MyWinners Weekend Racing Review — March 21, 2026
Three races. Three winners called. Here's how the weekend played out — and what it means for the road to Churchill Downs.
Essex Handicap (G3) — Oaklawn Park ✅ NAILED IT
Skippylongstocking did exactly what we said he would. Even-money favorite, cruising to a 5¼-length victory — dominant from the second turn, never in doubt. Meet-best time of 1:48.82 on a fast Oaklawn track.
Our tip was spot on across the board. Mackman finished a distant second, a neck ahead of San Siro — two horses we specifically named as exotic fillers. Accelerize and Doc Sullivan, both flagged as the main pace questions, ran on to fill out the board.
The one interesting wrinkle: Irad Ortiz Jr. headed to Fair Grounds for the Louisiana Derby instead, and 23-year-old Micah Husbands stepped in for his first ride on the horse — and delivered without missing a beat. That's the mark of a horse who knows his job.
Next stop: The $1.25 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) on April 18 — a race he's already won once. The Essex-Oaklawn double is a well-documented pattern, and Skippylongstocking is the horse to beat.
Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) — Turfway Park ✅ NAILED IT
Our headline call here was Fulleffort on the strength of the Irad Ortiz Jr. booking, and it landed perfectly.
Fulleffort powered home down the center of the stretch to take the $777,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks, earning 100 qualifying points and a guaranteed spot in the Kentucky Derby gate. The race unfolded almost exactly as the form suggested — Medici went to the lead, Stark Contrast launched a three-wide bid, and Fulleffort gathered momentum from midfield before drawing off to win by 2½ lengths.
We called Medici's California speed figures as hard to ignore — he ran his race and finished third. Stark Contrast, our watch horse for market movement, ran second. Our top three named horses finished 1-2-3.
The Irad angle was the key insight. Elite jockeys don't travel for horses they don't believe in. He believed. So did we.
Derby implications: Connections are heading to Churchill Downs. Fulleffort has never run on dirt, which is the open question — but his profile says the farther the better, and 1¼ miles sets up well for him.
Louisiana Derby (G2) — Fair Grounds 🟡 HALF RIGHT
The most complex card of the three, and the most dramatic result.
Louisiana Derby: Our hero was Emerging Market — the lightly-raced first-time stakes runner we flagged as the most interesting play on the card if money came for him. It did, and he won. Ridden by Flavien Prat for trainer Chad Brown, he galloped around the outside of the field in the final three furlongs and got up by a head over Pavlovian in a genuine thriller. We said to watch the morning line movement — he shortened from 6-1 to 2-1 co-favorite. Chip Honcho, the morning line chalk, faded to fifth.
New Orleans Classic: This one stung. Our Accelerize tip at 3-1 looked compelling — Pletcher travelling, improving profile, great price. He was a late scratch and never ran. Touchuponastar, the defending champion we previewed at 6-5, controlled the pace and won in a track record time of 1:46.84. The favourite we highlighted won. Our value play didn't make it to the gate.
Weekend Scorecard
Essex Handicap: We called Skippylongstocking to win and Mackman and San Siro as exotic fillers. All three hit the board in the right order. ✅
Jeff Ruby Steaks: We made Fulleffort our headline pick on the Irad Ortiz Jr. angle. He won by 2½ lengths. ✅
Louisiana Derby: We flagged Emerging Market as the one to watch if the market moved for him. It did — from 6-1 to 2-1 — and he won by a head. ✅
New Orleans Classic: Accelerize at 3-1 was our value play. He was a late scratch and never left the stalls. ⚠️
What's Next
The Kentucky Derby picture sharpened considerably on Saturday. Fulleffort and Emerging Market both punched their tickets. Skippylongstocking looks unbeatable at Oaklawn. And Accelerize — the horse who was scratched before he could make his argument — remains one to follow.
The Oaklawn Handicap on April 18 is the next big marker on the older horse trail. The road to the first Saturday in May is getting shorter. Keep it here for the races that matter.
Place bets at app.mywinners.com, download the MyWinners: Racing & Sports app on iOS here or Android here, or find your nearest Winners venue in CT.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the Essex Handicap 2026?
Skippylongstocking won the 2026 Essex Handicap at Oaklawn Park, cruising to a 5¼-length victory as the even-money favorite. The 7-year-old Exaggerator gelding recorded a meet-best time of 1:48.82, with Mackman second and San Siro third.
Who won the Jeff Ruby Steaks 2026?
Fulleffort won the 2026 Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park, ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. for trainer Brad Cox. He won by 2½ lengths in a time of 1:49.94, earning 100 Kentucky Derby qualifying points and a guaranteed spot in the Churchill Downs gate.
Who won the Louisiana Derby 2026?
Emerging Market won the 2026 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, edging Pavlovian by a head in a finish that went to the wire. Ridden by Flavien Prat for trainer Chad Brown, he went off as a 2-1 co-favorite and earned 100 Kentucky Derby qualifying points with the victory.
Which horses qualified for the 2026 Kentucky Derby from the weekend's racing?
Both Fulleffort (Jeff Ruby Steaks) and Emerging Market (Louisiana Derby) earned 100 points on Saturday, guaranteeing their places in the Kentucky Derby starting gate. Skippylongstocking is not on the Derby trail — his next target is the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) on April 18.
Can I bet on the Kentucky Derby at MyWinners?
Yes. MyWinners offers pari-mutuel betting on the Kentucky Derby and every major race on the Road to the Derby, including exactas, trifectas, superfectas, and daily doubles. Place your bets at app.mywinners.com or at your nearest Winners venue in CT.
