FINALISTS FROM LOUISVILLE, LA GRANGE & COLUMBIA, KY
March 6, 2026. Louisville, KY. – Burger fans have spoken! The votes are in and more than 55,000 beef lovers voted online to help select the top 4 finalists for the 2026 Derby Burger Challenge sponsored by Dan-O’s Seasoning, Kentucky Beef Council and Kroger. This year’s chefs competing in the sizzling showdown include: Jeny Fernandez of Louisville with the Cañonero II; returning champ Ira Mowman of Louisville with the Smoke Show Slaw Cheeseburger; Jason Thrasher of Columbia, KY with The Goober Burger; and Greg Yopp of La Grange, KY with The Jerk.
Dozens of original recipes were submitted for the competition featuring a variety of burgers with unique ingredients, including peanut butter, habanero pepper jelly, cream cheese, Mint Julep jelly, raspberry preserves, chipotle peppers, plantain chips and more.
The final cook-off is set for Thursday, March 12, when the 2026 Derby Burger Champion will be named. All burgers must be 100 percent Kentucky Cattlemen’s Ground Beef (Kentucky Beef Council is the Official Beef of the Kentucky Derby Festival) and include Dan-O’s Seasoning (Official Seasoning of the Festival) in the recipe. Burger recipes are judged based on Taste, Appearance, Creativity and Ease of Preparation. Official rules of the competition can be found online at www.kdf.org/beef.
The winning burger will be featured at Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville during Derby Festival, as well as inside Kroger stores. The winning chef receives a 2026 Official Derby Festival Poster, two tickets to the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport Thunder Over Louisville VIP Rooftop Party, two VIP tickets to Republic Bank BourbonVille, a $100 gift certificate to Kroger, a grilling prize package courtesy of the Kentucky Beef Council, which includes a grill, and a prize package from Dan-O’s Seasoning.
Coverage Note: The Derby Burger Challenge Final Four Cook-Off is held at the Kroger in Middletown (12501 Shelbyville Road). The event is not open to the public. Media are invited to attend to meet the 2026 Derby Burger Champion on Thursday, March 12 at 10 a.m. There will also be samples of the winning Derby Burger. To coordinate, please contact the KDF Press Office: Christa Ritchie at (502) 468-6831 or critchie@kdf.org
