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Beckman beats the odds: Scratches pull Louisville trainer into both Oaks and Derby

Beckman beats the odds: Scratches pull Louisville trainer into both Oaks and Derby
I've never seen anybody so happy to be starting from post 20 in the Derby and post 14 in the Kentucky Oaks. What about the posts? Well, in the Oaks, it's not really that big *** deal. *** 14 horse field is not that, you know, something that's, even at *** mile and 8, it's just not that much of *** distance, I think as much as what we see typically. I mean, horses do win from outside posts all the time on normal cards. So like I said, 14 is *** full, full gate knows, and then 20 is *** full field in the, uh. So it's, you know, the trip has to work out perfectly. There have been horses that win from those tours before, so I said, we just gotta leave it to the riders to figure out, you know, how we break, pace scenario, and where we, uh, where we should be early and late. There's some common ownership. Compare being in the Oaks and Derby with these two horses versus 2 years ago. Well, last year, Jason and two-way racing, you know, when the majority owner our Flying Mohawk, and, you know, this icon group is their grouping together with him and *** lot of, uh, you know, partners they have, real fun group. We've had *** lot of fun over the year. Uh, I mean, they're only, this is their first year as *** syndicate, so we've, uh, you know, I've been to some like Tampa. We had some great races down there and just we've had *** lot of fun. So for them to draw into this is super exciting and they're *** great crowd to have around. Yeah, I mean that is, you said he's, you don't even think of him as *** maiden. That's just *** technicality, but it is unusual, kind of like if you didn't get in the derby or on the A-list, you were gonna go in *** maiden race. You weren't gonna go in the day mile. You weren't gonna's actually made an auction eligible. So like, so we have options with this horse. Our conditions are all there. Um, yeah, I mean there's been horses that have been made into runs before, and it's not necessarily *** mark of their ability. It's just *** mark of our, uh, campaigning. You know, I, I, I think if we would have taken the conservative approach and just put him there, but I think this is *** horse that has *** lot of talent, and, uh, you know, he kind of gave us that feel, you know, as we kind of progressed through this, uh, 2 or 3 year old year. Like I said, um, you know, *** publisher, he was *** maiden up until this year, and he made over 500,000 before he even broke his maiden. I don't think that's bad management at all. You were confident last week that you thought you could get in. Did, were you, did you keep that confidence as they, the entries and, and you saw *** couple of other horses and this and that? Yeah, I just, if you look at the trends the last couple of years, there's just so much, uh, you know, so much movement once the field gets kind of drawn to when it gets, you know, further into the thing. And like I said, it's just if you're on the AEs anymore, it's just, you know, worth, uh, keeping in like that optimism and that hope, I mean. You got no reason to be negative about it. Right. Make the case for him in the field as we know it now, this particular derby. Um, I mean, I can make the case, Rich strike or Mind the Bird. I mean, the Derby is more of *** trip race than ***, you know, horse race in *** lot of cases. You know, we've seen the best horse, you know, as the year progressed, get the worst trip and, you know, finish back. So he said, he's, uh, he's got to improve, you know, we need to get *** good trip. It's *** lot of things that need to happen perfectly, as in any horse race. So we're going to go in with as much optimism as we approach getting into the field and let Joe Ramos and him go out and have some fun and show us what they got.
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Updated: 12:40 PM EDT Apr 30, 2026
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Beckman beats the odds: Scratches pull Louisville trainer into both Oaks and Derby
WLKY logo
Updated: 12:40 PM EDT Apr 30, 2026
Editorial Standards
It was a good 24 hours or so for Louisville trainer Whit Beckman.The 43-year-old St. Xavier High School graduate went from not having a horse in the Kentucky Derby or the Kentucky Oaks to having an entry in both races after a scratch in each of this weekend's two biggest races allowed his horses to draw into the field.On Wednesday morning, My Miss Mo was scratched from the Oaks, and Beckman’s Nycon drew into the race, and then on Thursday, news of Fulleffort scratching from the Derby pushed Ocelli into the Derby field.“We stayed optimistic,” Beckman said at his barn after learning Ocelli would make the race.It’s the third straight Derby for Beckman, who finished eighth two years ago with Honor Marie and then was 18th last year with Flying Mohawk. He finished second last year in the Oaks with Drexel Hill.“If you look at the trends the last couple of years, there’s been so much movement once the field gets drawn (in the Derby). And once that happens, you get further into the thing. If you are on the AE (also eligible list), then it’s worth keeping optimism. There’s no reason to get negative," Beckman said.Beckman told WLKY a week and a half ago that he felt “pretty good” about getting into the race. He said on Thursday that he told the owners they had a Derby horse when the horse made his first start at Churchill Downs last fall.The son of Connect is a maiden, having run six times without a win. He raced in three maiden races, including his first start at Churchill. The connections then tried him in stakes competition, finishing sixth in the Sam F. Davis, sixth in the Virginia Derby, and a fast-closing third in the Wood Memorial.“I told those guys we were going to be in the Derby in November,” Beckman said, pointing to the owners. “We knew we had a talented horse.“He is technically a maiden, but I don’t think we really took a fair shot. We only ran in maiden races three times and then decided to start taking shots with him. We’re not doing anything the horse isn’t ready for and wants to do. At the end of the day, it’s an amazing place to be - the Kentucky Derby - and you have to take your shot and hope it goes well.”Beckman had been prepping Ocelli to run on Derby Day. The plan after the Wood was to run in the Derby - if they could get in - or run in a maiden race on the undercard. He said last week, the connections just decided to take the shot at the Derby.Joe Ramos will ride the colt for the third consecutive race, and Beckman said, "It’s all about the trip.""The Derby is more of a trip race than a horse race in many cases,” he said. “How many times do you see the best horse not win?""He’s got to improve and get a good trip. We’re going to go in with as much optimism as we had to get into the field and let him and Joe Ramos go out and have some fun and show us what they’ve got."Nycon was fourth in the Gazelle Stakes in her last outing. The daughter of Nyquist has a win - at Churchill Downs - and two seconds in five career starts.

It was a good 24 hours or so for Louisville trainer Whit Beckman.

The 43-year-old St. Xavier High School graduate went from not having a horse in the Kentucky Derby or the Kentucky Oaks to having an entry in both races after a scratch in each of this weekend's two biggest races allowed his horses to draw into the field.

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On Wednesday morning, My Miss Mo was scratched from the Oaks, and Beckman’s Nycon drew into the race, and then on Thursday, news of Fulleffort scratching from the Derby pushed Ocelli into the Derby field.

“We stayed optimistic,” Beckman said at his barn after learning Ocelli would make the race.

It’s the third straight Derby for Beckman, who finished eighth two years ago with Honor Marie and then was 18th last year with Flying Mohawk. He finished second last year in the Oaks with Drexel Hill.

“If you look at the trends the last couple of years, there’s been so much movement once the field gets drawn (in the Derby). And once that happens, you get further into the thing. If you are on the AE (also eligible list), then it’s worth keeping optimism. There’s no reason to get negative," Beckman said.

Beckman told WLKY a week and a half ago that he felt “pretty good” about getting into the race. He said on Thursday that he told the owners they had a Derby horse when the horse made his first start at Churchill Downs last fall.

The son of Connect is a maiden, having run six times without a win. He raced in three maiden races, including his first start at Churchill. The connections then tried him in stakes competition, finishing sixth in the Sam F. Davis, sixth in the Virginia Derby, and a fast-closing third in the Wood Memorial.

“I told those guys we were going to be in the Derby in November,” Beckman said, pointing to the owners. “We knew we had a talented horse.

“He is technically a maiden, but I don’t think we really took a fair shot. We only ran in maiden races three times and then decided to start taking shots with him. We’re not doing anything the horse isn’t ready for and wants to do. At the end of the day, it’s an amazing place to be - the Kentucky Derby - and you have to take your shot and hope it goes well.”

Beckman had been prepping Ocelli to run on Derby Day. The plan after the Wood was to run in the Derby - if they could get in - or run in a maiden race on the undercard. He said last week, the connections just decided to take the shot at the Derby.

Joe Ramos will ride the colt for the third consecutive race, and Beckman said, "It’s all about the trip."

"The Derby is more of a trip race than a horse race in many cases,” he said. “How many times do you see the best horse not win?"

"He’s got to improve and get a good trip. We’re going to go in with as much optimism as we had to get into the field and let him and Joe Ramos go out and have some fun and show us what they’ve got."

Nycon was fourth in the Gazelle Stakes in her last outing. The daughter of Nyquist has a win - at Churchill Downs - and two seconds in five career starts.

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