Bloodhorse News editor Byron King presents his derby dozen with a review of the leading competitors for the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve on May 3.
The latest list of King reflects the results of the last three 200-point qualification race for the Kentucky Derby and evaluates how the prospective field improves to the huge race with just over three weeks.
Take a look at the Triple Crown page of America's best racing to stay up to date on stories and statistics on the way to the Kentucky Derby.
1. Sovereignty
Godolphin has won a countless number of races in the grades/group -1 race around the world and won in North America in North America and won its fourth double -declarer price as owner and breeder in 2024 to bring Godolphin/Darleys to 13. To date, the Kentucky has decided. The indispensable quality would become third place in the 2021 race before the Belmont Stakes from Nyra Bets won. Darleys Bernardini won the Preakness Stakes in other triple crown action in 2006. Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes winner Sovereignty gives the global power plant another quality derby-off-the-pace shot, and the swift East Avenue could also run for you.
2. Journalism
Phony news? No journalism. The favorite of the Kentucky Derby has been 4: 4 since it was stretched out on a route. Although his victory in Santa Anita Derby was not quite as swift as his DK horse Horse San Felipe Stakes Triumph based on speed figures, he overcame the adversities when he was behind a backiedaling leader in the second curve in the second curve. Instead of growing discouraged, he started and ran down a respected maiden winner in Baeza. In view of the fact that this is set up on a five-horse field Kam-Er exclusively in tiny operations-he won vital spice for the 20-horse scrum, which is supposed to develop in the Kentucky derby.
((Note: Baeza would be in the lower half of the derby, if he had enough qualification points in Kentucky, but at that time he seems unlikely that he will get access if the race is overcrowded. He has the talent to be one of the top 12 derby prospects.)
3. Tappan Street
Winstar Farm and CHC (China Horse Club), two of the owners who are justified with the Triple Crown winner from 2018, return with another talented stallion foal in the Tappan Street, the Curlin Florida Derby, to the derby, which is presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farm on Xalapa winner and the second place by Holy Bull Stakes. Like the Justify caused by Bob Baffert, the Tappan Street from Brad Cox-conditioned will try to win the derby after starting only three previous starts. Regret (1915), Huge Brown (2008) and Mage (2023) are the other derby winners with three earlier excursions. Winstar won the 2010 Derby with the Super Saver trained by Todd Platcher, which was trained by Todd Pletcher.
4. Sandman
Two of Sandman owners, West Point Follthlut and Stable of St. Elias, were part of the partnership that won the Kentucky Derby 2017 with the Todd Pletcher-trained Always Dreaming. The Florida Derby always dreamed before spraying over a damp route in the Kentucky Derby. Sandman takes a trip in the middle west after driving through the winter in the Oaklawn Park and was completed there by a win in Arkansa's Derby 1.5 million US dollar.
5. Luxor café
While other Japanese runners went to Dubai to contest the derby sponsored by Jumeirah on the Meydan Racourse on April 5, after a tough -fought victory in Stakes on February 29 on March 29. As the winner of his last four starts, he qualified for the run for the roses via the Japan road to the Kentucky Derby. Its shape appears legitimate. Admire Daytona and Don in lust that he was beaten in the hyacinth ran 1-3 in the VAE derby. From a visual point of view, the Luxor Café in Fukuryu Stakes delivered an even better performance, although the competition was probably a little softer than in the hyacinth.
6. Burnham Square
When he came together from the last, he started the East Avenue in the last steps to win the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes in Keeneland. His second victory of the year after the Holy Bull Stakes this winter. As robust as its delayed finish was, the blue grass time was only 1: 51.33. There was no slower blue grass time since Keeneland had been withdrawn from the all-weather polytrack surface to a dirt in summer 2014. The performance still brought him a 104-equibase speed figure.
7. Coal battle
The Cinderella story behind this 3-year-old will be resonance among the media and fans who lead to the derby with a minuscule, modest, inexpensive, above-average stallion foal with roots at Evangeline Downs and compatible connections. But the coal battle is more than a feel-good story with a 3-year-old with a 5-to-6 record on dirt, with his only defeat in the Arkansas derby is a third. If he can settle and end on site in Churchill Downs he worked half a mile in: 48.40 there on April 8th.
8. Grande
Although Rodriguez surpassed him in the Wood Memorial Stakes presented by Resorts World Casino, he is in the derby -useful and instead of his rival for several reasons. First, he had a hard trip for a Speed Horse. After moving an early backrest after he had struggled back in the first round, he had a continued run to end 3½ lengths behind the Ridid winner. Secondly, he probably seems to reproduce his performance at Churchill Downs after showing that he can quickly travel with different trips, while Rodriguez's fastest race came when he checked the pace. On April 8th he was in 22nd place on the Kentucky Derby ranking. He would probably appear with the usual defects that are granted between now and the race for a place.
9. Tiztastic
Remember when the Hall of Fame Jockey Pat Day was still looking for 3-year-olds like forty Niner, Basic Goer and Summer Squall after his first Derby victory, he surprised the 1992 Kentucky Derby on board Lil E. Tea? If Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby winner Tiztastic or Arkansas Derby second of the second places increases the derby for coach Steve Asmussen this year, this story would be quite similar. Asmussen, a Hall of Famer and the most victorious coach of North America, is 0-2 with 26 starters in the derby, the deepest race in North America and probably most hard to win every year.
10. Gold block
Although he has won a stakes race, he likes to cope with 1 ¼ miles with greater probability than many others and lands a place in the derby. Twice a second place in the graded operations this winter on the fair grounds in the FASIG-TIPTON RISIES Star Stakes and later in the Louisiana derby end like a 3-year-old who could improve a few lengths.
11. Citizen Bull
After he was convenient in the American pharaoh missions of Taa presented by DK Horse, 2024 Fanduel Breeders' youth and the youngsters presented by Taa in 2024 and February 1st B. Lewis Stakes by Baezas Pacemaker Westwood in Santa Anita of Baezas Pacemaker Westwood enthusiastic Front sticks. Citizen Bull played a pace pressure role before taking fourth place after half a mile and defeating almost 10 lengths. After the race, coach Bob Baffert said that the Colt was probably a miniature peak fitness after two months, but the abrupt fading still leads to his dozen descent to No. 11.
12. American promise
This high -towering chestnut put everything together to win the Virginia Derby on March 15 in colonial downs and defeated the conviction by 7 ¾ lengths. The competition seemed modest in this race, but the judgment was not as much when it was a fifth four lengths in the blue grass. American Promise seems to develop at the right time this spring for the Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, a four-time derby winner. This reminds something of his 1999 winner that many have a look at him when he comes to this year's derby.
