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
His biggest accomplishment to date has been a victory in the Gun Runner Stakes on Dec. 26. Jace’s Road earned 10 Derby qualifying points in that one, then earned enough points in the Southwest Stakes (G3) and the Louisiana Derby (G3) to gain a spot in the starting gate at Churchill Downs.
He’ll have Florent Geroux aboard, and the son of Quality Road is one of trainer Brad Cox’s four Derby contenders. Those seem to be his best assets, but Cox and the owners, West Point Thoroughbreds and the Allbaugh Family Stable, obviously believe the bay colt is on the improve.
His third in the Louisiana Derby behind Kingsbarns and Disarm (both will line up in the Kentucky Derby) takes him into the race with a 6-2-0-2 career record.
Purchased for $510,000 at the Keeneland year sale, Jace’s Road opened his career with a 6 ¼-length romp at Ellis Park. He ran third in the Iroquois (G3) and eighth in the Street Sense (G3) before his score in the Gun Runner.
Post position: 12
Odds: 15-1
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Florent Geroux
Owner: West Point Thoroughbreds (Terry Finley), Albaugh Family Stables LLC (Dennis Albaugh)
Career record: 6-2-0-2
Career earnings: $238,050
Derby qualifying points: 45 (19th)
Best Equibase speed figure: 101
Pedigree: Quality Road-Outpost, by Silver Deputy
Color: Bay
Running style: Stalker/front-runner
Notes: Moved into the 20-horse field when Blazing Sevens was declared out … Geroux is 1-for-6 in the Derby – his win came aboard Mandaloun, who finished second but was officially declared the winner after first-place finisher Medina Spirit was DQ’d for a race-day medication violation … Cox, who trained Mandaloun, is 1-for-5 in the Derby.
| 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.
