2020 Kentucky Derby Contender Profiles
By Ed McNamara
A late bloomer, Art Collector emerged as a Derby contender with five straight wins, including romps in the Blue Grass (G2) and Ellis Park Derby.
Like Tiz the Law, he’s 4-for-4 this year, has tactical speed and a nice turn of foot.
Best performance: Crushing superstar filly Swiss Skydiver by 3 1/2 lengths in the Blue Grass.
Big plus: He’s 2-for-4 over the quirky Churchill surface. Probable second betting choice can win if Tiz the Law isn’t himself.
Profiles will be updated with morning-line odds and post position after the field is drawn on Tuesday, Sept. 1
Odds: TBD
Post position: TBD
Jockey: Brian Hernandez, Jr.
Art Collector Photo Courtesy of Ellis Park-Coady Photography
Trainer: Tom Drury, Jr.
Owner: Bruce Lunsford
Career record: 9-5-1-0
Career earnings: $664,380
Top Equibase speed figure: 106
Kentucky Derby points: 150 (3rd)
Pedigree: Bernardini-Distorted Legacy, by Distorted Humor
Color: Bay
Running style: Front-runner, stalker
Notes: This will be long-time trainer Tom Drury’s first Derby starter. Based at the Skylight Training Center near Goshen, Kentucky, he’s been training since 1991, and is starting to make a name for himself as he now has string of horses at Churchill Downs … Hernandez has a Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) victory on his resume – Fort Larned in 2012, will be riding in the Derby for the third time – he was 12th aboard Tom’s Ready in 2016 and eighth with McCraken in 2017 … Lunsford is CEO of a private investment company in Louisville, and the longtime owner is set to send out his first Derby starter.
(US Racing’s Kentucky Derby coverage will include profiles of the horses listed as probable for the race on Saturday, Sept. 5. Each day until the post-position draw on Tuesday, Sept. 1, US Racing will publish selected profiles of the contenders.)
Ed McNamara is an award-winning journalist who has been writing about thoroughbred racing for 35 years. He has handicapped races for ESPN.com, Newsday and The Record of New Jersey. He is the author of “Cajun Racing: From the Bush Tracks to the Triple Crown” and co-author of “The Most Glorious Crown,” a chronicle of the first 12 Triple Crown champions.