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
Kingsbarns is unbeaten and under the radar in the buildup to the Kentucky Derby (G1).
A winner in all three of his career starts – he did not race as a 2-year-old – this son of Uncle Mo is one of three Derby colts trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher.
His stablemates Forte and Tapit Trice are the more celebrated of Pletcher’s Derby squad, but Kingsbarns has been working as well as any of them in the final weeks before the Run for the Roses.
Winner of the Louisiana Derby (G2) at the Fair Grounds on March 25, Kingsbarns is 3-0 in 2023. He worked 4 furlongs in 48.60 seconds at Churchill Down on Saturday, April 29.
“I’m super happy with all three of them,’’ Pletcher said.
On Kingsbarns, he said: “He’s only had three starts, and the Louisiana Derby was his coming out party. He hasn’t been on the Triple Crown radar for a long time so that’s likely why he’s under the radar.”
After breaking his maiden at Gulfstream on Jan. 14, he went on to win at 1 mile, 40 yards at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 12 before his breakthrough in the 1 3/16-mile Louisiana Derby.
Derby history does not favor unraced-as-2-year-olds. Apollo in 1882 was the only Derby winner unraced at 2 until Justify did it, too, in 2018.
As for unbeatens winning the Derby, nine of the 34 who ran with a perfect record came out on top since 1937. The most recent was Justify, 3-0 entering the 2018 Derby. Maximum Security was unbeaten entering the 2019 Derby, but after finishing first he was disqualified for interference and placed 17th.
Post position: 6
Odds: 12-1
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Jose Ortiz
Owner: Spendthrift Farm LLC
Career record: 3-3-0-0
Career earnings: $657,300
Derby qualifying points: 100 (8th)
Best Equibase speed figure: 100
Pedigree: Uncle Mo-Lady Tapit, by Tapit
Color: Bay
Running style: Front-runner
Notes: Spendthrift purchased Kingsbarns for $800,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Florida 2-year-olds in training sale … This will be Pletcher’s 23rd Derby – he's 62-2-4-4. His winners were Super Saver in 2010 and Always Dreaming in 2017 … He’s had five starters two times; four starters five times.
| 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.
