Another horse scratches out of the Kentucky Derby. Meet his replacement
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- Ocelli is now in the 2026 Kentucky Derby field after Fulleffort scratches out of the race.
- Ocelli is trained by Whit Beckman and will be ridden by Joe Ramos.
- Ocelli is yet to win in six career starts.
Another horse has scratched from the expected Kentucky Derby field.
On Thursday morning, it was announced that Fulleffort won’t be running in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville. The news was publicized by the Kentucky Derby’s official accounts on social media.
According to David Grening of the Daily Racing Form, Fulleffort has a chip left hind ankle. The Brad Cox trainee was to be program No. 20 in the Derby, and Fulleffort was to begin the race from post position No. 19.
With Fulleffort dropping out of the race, Ocelli has moved into the 20-horse field for the Grade 1, $5 million Derby. Post time for the Kentucky Derby is 6:57 p.m. Saturday.
Ocelli — who is trained by Whit Beckman and will be ridden by Joe Ramos — is set to leave from post position No. 20 in the Derby. Ocelli is No. 22 in the Derby program.
A 3-year-old who was foaled at Rosecrest Farm in Paris, Ocelli is yet to win in six career starts.
He’s struggled against top competition, too.
In three career stakes races, Ocelli ran sixth in the Sam F. Davis in February at Tampa Bay Downs, sixth in the Virginia Derby in March at Colonial Downs and third in the Wood Memorial in April at Aqueduct.
Before that, Ocelli had two third-place finishes and one second-place effort in a trio of maiden special weight races. Ocelli’s first career start was a third-place finish in November at Churchill Downs.
History is firmly against Ocelli in the Derby. The most recent maiden to win the Run for the Roses was Brokers Tip in 1933.
Ocelli — who is owned by Ashley Durr, Anthony Tate and Front Page Equestrian — has 50-1 morning-line odds for the Derby. The horse was bred by Rosedown Racing Stables.
Ocelli’s sire is Connect, who won four stakes races during his career, including the Grade 1 Cigar Mile Handicap in 2016 at Aqueduct. Ocelli’s dam is Zalia, who was by 2007 Kentucky Derby runner Scat Daddy.
Ocelli will be Beckman’s third Kentucky Derby starter. He also conditioned Honor Marie (eighth in the 2024 Derby) and Flying Mohawk (18th in the 2025 race).
Ramos’ only previous Derby mount was Flying Mohawk in last year’s event.
Ocelli is the second also-eligible horse to move into this year’s Kentucky Derby field.
Earlier this week, Great White replaced Silent Tactic in the 20-horse field after Silent Tactic scratched due to a bruised foot.
Two other horses are listed as also-eligibles for the Derby. In order of preference, those horses are Robusta and Corona de Oro.
Robusta is the next horse who could potentially move into the Derby field. Also-eligible horses can still draw into the Derby field if any other expected Derby runners are scratched by 9 a.m. Friday.
This story was originally published April 30, 2026 at 8:50 AM.
