5 Kentucky Derby Contenders You Need to Know
Only two Saturdays are in the way of the 152nd running for the Roses beneath the Twin Spires at Churchill Downs. Kentucky Derby season officially kicks off on Saturday with Thunder Over Louisville, returning after a one-year absence, thanks to severe flooding.
As the Commonwealth prepares for pomp and circumstance, the horses are entering idle mode. The Road to Kentucky Derby prep race circuit concluded with Saturday’s upset win for Trendsetter in the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland. The field will change with scratches from morning workouts, but a pecking order has emerged amongst the top contenders for Kentucky Derby 152.
[LOOK: The Road to Kentucky Derby Leaderboard]
1. Renegade
In baseball, the tie goes to the runner. In horse racing, when all things are equal, the tie goes to the jockey. Nobody knows the horses better than the rider, which is why Renegade will be the morning line favorite for Kentucky Derby 152.
Irad Ortiz Jr. is one of the top jockeys in North America, but he’s still searching for his first Kentucky Derby win. He rode three of the top horses in this year’s field. He ultimately passed on a chance to ride Commandment in the Florida Derby to saddle Renegade in the Arkansas Derby. The late closer flew down the middle of the track to win by four lengths at Oaklawn. A top-notch final furlong speed is 13 seconds or less, and he did it in 11.84.
2. Further Ado
Brad Cox has tasked John Velazquez to get the trainer into the Kentucky Derby Winner’s Circle. Further Ado posted a 106 Beyer Speed Figure in the Blue Grass Stakes, the highest of any of this year’s contenders. It was an impressive win, but many will poke holes in the weak field he faced at Keeneland.
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3. Commandment
Luis Saez will take the reins for Brad Cox’s three-year-old that has posted four straight victories, including the top two preps at Gulfstream Park, the Florida Derby and the Fountain of Youth. This horse has a flair for the dramatics, winning each of those races by less than a length. Commandment is atop the Road to Kentucky Derby Leaderboard.
4. The Puma
The Puma posted an impressive 94 Beyer in a Tampa Bay Derby win. Trained by Gustavo Delgado, it followed up that victory by battling Commandment to the wire in the Florida Derby, the best Derby Prep Race this spring.
5. Fulleffort
Brad Cox has a Kentucky Derby win, but did not get to celebrate in the Churchill Downs’ Winner’s Circle with Mandaloun. Fulleffort is his third entry in this year’s race, and could pull off a surprise on the First Saturday in May. The horse won its last prep in the Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park, a place that has consistently put horses on the Kentucky Derby tote board. Keep a close eye on this one as we get closer to May 2.
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