Where 2020’s Kentucky Derby entrants were born and how they made it to Churchill Downs
Before the horses even hit the track at Churchill Downs on race day, the 2020 Kentucky Derby promises to look like no other in history.
There will be no revelers celebrating in a raucous infield, no parade of celebrities staging a makeshift fashion show, no collection of socialites competing to see who donned the goofiest headwear.
Though this year’s 146th Run for the Roses will surely be unique, one thing remains unchanged: The overwhelming majority of the competing runners were bred and born in the Bluegrass State.
Four of the field’s 18 Thoroughbreds, including New York-bred favorite and Belmont Stakes winner Tiz the Law, come from outside Kentucky. All the rest hail from the commonwealth.
Here’s a rundown, in alphabetical order, of where and when each of Saturday’s contenders was born:
Attachment Rate
Foaled: May 18, 2017, in Virginia.
Jockey: Joseph Talamo.
Trainer: Dale Romans.
Owner: Jim Bakke and Gerald Isbister.
Breeder: Mr. and Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin.
Sire: Hard Spun.
Dam: Aristra.
Record: One first, three seconds and one third in eight career starts; 35 Road to the Derby points.
Derby odds: 50-1.
Notes: Has yet to break through with a stakes victory but has been in the mix in three such races with his best effort a third-place showing in the Gotham at Aqueduct in March. Finished fifth in the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland in July then earned his Derby spot with a runner-up showing in the Ellis Park Derby in August.
Authentic
Foaled: May 5, 2017, at Hurricane Hills Farm, 5641 Lexington Road, Paris.
Jockey: John Velazquez.
Trainer: Bob Baffert.
Owner: Spendthrift Farm, MyRaceHorse Stable, Madaket Stables and Starlight Racing.
Breeder: Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds.
Sire: Into Mischief.
Dam: Flawless.
Record: Four firsts and one second in five career starts; 200 Road to the Derby points.
Derby odds: 8-1.
Notes: The three-time graded stakes victor won the Haskell Stakes in July some six weeks after finishing second in the Santa Anita Derby. Has high-class speed, but unproven as a distance runner.
Enforceable
Foaled: April 3, 2017, at Clearsky Farm, 6575 Russell Cave Road, Lexington.
Jockey: Adam Beschizza.
Trainer: Mark Casse.
Owner: John Oxley.
Breeder: Clearsky Farms.
Sire: Tapit.
Dam: Justwhistledixie.
Record: Two firsts, two seconds and two thirds in 10 career starts; 43 Road to the Derby points.
Derby odds: 30-1.
Notes: Got his first graded stakes victory in the Lecomte at Fair Grounds in January. The gray colt is coming off a fifth-place finish in the Louisiana Derby and a fourth-place showing in the Blue Grass at Keeneland, but he’s demonstrated plenty of stamina and his knack for closing late could pay dividends in the Derby.
Finnick the Fierce
Foaled: April 22, 2017, at Millennium Farms, 5275 Paris Pike, Lexington.
Jockey: Martin Garcia.
Trainer: Rey Hernandez.
Owner: Arnaldo Monge and Rey Hernandez.
Breeder: Paige Jillian Blu Sky Stables.
Sire: Dialed In.
Dam: Southern Classic.
Record: Two firsts, one second and two thirds in nine career starts; 25 Road to the Derby points.
Derby odds: 50-1.
Notes: The offspring of the 2011 Kentucky Derby post-time favorite, Finnick the Fierce has stamina in his bloodlines. A seventh-place finish in the Blue Grass Stakes last time out is cause for concern, but he’s finished inside the top four in three races at Churchill Downs, including a runner-up effort in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes last November.
Honor A. P.
Foaled: March 13, 2017, at Starwood Farm, 701 James Lane, Versailles.
Jockey: Mike E. Smith.
Trainer: John A. Shirreffs.
Owner: C R K Stable.
Breeder: George Krikorian.
Sire: Honor Code.
Dam: Hollywood Story.
Record: Two firsts, three seconds in five career starts; 140 Road to the Derby points.
Derby odds: 5-1.
Notes: Bred by movie theater mogul George Krikorian, Honor A. P. rallied for second in the Shared Belief Stakes on Aug. 1, just shy of two months from his 2 3/4-length victory in the Grade I Santa Anita Derby. Has shown the ability to lay off the pace and close late and has also won from the front.
King Guillermo
Foaled: Feb. 6, 2017, at Ashford Stud, 5095 Frankfort Road, Versailles.
Jockey: Samy Camacho.
Trainer: Juan Carlos Avila.
Owner: Victoria’s Ranch.
Breeder: Carhue Investments, Grouseridge Ltd. and Marengo Investments.
Sire: Uncle Mo.
Dam: Slow Sand.
Record: Two firsts, one second and one third in five career starts; 90 Road to the Derby points.
Derby odds: 20-1.
Notes: King Guillermo has a winning pedigree as his father, Uncle Mo, sired 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist along with several other Grade I distance champions. We’ll see if rust is a factor though, as King Guillermo will enter the Derby off a four-month layoff after finishing second in the Arkansas Derby on May 2.
Major Fed
Foaled: April 16, 2017, at Upson Downs Farm, 2012 N. Buckeye Lane, Goshen.
Jockey: James Graham.
Trainer: Gregory Foley.
Owner: Lloyd Madison Farms.
Breeder: Lloyd Madison.
Sire: Ghostzapper.
Dam: Bobby’s Babe.
Record: One first, two seconds and one third in six career starts; 38 Road to the Derby points.
Derby odds: 50-1.
Notes: Earned his spot in the Derby field with a runner-up finish in the Indiana Derby in July, which came on the heels of a disappointing 10th-place effort in the Matt Winn at Churchill Downs in May. Pedigree suggests he’s a late bloomer and that he can handle a 1 1/4-mile ride.
Max Player
Foaled: April 28, 2017, at Annestes Farms, 2825 Clifton Road, Versailles.
Jockey: Ricardo Santana Jr.
Trainer: Steve Asmussen.
Owner: George E. Hall and SportBLX Thoroughbreds Corp.
Breeder: K & G Stables.
Sire: Honor Code.
Dam: Fools in Love.
Record: Two firsts, one second and two thirds in five career starts; 60 Road to the Derby points.
Derby odds: 30-1.
Notes: Trained for three years by Linda Rice in New York, Max Player was moved to the stable of Steve Asmussen in August. His only stakes win came in the Grade III Withers at Aqueduct in April. He’s coming off back-to-back third-place finishes against Grade I competition in the Belmont and Travers and his history and pedigree suggest stamina is not a problem for the bay colt.
Money Moves
Foaled: March 30, 2017, at Indian Creek Farm, 893 Redmon Road, Paris.
Jockey: Javier Castellano.
Trainer: Todd Pletcher.
Owner: Robert LaPenta and Bortolazzo Stable.
Breeder: Whitehall Lane Farm.
Sire: Candy Ride.
Dam: Citizen Advocate.
Record: Two firsts, one second and zero thirds in three career starts; 1 Road to the Derby point.
Derby odds: 30-1.
Notes: Money Moves is making a major leap in terms of competition in entering the Derby field. Saturday will mark the first stakes competition of his career. Since breaking his maiden at Gulfstream Park in February, the bay colt has competed in two claiming races, winning at Gulfstream in February and most recently finishing second at Saratoga in late July.
Mr. Big News
Foaled: Jan. 29, 2017, at Don Alberto Stable, 4241 Spurr Road, Lexington.
Jockey: Gabriel Saez.
Trainer: Bret Calhoun.
Owner: Allied Racing Stable.
Breeder: Don Alberto Corporation.
Sire: Giant’s Causeway.
Dam: Unappeased.
Record: Two firsts, 1 second, 0 thirds in seven career starts; 1 Road to the Derby point.
Derby odds: 50-1.
Notes: Mr. Big News arrives at Churchill Downs off a sixth-place finish in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland in his most recent outing. Before that, he won the $200,000 Oaklawn Stakes at 46-1 odds. Allied Racing Stable purchased Mr. Big News for $95,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall 2018 Yearling Sale.
Necker Island
Foaled: March 4, 2017, at Stonestreet Farm, 3530 Old Frankfort Pike, Lexington.
Jockey: Miguel Mena.
Trainer: Chris Hartman.
Owner: Raymond Daniels and Wayne Scherr.
Breeder: Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings.
Sire: Hard Spun.
Dam: Jenny’s Rocket.
Record: Two firsts, zero seconds and three thirds in 10 career starts; 14 Road to the Derby points.
Derby odds: 50-1.
Notes: Has competed well against good competition, finishing fifth or better in six stakes races, but the Kentucky Derby’s 1 1/4 miles distance might push the upper limits of the chestnut colt’s capabilities. Earned his spot at Churchill with third-place finishes in the Indiana Derby and Ellis Park Derby.
Ny Traffic
Foaled: April 29, 2017, in New York.
Jockey: Paco Lopez.
Trainer: Saffie A. Joseph Jr.
Owner: John Fanelli, Cash is King LLC, LC Racing and Paul Braverman.
Breeder: Brian Culnan.
Sire: Cross Traffic.
Dam: Mamie Reilly.
Record: Two firsts, three seconds and two thirds in nine career starts; 110 Road to the Derby points.
Derby odds: 20-1.
Notes: New York-bred gray colt has yet to nab a graded stakes victory, but last time out missed by a nose in finishing second to Authentic in the Grade I Haskell Stakes. Has hit the board in each of his last four starts — all graded stakes contests — including three straight runner-up showings.
Sole Volante
Foaled: April 2, 2017, at Lane’s End Farm, 1500 Midway Road, Versailles.
Jockey: Luca Panici.
Trainer: Patrick Biancone.
Owner: Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Andie Bianconne.
Breeder: Flaxman Holdings Limited.
Sire: Karakontie.
Dam: Light Blow.
Record: Four firsts, one second and one third in seven career starts; 30 Road to the Derby points.
Derby odds: 30-1.
Notes: Pedigree suggests he’s built for turf, but Sole Volante proved he has what it takes to excel on dirt with a victory in the Sam F. Davis and runner-up finish in the Tampa Bay Derby.
South Bend
Foaled: Feb. 12, 2017, at Highclere Farm, 1350 Harp Innis Road, Lexington.
Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione.
Trainer: William Mott.
Owner: Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable, Peter and Pantofel Deutsch.
Breeder: Highclere, Inc..
Sire: Algorithms.
Dam: Sandra’s Rose.
Record: Three firsts, two seconds and two thirds in 12 career starts; 1 Road to the Derby point.
Derby odds: 50-1.
Notes: A draw-day addition to the field, South Bend comes into the Derby off a fourth-place finish in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga in August. He’s never won a stakes, but has finished inside the superfecta in three of four starts in such races with his best result a runner-up effort in the Ohio Derby in late June.
Storm the Court
Foaled: May 5, 2017, at Phoenix Farm, 2914 Keene Troy Pike, Versailles.
Jockey: Julien Leparoux.
Trainer: Peter Eurton.
Owner: David Bernsen, Exline-Border Racing, Dan Hudock and Susanna Wilson.
Breeder: Stepping Stone Farm.
Sire: Court Vision.
Dam: My Tejana Storm.
Record: Two firsts, one second and three thirds in nine career starts; 36 Road to the Derby points.
Derby odds: 50-1.
Notes: After a disappointing sixth-place effort in the Arkansas Derby, hit the board with a third-place showing in the Ohio Derby followed by a runner-up finish in the La Jolla Handicap on Aug. 9. Biggest claim to fame to date is a wire-to-wire upset victory in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita. Has only finished outside the top four twice.
Thousand Words
Foaled: Jan. 27, 2017, in Florida.
Jockey: Florent Geroux.
Trainer: Bob Baffert.
Owner: Albaugh Family Stables and Spendthrift Farm.
Breeder: Hardacre Farm.
Sire: Pioneerof The Nile.
Dam: Pomeroys Pistol.
Record: Four firsts and one second in seven career starts; 83 Road to the Derby points.
Derby odds: 15-1.
Notes: Thousand Words was sold as a $1 million yearling and he jumped into Derby contention with victories in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2), Robert B. Lewis (G3) and Shared Belief Stakes. The bay colt shares his sire with legendary Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.
Tiz the Law
Foaled: March 19, 2017, in New York.
Jockey: Manuel Franco.
Trainer: Barclay Tagg.
Owner: Sackatoga Stable.
Breeder: Twin Creeks Farm.
Sire: Constitution.
Dam: Tizfiz.
Record: Six firsts in seven career starts; 372 Road to the Derby points.
Derby odds: 3-5.
Notes: The overwhelming leader in Derby points is looking for his second win in the shuffled Triple Crown after capturing the Belmont Stakes in June. He’s coming off a victory in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga in August, and the only time he’s been beaten was last November at Churchill Downs when he finished third in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes.
Winning Impression
Foaled: Feb. 18, 2017, at WinStar Farm, 3001 Pisgah Pike, Versailles.
Jockey: Joseph Rocco Jr.
Trainer: Dallas Stewart.
Owner: West Point Thoroughbreds and Pearl Racing.
Breeder: WinStar Farm.
Sire: Paynter.
Dam: Unbridled Sonya.
Record: One first, one second and two thirds in nine career starts; 20 Road to the Derby points.
Derby odds: 50-1
Notes: A bit of luck helped the gray gelding secure a spot in the Kentucky Derby, as he was elevated from fourth to third in a division of the Arkansas Derby because of a disqualification. Since that run he’s finished seventh among stiff competition in both the Indiana Derby and Ellis Park Derby.
This story was originally published September 2, 2020 at 7:38 AM.
