One of the horses listed below will win the world’s most famous race on May 4, 2024 at Churchill Downs.
The top 20 leaders by points for the 150th Kentucky Derby (G1) include the impeccably bred, very expensive purchase SIERRA LEONE, who could give trainer Chad Brown his first Kentucky Derby win. The stretch running colt, despite a left front leg paddling action when he races, will be aiming for the fleet Florida Derby (G1) winner FIERCENESS, trained by Todd Pletcher.
There are plenty of other intriguing prospective starters including Louisiana Derby winner CATCHING FREEDOM (Constitution) , HONOR MARIE (Honor Code) and Santa Anita Derby winner STRONGHOLD (Ghostzapper)
The Derby lost a starter on the weekend when No More Time (Not This Time) was injured in a workout at Palm Meadows and will have to undergo surgery. That allows ENCINO (Nysquist) to draw in .
Encino, owned and bred by Godolphin and trained by Brad Cox, won the April 13 Lexington Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles with a front running style. His time of 1:43.93 was good for a 94 Beyer Speed Figure according to Daily Racing Form.
The colt is a neck away from behind undefeated in all four races. Of course, Encino’s sire Nyquist won the Derby and his dam, Glittering Jewel, is a placed half-sister to 2007 Derby winner STREET SENSE.
Several contenders had regular training sessions Sunday at Churchill Downs, including Grade 2 Louisiana Derby runner-up HONOR MARIE (Honor Code), who worked a half-mile in 48.8 seconds, and UAE Derby (G2) winner Forever Young, who made his first appearance over the track after arriving early Saturday morning.
Honor Marie, trained by Whit Beckman, worked with jockey Ben Curtis in the saddle alongside his stablemate Anthem King. The duo breezed through opening eighth-mile splits of 12.4 and 24.8 seconds. Honor Marie got the slight edge over his workmate passing the wire while galloping out five furlongs in 1:02.
“He did it the right way, easily,” Beckman said. “We didn’t want to do a ton this week, and he seemed to do it well. He’s the type of horse that will always do what you ask of him. I always thought it was good to have a workmate next to him to just give him a little encouragement.”
Shortly before Honor Marie worked at 7:30 a.m. EDT, FOREVER YOUNG (the cousin of Sierra Leone) made his first appearance over the track. Trained by Yoshido Yahagi, Forever Young jogged for about 20 minutes in the one-mile chute before galloping about 1 1/8 miles under rider Yusaku Oka.
Other Kentucky Derby contenders who had regular training sessions Sunday morning included Risen Star (G2) runner-up Track Phantom, Fountain of Youth (G2) winner Dornoch and Wood Memorial (G2) runner-up Society Man.
On Monday morning, Arkansas Derby (GI) runner-up Just Steel is expected to have his first training session over the Churchill Downs surface since winning the Ed Brown Stakes in November. The D. Wayne Lukas trainee arrived at Churchill Downs Saturday morning.
Grand Mo the First, who is no. 21 in the Kentucky Derby standings also worked Sunday morning, five furlongs in 1:03.9 at Gulfstream Park. It was the ninth fastest of nine works at the distance. This was his first work since his last race. In his last start he placed third in the Florida Derby (G1) going 1 1/8 miles on the main track at Gulfstream Park on March 30 for trainer Victor Barboza.
KENTUCKY DERBY POINTS/ PROSPECTIVE FIELD
1. Sierra Leone, Chad Brown / 155 – $871,250
2. Fierceness, Todd Pletcher / 136 – $1,646,100
3. Catching Freedom, Brad Cox / 125 – $802,000
4. Stronghold, Phil D’Amato / 125 – $742,800
5. Resilience, Bill Mott / 110 – $416,000
6. Forever Young, Yoshito Yahagi / 100 – $1,769,919
7. Endlessly, Mike McCarthy / 100 – $658,000
8. Dornoch, Danny Gargan / 75 – $472,375
9. Just a Touch, Brad Cox / 75 – $247,500
10. Track Phantom, Steve Asmussen / 70 – $300,000
11. West Saratoga, Larry Demeritte / 67 – $363,640
12. Just Steel, Wayne Lukas / 65 – $628,295
13. Honor Marie, Whit Beckman / 65 – $448,455
14. Domestic Product, Chad Brown / 60 – $260,500
15. Catalytic, Saffie Joseph Jr. / 50 – $186,000
16. Deterministic, Christophe Clement / 50 – $180,000
17. Society Man, Danny Gargan / 50 – $141,875
18. Mystik Dan, Kenny McPeek / 46 – $550,050
19. Encino, Brad Cox / 40 – $323,136
20. T O Password, Daisuke Takayanagi Japan RTKD Invite – $120,474
Also eligible
21. Grand Mo the First, Victor Barboza Jr. / 40 – $164,250
22. Common Defense, Kenny McPeek / 37 – $253,450
23. Epic Ride, John Ennis / 35 – $198,315
24. Hades, Joe Orseno / 30 – $189,800
25. Uncle Heavy, “Butch” Reid Jr. / 30 – $167,500
More from Canadian Thoroughbred:
