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
A son of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify, Verifying punched his ticket to the Kentucky Derby (G1) after a narrow loss to Tapit Trice in the Blue Grass (G1) at Keeneland on April 8.
Purchased for $775,000 at the Keeneland Yearling Sale, the runner-up finish bolstered his Derby qualifying points to 54 from 14 points and up to 13th on the leaderboard.
Trainer Brad Cox said he expected Verifying to win. “I thought he ran a winning race (in losing by a neck). He got beat by a very good horse.” (Tapit Trice is expected to be one of the Derby favorites)
The colt’s debut came at Saratoga, where he won on Aug. 27. Next up was the Champagne (G1) at Aqueduct, where he finished second before closing out his 2-year-old campaign with a sixth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1).
His 3-year-old season opened with an allowance victory at Oaklawn, followed by a fourth in the Rebel (G2) after getting caught up in traffic around the final turn and dropping back.
Post position: 2
Odds: 15-1
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione
Owners: Westerberg, Mrs. John Magnier, Jonathan Poulin, Derrick Smith, Michael B. Tabor
Career record: 6-2-2-0
Career earnings: $489,900
Derby qualifying points: 54 (13th)
Best Equibase speed figure: 102
Pedigree: Justify-Diva Delite, by Repent
Color: Bay
Running style: Press pace
Notes: The four Cox Derby contenders are: Angel of Empire, Hit Show, Verifying, and Jace’s Road … Verifying worked 5 furlongs in 1:01 at Churchill Downs on April 21 … Gaffalione will be riding in his fifth straight Derby; he finished 16th aboard White Abarrio in 2022.
| 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.
