After Kentucky Oaks win, trainer Chad Brown hopes for double with Emerging Market in Kentucky Derby

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Chad Brown wore a big smile as he hand-slapped a hard five with jockey Jose Ortiz after breaking through at the track he cherishes above many others.

The successful trainer kept grinning through a congratulatory gauntlet following Friday night's Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs, hoping that colt Emerging Market can double the celebration for him in Saturday's Kentucky Derby.

“I feel confident,” Brown said after Always A Runner came on late through the final turn to win the marquee race for 3-year-old fillies by 1 1/4 lengths under the lights.

“I know I have a nice horse, it's a tough race. But when horses are training and giving you a good feel, you feel good about it.”

Brown has felt good about all his entrants at the Derby, though his two signature wins in the Triple Crown series have come later at the Preakness. The five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer nonetheless has finished second at Churchill Downs twice since 2018, impressive enough for him to be considered an annual contender in the Run For The Roses.

Two years ago, Sierra Leone stormed from near the back after being bumped at the start, only to lose by a nose to Mystik Dan. Good Magic had a much better trip in 2018, but finished 2 1/2 lengths behind Justify, who went on to win the Triple Crown for Hall of Famer Bob Baffert.

Considering how Always A Runner overcame pneumonia last fall and a long break to win the Oaks and remain unbeaten in three career starts this year, it's no wonder that Brown was asked whether Emerging Market could follow suit in the Derby after the same illness shelved his 2-year-old campaign.

“She didn’t have to be here today,” Brown said of the dark brown filly. "She didn’t have to run again. She could have never run, easily. I’ve had it happen with several horses.

“The fact that not only did she overcome it and ended up here today as an undefeated horse in the Oaks is remarkable.”

Meanwhile, Emerging Market won his February debut at Tampa Bay Downs by 1 3/4 lengths before beating Pavlovian by a head in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby on March 21. The colt will go off as a 15-1 choice on Saturday with Flavien Pratt aboard from the No. 15 post.

For now, Brown is savoring his first Oaks win that almost seemed inevitable considering how Always A Runner ran patiently and confidently before turning it through the final turn in the twilight. Whether Emerging Market can carry that momentum over to the Derby and the winner's circle remains to be seen, but Brown has something to build on from his strategy of running both horses through two-turn races beforehand.

“I stick with things that are working," Brown said. "So, two starts, we should be good. But that’s another horse that's just doing well.

"Like this filly, she was giving off signs all week here at Churchill to everybody that she was training well, and the betting public saw it and she went off at least favored or co-favored. My other horse is training just as well.”

AP horse racing: https://apnews.com/hub/horse-racing

Always a Runner, left, ridden by Jose L. Ortiz wins the 152nd running of the Kentucky Oaks horse race at Churchill Downs, Friday, May 1, 2026, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Always a Runner (9) ridden by Jose L. Ortiz wins the 152nd running of the Kentucky Oaks horse race at Churchill Downs, Friday, May 1, 2026, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Jockey Jose L. Ortiz celebrates after riding Always a Runner to victory wins the 152nd running of the Kentucky Oaks horse race at Churchill Downs, Friday, May 1, 2026, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Always a Runner (9) ridden by Jose L. Ortiz wins the 152nd running of the Kentucky Oaks horse race at Churchill Downs, Friday, May 1, 2026, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — The Nigerian army said Sunday it freed 360 people abducted by Boko Haram in southern Borno, in the northeastern part of the country.

The operation, according to the army’s statement, was conducted in the Mandara mountains which form a part of the militant group’s stronghold. It resulted in the release of several people, including children, who had been abducted across different communities in Borno.

Two infants “succumbed to exhaustion" due to the challenging mountainous terrain and the hardship they endured during their prolonged captivity, an army spokesperson, Haruna Sani, said.

“The remaining rescued abductees were successfully evacuated to safe locations for medical care and humanitarian support, marking a major operational success and a significant setback for the terrorist group,” Sani said.

Nigeria faces a complex security crisis, especially in the north where a more than decade-long insurgency and the activities of armed groups that carry out kidnappings for ransom and illegal mining have heightened the country’s security challenges.

Among the most prominent Islamic militant groups are Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, which is affiliated with the Islamic State group and known as Islamic State West Africa Province.

Last month, the West African country said its joint operation with the United States had killed 175 ISWAP fighters.

The insurgency in Nigeria’s northeast has killed thousands of people and displaced millions, according to the United Nations. Analysts say not enough is being done by the government to protect its citizens, despite repeated promises by President Bola Tinubu to curb the crisis.

People protest demanding government to rescue the school children that were recently kidnapped in various part of the country, on the street of Abuja, Nigeria. Thursday, June 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Olamikan Gbemiga)