A run through the field: The 2020 Kentucky Derby at a glance
1. Finnick the Fierce
Odds: Finnick the Fierce was entered at 50-1 odds but scratched from the race Friday morning.
Jockey: Martin Garcia, 35. The Mexico native is based in southern California and was third aboard Dortmund in 2015, his best Derby finish in four starts and his most recent ride in the race.
Trainer: Rey Hernandez, 39. The Guatemala native moved to the United States in 1987 and is a former jockey, exercise rider, groom and hotwalker. This would have been his first Kentucky Derby starter.
Owner: Arnaldo Monge and Rey Hernandez — Monge was born and raised in Puerto Rico and is a Lexington-based veterinarian.
Breeder: Paige Jillian Blu Sky Stables (KY)
Pedigree: Dialed In — Southern Classic by Southern Image
Foaled: April 22, 2017
2020: 6 starts, 1-0-2. $108,400.
2019: 3 starts, 1-1-0. $82,890.
2019: 3 starts, 1-1-0. $82,890.
Last start: 7th in Blue Grass Stakes, July 11.
2. Max Player
Odds: 30-1
Jockey: Ricardo Santana Jr., 27. The Panama native has five Derby starts with a best finish of 8th aboard Plus Que Parfait last year. He has been a top jockey at Oaklawn Park the past several years.
Trainer: Steve Asmussen, 54. The Hall of Fame trainer of Curlin, Rachel Alexandra and Gun Runner has 20 previous Derby starts — more than any other trainer without a win — and is Churchill Downs’ all-time winningest trainer.
Owner: George E. Hall is the president and founder of investment firm Clinton Group Inc., and has had three previous Derby starters.
Breeder: K & G Stables (KY)
Pedigree: Honor Code — Fools in Love by Not for Love
Foaled: April 28, 2017
2020: 3 starts, 1-0-2. $337,500.
2019: 2 starts, 1-1-0. $36,000.
Last start: 3rd in Travers Stakes, Aug. 8.
3. Enforceable
Odds: 30-1
Jockey: Adam Beschizza, 28. The England native earned his first graded stakes win in 2018 at Keeneland and will be making his first start in the Kentucky Derby.
Trainer: Mark Casse, 59. Casse grew up in Florida in a racing family and is a member of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. He has seven previous Derby starters and won the Preakness and Belmont Stakes last year with War of Will and Sir Winston, respectively.
Owner: John C. Oxley, an oilman and Polo Hall of Fame inductee, has seven previous Derby starters and won the race with Monarchos in 2001.
Breeder: Clearsky Farms (KY)
Pedigree: Tapit — Justwhistledixie by Dixie Union
Foaled: April 3, 2017
2020: 4 starts, 1-1-0. $250,000.
2019: 6 starts, 1-1-2. $147,150.
Last start: 4th in Blue Grass Stakes, July 11.
4. Storm the Court
Odds: 50-1
Jockey: Julien Leparoux, 37. The France native has won nine meet titles at Churchill Downs and is top 10 in wins in the track’s history. He has finished no better than fourth — with Classic Empire in 2017 — in 11 previous Derby starts.
Trainer: Peter Eurton, 63. The California native has been training horses since 1989 and was sixth with Blue Grass Stakes winner Dance With Fate in his only previous Derby start.
Owner: David A. Bernsen LLC, Exline-Border Racing LLC (Ryan Exline and family and Justin Border), Dan Hudock and Susanna Wilson
Breeder: Stepping Stone Farm (KY)
Pedigree: Court Vision — My Tejana Storm by Tejano Run
Foaled: May 5, 2017
2020: 5 starts, 0-1-2. $137,500.
2019: 4 starts, 2-0-1. $1,172,951.
Last start: 2nd in La Jolla Handicap, Aug. 9.
5. Major Fed
Odds: 50-1
Jockey: James Graham, 41. The Ireland native relocated to Lexington from his home country in 2002 and became a Keeneland staple. He finished eighth aboard Lone Sailor in 2018, his only previous Kentucky Derby start.
Trainer: Greg Foley, 62. The Oldham County native is a fixture in Louisville horse racing and one of the winningest trainers in Churchill Downs history. This will be his first Kentucky Derby starter.
Owner: Lloyd Madison Farms (Fred Schwartz et al) will have its first Derby starter with Major Fed, a homebred colt.
Breeder: Lloyd Madison IV LLC (KY)
Pedigree: Ghostzapper — Bobby’s Babe by Smart Strike
Foaled: April 16, 2017
2020: 5 starts, 1-2-0. $206,100.
2019: 1 start, 0-0-1. $9,500.
Last start: 2nd in Indiana Derby, July 8.
6. King Guillermo
Odds: King Guillermo was entered at 20-1 odds but scratched from the race Thursday afternoon after developing a fever.
Jockey: Samy Camacho, 32. The Venezuela native moved to Florida a few years ago and has become a top jockey at Tampa Bay Downs. This would have been his first Derby ride.
Trainer: Juan Carlos Avila, 56. A highly successful trainer in his native Venezuela before emigrating to the United States two years ago, Avila would have saddled his first Derby starter.
Owner: Victoria’s Ranch is owned by Victor & Margret Martinez. Victor Martinez, 41, is a five-time All-Star who played baseball for the Indians, Red Sox and Tigers.
Breeder: Carhue Investments, Grouseridge Ltd. and Marengo Investments (KY)
Pedigree: Uncle Mo — Slow Sand by Dixieland Band
Foaled: Feb. 6, 2017
2020: 2 starts, 1-1-0. $310,000.
2019: 3 starts, 1-0-1. $30,350.
Last start: 2nd in Arkansas Derby (division 2), May 2.
7. Money Moves
Odds: 30-1
Jockey: Javier Castellano, 42. The Hall of Famer from Venezuela has won the Breeders’ Cup Classic and two Preakness Stakes, but his best finish in 13 Derby starts was a third-place showing with Audible in 2018.
Trainer: Todd Pletcher, 53. The Hall of Famer won the Derby with Super Saver in 2010 and Always Dreaming in 2017. He has 54 previous Derby starters, the most all time.
Owner: Robert Lapenta and Bortolazzo Stable — Lapenta has been the full- or part-owner of nine different Derby starters, including 2010 runner-up Ice Box.
Breeder: Whitehall Lane Farm (KY)
Pedigree: Candy Ride — Citizen Advocate by Proud Citizen
Foaled: March 30, 2017
2020: 3 starts, 2-1-0. $67,400.
2019: No starts.
Last start: 2nd in optional/claiming race at Saratoga on July 25.
8. South Bend
Odds: 50-1
Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione, 25. The Florida native was leading rider at the 2018 Churchill Fall Meet and will make his third Derby start. He was seventh last year on War of Will and won the Preakness with him two weeks later.
Trainer: Bill Mott, 67. The South Dakota native made the Hall of Fame in 1998, has won Eclipse Award honors three times and trained last year’s Derby winner, Country House, who delivered Mott his first Derby win after finishing no better than seventh with eight previous starters.
Owner: Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable, Peter Deutsch, and Pantofel Stable
Breeder: Highclere, Inc (KY)
Pedigree: Algorithms — Sandra’s Rose by Old Trieste
Foaled: Feb. 12, 2017
2020: 8 starts, 0-2-2. $215,610.
2019: 4 starts, 3-0-0. $174,504.
Last start: 4th in the Travers Stakes on Aug. 8.
9. Mr. Big News
Odds: 50-1
Jockey: Gabriel Saez, 32. The Panama native has had three previous Derby starters. He was second aboard the ill-fated Eight Belles in 2008 and 18th on Derby favorite Friesan Fire the following year.
Trainer: Bret Calhoun, 56. The Dallas, Texas, native earned his first win as a trainer in 1994 and had his first Kentucky Derby starter last year with By My Standards, who finished 11th.
Owner: Allied Racing Stable’s Chester Thomas — a Kentucky native and coal and energy entrepreneur — was part-owner of By My Standards in last year’s Derby.
Breeder: Don Alberto Corporation (KY)
Pedigree: Giant’s Causeway — Unappeased by Galileo
Foaled: Jan. 29, 2017
2020: 4 starts, 2-0-0. $156,500.
2019: 3 starts, 0-1-0. $12,053.
Last start: 6th in Blue Grass Stakes on July 11.
10. Thousand Words
Odds: 15-1
Jockey: Florent Geroux, 34. The France native has four previous Derby starts with a third in 2016 aboard Gun Runner, who he also rode to a Breeders’ Cup Classic victory in 2017.
Trainer: Bob Baffert, 67. The five-time Kentucky Derby winner is also third all-time in Derby starts with 32 — trailing only Todd Pletcher and D. Wayne Lukas.
Owner: Albaugh Family Stables (Dennis Albaugh and Jason Loustch) and Spendthrift Farm (B. Wayne Hughes). Albaugh and Hughes are both billionaires with multiple previous Derby starters (though no wins).
Breeder: Hardacre Farm (FL)
Pedigree: Pioneerof the Nile — Pomeroys Pistol by Pomeroy
Foaled: Jan. 27, 2017
2020: 5 starts, 2-1-0. $176,000.
2019: 2 starts, 2-0-0. $151,000.
Last start: 1st in Shared Belief, Aug. 1.
11. Necker Island
Odds: 50-1
Jockey: Miguel Mena, 33. The Peru native is a resident of Louisville and will make only his second Derby start and first since 2010, when he was 20th and last aboard Backtalk. He moved to Florida in 2004 and became a Kentucky fixture a couple years later.
Trainer: Chris Hartman, 47. The Arizona native comes from a family filled with trainers — his grandfather, father and mother all trained at Turf Paradise in Phoenix — and will be saddling his first starter in the Derby.
Owner: Raymond Daniels, Wayne Scherr and Will Harbut Racing LLC.
Breeder: Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings (KY)
Pedigree: Hard Spun — Jenny’s Rocket by Mr. Greeley
Foaled: March 4, 2017
2020: 7 starts, 0-0-2. $78,958.
2019: 3 starts, 2-0-1. $120,772.
Last start: 3rd in Ellis Park Derby, Aug. 9.
12. Sole Volante
Odds: 30-1
Jockey: Luca Panici, 45. The Italy native was a jockey for 15 years in his home country before moving to Florida in 2005. This will be his first Kentucky Derby starter.
Trainer: Patrick Biancone, 68. The France native started a stable in the United States in 2000 and finished second in the 2004 Derby with Lion Heart, who provided Biancone his best finish in three Derby starts.
Owner: Reeves Thoroughbred Racing (Dean & Patti Reeves) and Andie Biancone — Reeves was third with Mucho Macho Man in the 2011 Derby and 14th with Tax last year.
Breeder: Flaxman Holdings Limited (KY)
Pedigree: Karakontie — Light Blow by Kingmambo
Foaled: April 2, 2017
2020: 5 starts, 2-1-1. $256,800.
2019: 2 starts, 2-0-0. $66,510.
Last start: 6th in Belmont Stakes, June 20.
13. Attachment Rate
Odds: 50-1
Jockey: Joe Talamo, 30. The Louisiana native was 17th aboard Sidney’s Candy in 2010 and 15th on War Story in 2015 — his only previous Derby starts.
Trainer: Dale Romans, 54. The Louisville native held the title of Churchill Downs’ winningest trainer until earlier this year and has 10 career Derby starts with two third-place finishes.
Owner: Jim Bakke and Gerald Isbister — Bakke is the president of Sub-Zero, a luxury refrigeration company. Ibister is the president of Bradlee Distributors Inc., a distributor of luxury kitchen appliances.
Breeder: Mr. and Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin III (VA)
Pedigree: Hard Spun — Aristra by Afleet Alex
Foaled: May 18, 2017
2020: 7 starts, 1-3-1. $142,925.
2019: 1 start, 0-0-0. $807.
Last start: 2nd in Ellis Park Derby, Aug. 9.
14. Winning Impression
Odds: 50-1
Jockey: Joe Rocco Jr., 38. The Florida native is a third-generation horseman and will make his second Derby start after finishing 17th on long-shot Vinceremos in 2014.
Trainer: Dallas Stewart, 60. The Mississippi native worked under D. Wayne Lukas for 12 years and trained five previous Derby starters, including Golden Soul and Commanding Curve, who finished second as major long shots in 2013 and 2014, respectively.
Owner: West Point Thoroughbreds and Pearl Racing — West Point Thoroughbreds was part-owner of ’17 Derby winner Always Dreaming.
Breeder: WinStar Farm (KY)
Pedigree: Paynter — Unbridled Sonya by Unbridled’s Song
Foaled: Feb. 18, 2017
2020: 6 starts, 0-1-2. $70,352.
2019: 3 starts, 1-0-0. $28,200.
Last start: 7th in Ellis Park Derby, Aug. 9.
15. Ny Traffic
Odds: 20-1
Jockey: Paco Lopez, 34. The Mexico native was 11th aboard Firenze Fire in his only previous Derby start two years ago. He was the Eclipse Award-winning apprentice jockey of 2008.
Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr., 33. The Barbados native comes from a family of trainers and moved his racing stable to south Florida in 2011. This is his first Derby, and he earned his first graded stakes with with Math Wizard in last year’s Pennsylvania Derby.
Owner: John Fanelli, Cash is King LLC (Chuck Zacney et al), LC Racing (Glenn Bennett) and Paul Braverman
Breeder: Brian Culnan (NY)
Pedigree: Cross Traffic — Mamie Reilly by Graeme Hall
Foaled: April 29, 2017
2020: 5 starts, 1-3-1. $494,900.
2019: 4 starts, 1-0-1. $70,570.
Last start: 2nd in Haskell Invitational, July 18.
16. Honor A. P.
Odds: 5-1
Jockey: Mike Smith, 55. The Hall of Famer has won the Derby twice, with long-shot Giacomo in 2005 and with Justify in 2018. He also leads all jockeys with 26 Breeders’ Cup victories, including four Classic wins.
Trainer: John Shirreffs, 75. The California-based trainer teamed with Smith to win the Derby with Giacomo in 2005. Shirreffs is best known as the trainer of the great Zenyatta.
Owner: C R K Stable LLC (owned by California natives Lee & Susan Searing) count Candy Boy — 13th in 2014 — as their only previous Derby starter.
Breeder: George Krikorian (KY)
Pedigree: Honor Code — Hollywood Story by Wild Rush
Foaled: March 13, 2017
2020: 3 starts, 1-2-0. $340,000.
2019: 2 starts, 1-1-0. $42,200.
Last start: 2nd in Shared Belief, Aug. 1.
17. Tiz the Law
Odds: 3-5
Jockey: Manny Franco, 25. The Puerto Rico native was 17th and 18th with Derby long shots Tencendur and Spinoff in 2015 and 2019, respectively. Franco was the wins leader at Aqueduct’s most recent winter-spring meet.
Trainer: Barclay Tagg, 82. The Pennsylvania native and former steeplechase jockey won the Derby on his first try with Funny Cide in 2003 and has had just four Derby starters since, and none in the past 12 years.
Owner: Sackatoga Stable’s Jack Knowlton won the Derby with Tagg and Funny Cide in 2003. Tiz the Law will be just his second starter.
Breeder: Twin Creeks Farm (NY)
Pedigree: Constitution — Tizfiz by Tiznow
Foaled: March 19, 2017
2020: 4 starts, 4-0-0. $1,668,300.
2019: 3 starts, 2-0-1. $347,000.
Last start: 1st in Travers Stakes, Aug. 8.
18. Authentic
Odds: 8-1
Jockey: John Velazquez, 48. The Hall of Famer and two-time Eclipse Award winner from Puerto Rico has won the Derby with Animal Kingdom (2011) and Always Dreaming (2017) and was second last year with Code of Honor.
Trainer: Bob Baffert, 67. The Hall of Famer has won five Kentucky Derbys and can tie Ben Jones for the most all-time with a victory Saturday. Baffert has also won the Triple Crown in recent years with American Pharoah and Justify.
Owner: Spendthrift Farm LLC, MyRaceHorse Stable, Madaket Stables LLC and Starlight Racing.
Breeder: Peter E Blum Thoroughbreds LLC (KY)
Pedigree: Into Mischief — Flawless by Mr. Greeley
Foaled: May 5, 2017
2020: 4 starts, 3-1-0. $980,000.
2019: 1 start, 1-0-0. $31,200.
Last start: 1st in Haskell Invitational, July 18.
This story was originally published September 3, 2020 at 9:15 AM.
