup entry incase a horse from the main field were to withdraw from the race before the allotted scratch time. On April 29, Silent Tactic was withdrawn from the Kentucky Derby,[7] and on April 30, the Thursday before the Kentucky Derby Stark Contrast was also scratched from the Kentucky Derby.[8] These two scratches allowed Ocelli to draw into the Kentucky Derby field and participate.
By post time of the Kentucky Derby, Ocelli was made the longest shot of the field with final odds of 70.50. Since 1937 he was the 14th maiden to participate in the Kentucky Derby. In the Kentucky Derbie's entire history it has had three maidens go on to be winners with the most recent being Brokers Tip in 1933.[9] Since Broker's Tip the best finish from a maiden at the time had been an 8th-place finish by On The Mark in 1950. Ocelli's participation also marked only the third time maidens had participated in the Kentucky Derby in back to back years. With Publisher running in the 2025 Kentucky Derby.
Ocelli broke from the second widest post position with only another also eligible Robusta to his outside. He was squeezed early and took 17th place before the first turn. He was only placed ahead of one horse, that being Golden Tempo. He moved his way past horses on the outside through the backstretch and continued into the homestretch. When they reached the final 1/16th Ocelli passed Danon Bourbon and took the lead. But only strides before the wire, Renegade and Golden Tempo further outside of him swept past. Ocelli would finish third, beaten only one length, the closest Ocelli had ever gotten to achieving victory in his entire career. For finishing third, Ocelli earned $500,000 of the Kentucky Derbie's $5 million purse. Pushing his earnings to $609,800. This purse alone made Ocelli the highest-earning maiden in horse racing history. Surpassing the previous record holder, Publisher, who had earned $493,396 before he won his first race.
Preakness
Off his Kentucky Derby third-place finish, Ocelli ran in the Preakness Stakes two weeks later. He had catapulted to third choice in the betting at 7.80. Like the Kentucky Derby he was the only horse in the race to have never won a race before. He also was the highest-earning horse of the Preakness field. With both Golden Tempo and Renegade choosing to skip the Preakness to run in the Belmont, he was the best finisher from the Kentucky Derby to run in that year's Preakness. Coming from the back similar to how he ran in the Kentucky Derby. His rally this time was far less successful, finishing a distant fourth, 7 1/4 lengths behind the winner Napoleon Solo.
Post Triple Crown
After coming second in the Preakness Stakes, Ocelli skipped the Belmont Stakes to run in the Ohio Derby.[10] He went off as the 5.10 third choice the lowest odds that he had received in a graded stakes race. He moved his way up through the pack, and just like in the Kentucky Derby, he took the lead with only 1/16th of a mile to finish. This time it was Chip Honcho, who was third in the Preakness and another son of Connect, that ran him down to defeat him by just one length.
A month later he returned to Grade 1 level in the Haskell Stakes but underperformed finishing seventh and last.
Statistics
| Date | Distance | Race | Grade | Track | Odds | Field | Finish | Time | Margin | Jockey | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 – Two-year-old season | |||||||||||
| Nov 23, 2025 | 6 1/2 furlongs | Maiden Special Weight | Churchill Downs | 15.42 | 12 | 3 | 1:17.34 | 3 1⁄4 lengths | Joeseph Ramos | [11] | |
| Dec 20, 2025 | 1 1⁄16 mile | Maiden Special Weight | Fair Grounds | 5.50 | 12 | 2 | 1:44.83 | 1 3⁄4 lengths | Ben Curtis | [12] | |
| 2026 – Three-year-old season | |||||||||||
| Jan 17, 2026 | 1 1⁄16 mile | Maiden Special Weight | Fair Grounds | 3.50 | 12 | 2 | 1:45.03 | 1 3⁄4 lengths | Ben Curtis | [12] | |
| Feb 7, 2026 | 1 1⁄16 miles | Sam F Davis Stakes | (Listed) | Tampa Bay Downs | 19.80 | 9 | 6 | 1:45.31[13] | (9 1⁄4 lengths) | Daniel Centeno | [14][13] |
| Mar 14, 2026 | 1 1⁄8 miles | Virginia Derby | (Listed) | Colonial Downs | 7.20 | 10 | 6 | 1:47.76 | (6 3⁄4 lengths) | Joeseph Ramos | |
| Apr 4, 2026 | 1 1⁄8 miles | Wood Memorial | II | Aqueduct | 28.21 | 12 | 3 | 1:52.25[15] | (1 1⁄4 lengths) | Joeseph Ramos | [16][15] |
| May 2, 2026 | 1 1⁄4 | Kentucky Derby |
I |
Churchill Downs | 70.50 | 18 | 3 | 2:02.27 | (1 length) | Tyler Gafflione | |
| May 16, 2026 | 1 3⁄16 miles | Preakness Stakes | I | Laurel Park | 7.80 | 14 | 4 | 1:58.69 | 7 1⁄4 lengths | Tyler Gafflione | [17] |
| June 20, 2026 | 1 1⁄8 miles | Ohio Derby | III | Thistledown | 5.10 | 9 | 2 | 1:51.18 | (1 length) | Tyler Gafflione | |
| Jul 18, 2026 | 1 1⁄8 miles | Haskell Stakes | I | Monmouth Park | 10.40 | 7 | 7 | 1:50.18 | (32 length) | Paco Lopez | [18] |
Pedigree
| Sire Connect dk.b. 2013 |
Curlin ch. 2004 |
Smart Strike | Mr. Prospector |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classy 'n Smart | |||
| Sherriff's Deputy | Deputy Minister | ||
| Barbarika | |||
| Bullville Belle dk.b. 1997 |
Holy Bull | Great Above | |
| Sharon Brown | |||
| Barkerville Belle | Ruthie's Native | ||
| Celebrity Belle | |||
| Dam Zalia dk.b. 2016 |
Scat Daddy dk.b. 2004 |
Johannesburg | Hennessy |
| Myth | |||
| Love Style | Mr. Prospector | ||
| Likeable Style | |||
| Vivo Per Lei dk.b. 2007 |
Empire Maker | Unbridled | |
| Toussaud | |||
| Air Marshall | Silver Deputy | ||
| Sky Blue Pink |
- Ocelli is inbred to Mr. Prospector 4x4, meaning that the horse's name appears twice in the pedigree.
References
- ↑ "A Haskell Stakes surprise by winless horse? 'Knocking right on the door'".
- ↑ "Ocelli: The $12K Maiden Seeking Preakness Glory".
- ↑ "They'll be jockeying for the Right to Party. How each KY Derby horse got its name".
- ↑ "The Maiden Ocelli Tasted Unofficial Victory at Aiken".
- ↑ "Equibase Churchill Downs Chart 11/23/2026 race 10".
- ↑ "Albus-Takes-Final-Wood-Memorial-At-Aqueduct".
- ↑ "Silent Tactic out Great White Draws in".
- ↑ "Fulleffort Out, Ocelli Draws In To Kentucky Derby".
- ↑ "Maidens In The Kentucky Derby" (PDF).
- ↑ "Ocelli Skips the Belmont Points to Ohio Derby".
- ↑ "MAIDEN SPECIAL WEIGHT - Thoroughbred" (PDF). Equibase. Retrieved July 20, 2026.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Maide Special Weight" (PDF). Equibase. Retrieved July 20, 2026.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Gulfstream Park - Feb. 28, 2026 - Race 14". Equibase. February 28, 2026. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ↑ "STAKES Coolmore Fountain of Youth S. Grade 2 - Thoroughbred" (PDF). Equibase. February 28, 2026. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 "AQUEDUCT - Apr. 04, 2026 - Race 12". Equibase. April 4, 2026. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ↑ "STAKES Wood Memorial S. Presented by Resorts World Casino Grade 2 - Thorougbred" (PDF). Equibase. April 4, 2026. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ↑ "STAKES Preakness S. Grade 1 - Thorougbred" (PDF). Equibase. May 16, 2026. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ↑ "2026 NYRA Bets Haskell Stakes Grade 1 - (race 12)". Equibase. July 18, 2026. Retrieved July 18, 2026.
- ↑ "Five-generation Pedigree Table". JBIS-Search. Retrieved 2026-07-26.
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