3 minute read
After months following the long and winding Road to The Kentucky Derby, the milestone 150th Run for the Roses is now in plain sight, as the Triple Crown finally kicks off this weekend.
This year's crop of the best three-year olds in North American racing will be aiming to win the first jewel and the $5m prize at Churchill Downs, giving themselves a shot at racing immortality. The 150th Kentucky Derby will take place on Saturday 4th May at 6.57pm ET / 11.57pm BST / 12.57am CET.
The standout horses are:
Sierra Leone, the Blue Grass winner who impressed with a superb 1 1 ⁄ 2 length victory.
Fierceness, who lived up to his name with a phenomenal performance in the Florida Derby, blazing to a 13 length annihilation of the field (see below)
Catching Freedom, whose spectacular Louisiana Derby win, coming wide from last place, bodes well for the Churchill Downs track
Dornoch, the full brother to last year's winner Mage, will be hoping to follow in his brother's hoofprints, after winning the Fountain of Youth Stakes
Forever Young is the exciting Japanese raider
However, we can also point to a couple of interesting outsiders:
Society Man, who will have in-form Frankie Dettori on his back. Dettori has repeatedly stated one of his main goals in the U.S. was to secure a ride in America's most famous race. Having not ridden in the Churchill Downs feature since finishing unplaced in 2000, Dettori will be pleased to be involved even though Danny Gargan's colt will be among the outsiders.
The Kentucky Derby has always been a fairytale race but this year a win for West Saratoga would perhaps be the greatest Cinderella story in the race's illustrious history. Bought by Harry Veruchi for just $11,000, securing a place in the Kentucky Derby is a phenomenal achievement for this colt and trainer Larry Demeritte. Veruchi credits Demeritte for finding this diamond in the rough, and If West Saratoga's story is special it is matched only by the miraculous story of his trainer who has battled cancer for decades. Doctors gave him six months to live, six years ago. A miracle trainer who defies all logic and a $11,000 horse - can the pair realise the impossible dream on Saturday 4th May?
The first race on Derby Day leads off at 10.30am, with thirteen races following, and the final contest scheduled for 8.35pm ET / 01.35am BST / 02.35am CET).
