The 149th Kentucky Derby (G1) presented by Woodford Reserve will be run on Saturday, May 6, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The purse is $3 million, with $1.86 million going to the winner. US Racing is profiling each horse in the field. The post-position draw is Monday, May 1. Profiles will be updated with post positions and odds following the draw.
By US Racing Team
The road to the Kentucky Derby (G1) was a little bumpy, but Lord Miles won a three-horse battle in the stretch to take the Wood Memorial (G2) and earn a spot in the Run for the Roses.
It was a major surprise as Lord Miles was sent off at 59-1 odds. He edged Hit Show by a nose and withstood an inquiry for the victory as the leaders were so close there was a bit of jostling going on.
All of which has trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr., ready to saddle his third Derby starter.
A Wood win was worth 100 Derby qualifying points, giving the son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin 105 points for sixth place on the leaderboard.
Coming off a sixth in the Holy Bull (G3) and a fifth in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3), the bay colt is likely to go off at long odds again in the 1 ¼-mile Derby.
A little history: The last Wood winner to go on and capture the Derby was Fusaichi Pegasus in 2000.
Lord Miles won his first career start easily, then closed fast for third in his next start, the Mucho Macho Man. Things did not go well in the Holy Bull and Tampa Bay Derby. In each of those races, he broke from the rail, could not find room to run, dropped back early, and failed to finish in the money.
In the Wood, with Paco Lopez in the irons as he was in the Tampa Bay Derby, Lord Miles was able to gain a favorable stalking position from post 7 and then hold on for the big win.
Post position: 19
Odds: 30-1
Trainer: Saffie A Joseph, Jr.
Jockey: Paco Lopez
Owners: Vegso Racing Stable (Peter and Anne Vegso)
Career record: 5-2-0-1
Career earnings: $451,100
Derby qualifying points: 105 (6th)
Best Equibase speed figure: 100
Pedigree: Curlin-Lady Esme, by Majestic Warrior
Color: Bay
Running style: Closer
Notes: This will be Ocala-based owner Peter Vegso’s first Derby starter … Vegso is an entrepreneur who was involved with publishing the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” book series … Joseph is from Barbados and began training in South Florida in 2011 … Lopez, a top rider at Monmouth Park, has more than 3,500 career wins. His mounts were unplaced in two previous Derby starts.
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hit Show | Franco | Brad H. Cox | West, Gary and Mary | 30-1 |
| 2 | Verifying | Gaffalione | Brad H. Cox | Poulin, Jonathan, Westerberg, Magnier, Mrs. John, Smith, Derrick and Tabor, Michael B. | 15-1 |
| 3 | Two Phil's | Loveberry | Larry Rivelli | Patricia's Hope LLC and Sagan, Phillip | 12-1 |
| 4 | Conficence Game | Graham | J. Keith Desormeaux | Don't Tell My Wife Stables | 20-1 |
| 5 | Tapit Trice | Saez | Todd A. Pletcher | Whisper Hill Farm, LLC and Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck) | 5-1 |
| 6 | Kinkngbarns | J. Ortiz | Todd A. Pletcher | Spendthrift Farm LLC | 12-1 |
| 7 | Reincartnate | Velazquez | Tim Yakteen | SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Masterson, Robert E., Stonestreet Stables LLC, Schoenfarber, Jay A., Waves Edge Capital LLC and Donovan, Catherine | 50-1 |
| 8 | Mage | Castellano | Gustavo Delgado | OGMA Investments, LLC, Restrepo, Ramiro, Sterling Racing LLC and CMNWLTH | 15-1 |
| SCR | Skinner | Hernandez | John A. Shirreffs | C R K Stable | 20-1 |
| SCR | Practical Move | Vazquez | Tim Yakteen | Amestoy, Jr., Pierre Jean, Amestoy, Leslie A. and Beasley, Roger K. | SCR |
| 9 | Disarm | Rosario | Steven M. Asmussen | Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC | 30/1 |
| 10 | Jace's Road | Geroux | Brad H. Cox | West Point Thoroughbreds and Albaugh Family Stables LLC | 15-1 |
| 11 | Sun Thunder | Hernandez Jr | Kenneth G. McPeek | R.T Racing Stable and Cypress Creek Equine | 30-1 |
| 12 | Angel Of Empire | Prat | Brad H. Cox | Albaugh Family Stables LLC | 8-1 |
| 13 | Forte | I. Ortiz JR. | Todd A. Pletcher | Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable | 3-1 |
| 14 | Raise Can | Corrales | Ben Colebrook | Warren, Andrew and Warren, Rania | 15-1 |
| 15 | Derma Sotogake | Lemaire | Hidetaka Otonashi | Hiroyuki Asanuma | 10-1 |
| 16 | Rocket Can | Alvarado | William I. Mott | Frank Fletcher Racing Operations, Inc. | 15-1 |
| SCR | Lord Miles | Lopez | Todd A. Pletcher | Vegso Racing Stable | 30-1 |
| 17 | Continuar | Sakai | Yoshito Yahagi | Lion Race Horse Co. Ltd. | 50-1 |
| 18 | Cyclone Mischief | J. Rosario | D. Romans | Albaugh Family Stables LLC and Castleton Lyons. | 30-1 |
| 19 | Mandarin Hero | Kazushi Kimura | Terunobu Fujita | Hiroaki Arai. | 20-1 |
| 20 | King Russell | Rafael Bejarano | Ron Moquett | Jones, Brereton C. and Naber Racing, LLC | 50-1 |
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
