The 2025 Kentucky Derby field includes the sons of two Triple Crown winners

Several of the horses in the 2025 Kentucky Derby field have famous sires.

Among the contenders are the sons of two Triple Crown winners, one other Derby victor and the most prolific sire of the last decade. Stellar bloodlines alone are not a guarantee of Derby success, but they certainly are a point in the favor of a horse when making your bets.

Here is a closer look at each of the sires of the 2025 Derby horses.

American Pharoah

Kentucky Derby horses: Luxor Cafe, Publisher

Ten years after American Pharoah ended racing’s Triple Crown drought, he has produced a Derby runner for the first time with two sons in the field. While American Pharoah might be the most famous sire on this list, it is worth noting his record as a sire has not quite lived up to his own racing record, at least in the sport’s most high-profile races. American Pharoah has produced seven Grade 1 stakes winners. Publisher is still looking for his first win though, and Luxor Cafe has yet to race in North America.

Authentic

Kentucky Derby horses: Rodriguez (SCRATCHED)

The 2020 Eclipse Horse of the Year and Kentucky Derby winner, Authentic also won the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Classic and finished second in the Preakness that year. Rodriguez, who was scratched from the Derby with an injury Thursday, is from Authentic’s first crop of 3-year-olds.

Blame

Kentucky Derby horses: Render Judgment

Blame, who raced from 2008-10, won nine of 13 career starts — including three Grade 1 races — and never finished out of the money with two seconds and two thirds. He concluded his career by winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic at 1 1/4 miles at Churchill Downs, handing Hall of Famer Zenyatta her only defeat in 20 career races.

Coal Front

Kentucky Derby horses: Coal Battle

Coal Front, who retired from racing in 2019, never won a Grade 1 stakes. He was best known as a sprinter, and there are questions about Coal Battle’s ability to handle the 1¼-mile Kentucky Derby after he finished third in the 1 1/8-mile Arkansas Derby.

Curlin

Kentucky Derby horses: Journalism, Grande (SCRATCHED)

A two-time Eclipse Award winner for Horse of the Year, Curlin finished in the money in all three 2007 Triple Crown races, including a win in the Preakness Stakes. He finished third in the Kentucky Derby but won five times over 1¼ miles, including the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Curlin has yet to sire a Derby winner but his offspring have won the Preakness, Belmont and Breeders’ Cup Classic. Grande was scratched from the Saturday’s race on Friday because of an injury.

Drefong

Kentucky Derby horses: Admire Daytona

Drefong won three Grade 1 stakes during his racing career but none were longer than 7 furlongs. Stamina does not appear to be an issue for Admire Daytona though after winning the 1 3/16-miles UAE Derby, perhaps because Drefong’s pedigree did not suggest he would be limited to sprints. His sire, Gio Ponti, won seven Grade 1 races 1 mile or longer and finished second in the 1¼-mile Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Into Mischief

Kentucky Derby horses: Citizen Bull, Sovereignty.

The six-time reigning champion general sire, Into Mischief has already produced two Kentucky Derby winners: Authentic (2020) and Mandaloun (2021). Only Bold Ruler (eight) has won more general sire titles than Into Mischief since 1878.

Justify

Kentucky Derby horses: American Promise

The only Triple Crown winner to retire without being beaten, Justify became the first horse since Apollo in 1882 to win the Kentucky Derby without racing as a 2-year-old. Thus far, Justify’s sons have not duplicated his Kentucky Derby success though. Verifying finished 16th in the 2023 Derby. Just a Touch and Just Steel finished 17th and 20th in the 2024 Derby.

Karakontie

Kentucky Derby horses: Flying Mohawk

A Japanese horse, Karakontie won three Grade 1 stakes, including the Breeders’ Cup Mile. Karakontie’s success came on turf though, and he has produced turf horses thus far. The Derby will be Flying Mohawk’s first race on dirt. Karakontie’s only other Kentucky Derby starter was Sole Valente, who finished 11th in the 2020 Derby.

Liam’s Map

Kentucky Derby horses: Burnham Square

Liam’s Map won the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in his final race in 2015. He also won the Grade 1 Woodward Stakes at 1 1/8 miles. Burnham Square would be the first son of Liam’s Map to start in the Derby, but he has produced five Grade 1 stakes winners.

Medaglia D’oro

Kentucky Derby horses: East Avenue

Medaglia D’oro finished worse than second only twice in 17 career starts, but one of those finishes was a fourth in the 2002 Kentucky Derby. He did finish second in the Belmont Stakes and twice finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Medaglia D’oro won the Grade 1 Travers Stakes at 1¼ miles. He has never produced a horse that finished better than 12th in the Derby, but he has produced two Kentucky Oaks winners, including Rachel Alexandra, who also won the 2009 Preakness.

McKinzie

Kentucky Derby horses: Baeza

McKinzie won eight times and finished second six times from 18 career starts. His eight victories included Grade 1 wins in the Whitney Stakes, the Malibu Stakes, the Pennsylvania Derby and the Los Alamitos Cash Call Futurity. He missed his Triple Crown season in 2018 with an injury but continued racing through 2020.

Neolithic

Kentucky Derby horses: Neoequos

Neolithic never won a graded stakes race in his career but did amass more than $2 million in career earnings. He finished third in the Grade 1 Dubai World Cup at 1¼ miles and broke his maiden at 1 1/16 miles. With a third-place finish in the Florida Derby, Neoequos is already Neolithic’s most accomplished progeny.

Not this Time

Kentucky Derby horses: Final Gambit

Not This Time raced just four times before retiring, but he did win the Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs at 1 1/16 miles and finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at the same distance. He is the sire of 2022 3-year-old champion Epicenter, who finished second in the Derby and Preakness and won the Grade 1 Travers Stakes.

Preservationist

Kentucky Derby horses: Chunk of Gold

Preservationist, who was moved to Korea for 2025, won two graded stakes races at 1 1/8 miles or longer in his career, including the Grade 2 Suburban Stakes at 1¼ miles. Chunk of Gold, who was purchased for just $2,500 at auction, would be his first Derby starter.

Speightstown

Kentucky Derby horses: Owen Almighty

The 2004 Champion Sprinter as a 6-year-old, Speightstown won the Breeders’ Cup Sprint in his final race. While his success as a runner came at sprint distances, he has produced horses that excelled at longer distances, though none with any previous Kentucky Derby success.

Tapit

Kentucky Derby horses: Sandman

Winner of the Grade 1 Wood Memorial at 1 1/8 miles, Tapit finished ninth in the 2004 Kentucky Derby. He produced Essential Quality, who finished third in the 2021 Kentucky Derby as the favorite.

Tiz the Law

Kentucky Derby horses: Tiztastic

Tiz the Law won the 2020 Belmont Stakes and finished second in the Kentucky Derby that year. He won four Grade 1 stakes in his racing career. Tiztastic is from Tiz the Law’s first crop of foals and is in line to be his first Derby starter.

This story was originally published May 1, 2025 at 11:52 AM.

Jon Hale

Lexington Herald-Leader

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Jon Hale is the University of Kentucky football beat writer for the Lexington Herald-Leader. He joined the Herald-Leader in 2022 but has covered UK athletics for more than 10 years. Hale was named the 2021 Kentucky Sportswriter of the Year. Support my work with a digital subscription