This Saturday, May 3rd the Kentucky Derby will be take place in Louisville, Kentucky at Churchill Downs. This event is definitely the biggest sporting event that takes place in Kentucky and one of the biggest in the world. People from all over the country and world flock to Louisville to watch the best three year old thoroughbreds race around competing to be crowned Kentucky Derby Champion. Personally being born and raised in Kentucky this event always has a special place in my heart, I can remember whatever we were doing on Derby Saturday everything would stop and we would be sitting in front of the TV picking the horse we thought would win and witness the most watched two minutes in sports. The Derby is a very iconic weekend/event from all the women wearing their fancy hats, the men dressed to the nines in their best suites (usually seersucker), all the world famous Kentucky Derby Mint Julep, and the Twin Spires at Churchill Downs. 

As a former Kentuckian there is a certain pride that I feel during the Derby week/weekend, I have not made it in person yet but there will be plans made to go and take part in the festivities including: Winsday (Wednesday), Thurby (Thursday), Kentucky Oaks (Friday), and finally The Kentucky Derby (Saturday). Alright, enough about my personal feelings about the Derby and being from Kentucky let’s see the horses running in this year’s Derby. 

Listed below are all the horses scheduled to participate in the 151st Kentucky Derby: 

Horse Name and Odds

Citizen Bull

20-1

Neoequos

30-1

Final Gambit

30-1

Rodriguez

12-1

American Promise

30-1

Admire Daytona

30-1

Luxor Cafe

15-1

Journalism

3-1

Burnham Square

12-1

Grande

20-1

Flying Mohawk

30-1

East Avenue

20-1

Publisher

20-1

Tiztastic

20-1

Coal Battle

30-1

Render Judgement

30-1

Sandman

6-1

Sovereignty

5-1

Chunk of Gold

30-1

Owen Almighty

30-1

Disclaimer: These are the horses and odds as of Wednesday, April 30th 2025. Some horses may be “scratched” from running and will not participate.

We have a full slate of horses participating this year, twenty so far, so I am not going to go into each horse and make everyone reading this board. However, I am going to discuss a few of these horses based on their trainer. Starting off with a popular trainer, Bob Baffert who has recently been suspended from the Derby for the past three years due to one of his horses (Medina Spirit) failed a drug test. Look out because he (Bob Baffert) is back at the Kentucky Derby in 2025 and has two horses, Citizen Bull and Rodriguez. Citizen Bull in 2024 was the Eclipse Champion and viewed as the nation’s top two year old, fast forward to this week he comes in as one of the fastest horses from practice, however holds the dreaded number one position in the starting gates. On the other hand, Rodriguez, started his practice a little slow but picked up the pace for the ending runs. His running style is labeled as a front-runner which is tough for the Derby since it is a longer race but if he holds true he could find himself in the winners circle. 

In addition, Todd Pletcher is also a well known trainer at the Derby, this year Pletcher has one horse entering the race, Grande. Pletcher is the highest earning trainer in North America with over $500 million, also Grande will be Pletcher’s 66th Derby entry resulting in having more entries than any other horse trainer in history. Grande’s running style is labeled as a stalker so when the time is right he will take off and for Pletcher and everyone rooting on that happens in the final stretch so he can become Kentucky Derby Champion. 

Lastly, Brad Cox, who is a Louisville native is another top notch trainer at the Derby every year. This year he has two horses running, Final Gambit and Tappan Street. However, Tappan Street was removed from the Derby lineup due to a condylar fracture which unfortunately happened on April 26th. Final Gambit’s running style is labeled as a closer which means exactly what it sounds like he closes the race strong. Will Final Gambit be the one to “close” the door on all the other horses and win this year’s Derby? Only time will tell.

In closing, I guess it is time for me to make a pick of who I think will be crowned this year’s Kentucky Derby Champion. I believe this year’s race has the potential of being one of the best in a long time. Could it be Pletcher’s year with Grande? Or maybe Brad Cox’s year with Final Gambit? Or could it be Bob Baffert’s year to return to glory after being suspended for the last three years with either Citizen Bull or Rodriguez? Maybe one of the field of other trainers will step up and take the win away from the big three? It feels like it is wide open this year with no dominant favorite (or at least that is my opinion). All that being said, I am going to roll with Bob Baffert coming into Churchill Downs after being suspended and winning the 151st Kentucky Derby with his horse Rodriguez.