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
Super comfortable at his Keeneland home about 70 miles from Churchill Downs, Raise Cain is among the late arrivals, but trainer Ben Colebrook is feeling good about what will be his first shot at the Kentucky Derby (G1).
“He does great here at home,” Colebrook said. “He’s not a horse that has to be there. He raced there as a 2-year-old. He’ll have time to acclimate.”
Raise Cain posted his final breeze before the Derby at Keeneland on April 27, working 4 furlongs in 49 seconds with Gerardo Corrales aboard.
Winner of the Gotham Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct in March (50 Derby qualifying points), the son of Violence ran fifth in the Blue Grass (G1) at Keeneland in April, having a super wide trip and still running strong at the end – losing to a few rivals he’ll face in the Derby, including the 1-2 finishers, Tapit Trice and Verifying.
No worries, says Colebrook, the first trainer of Knicks Go until 2019, when the horse was moved to Brad Cox and went on to become the 2020 Horse of the Year.
“We already had the points … and we weren’t trying to have him have a hard race,’’ Colebrook said. “He certainly can improve in the Derby.”
Raise Cain ran eighth in his debut at Churchill Downs and has won two of seven career starts. Not the best statistics coming into the Derby, and a jockey choice remained up in the air until the last minute.
Riase Cain was purchased for $65,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sale in 2022 after selling for $180,00 at the Keeneland September yearling sale in 2021.
Post position: 16
Odds: 50-1
Trainer: Ben Colebrook
Jockey: TBD
Owners: Andrew N. Warren, Rania Warren
Career record: 7-2-1-1
Career earnings: $296,328
Derby qualifying points: 64 (9th)
Best Equibase speed figure: 93
Pedigree: Violence-Lemon Belle, by Lemon Drop Kid
Color: Bay
Running style: Closer
Notes: Won the Gotham by more than 7 lengths at 23-1 odds … Colebrook trained Knicks Go, who won the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) in 2018 and ran second in the BC Juvenile (G1) before being transferred to trainer Brad Cox in November 2019 … Colebrook has been training since 2012, with his biggest win coming in the Breeders’ Futurity … The owners have been racing since 2020 and Raise Cain is their first graded stakes winner.
| 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.
