Kentucky Derby 2017: 5 horses to know
With the Kentucky Derby quickly approaching, here’s 5 horses you need to know about as we head into the first Saturday in May.
As the road to the Kentucky Derby came to a close on April 15th, we finally gained some much-needed clarity on what has been a long and bumpy road to Louisville. The journey began last September and has been a dramatic ride ever since. Now that the dust has settled, we can grasp what’s in store for us on the first Saturday in May. The Kentucky Derby is one of the hardest races to handicap each year, but it can also be the most rewarding if you pick the right horse. Here are the five horses you need to know about as we head into the 2017 Kentucky Derby:
1. Classic Empire
This horse was number one on everyone’s radar to start the 2017 racing season. As a two-year-old in 2016, he won the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland and the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita. Those wins propelled him to Two Year Old Horse of the Year honors and set him up for a big 2017 season. However, his first start of 2017 went poorly, and he finished a well-beaten third in the Grade 2 Holy Bull. After the race, his trainer discovered that he had a minor foot issue, which could have explained the poor performance. He needed time to get over the injury, and once he did, he won the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park. That win helped him from a fitness standpoint, as he hadn’t raced in nearly three months, so there’s a strong chance that he’ll run even better in the Kentucky Derby.
2. Always Dreaming
While Classic Empire was all the rage heading into 2017, Always Dreaming was flying way under the radar. He’d run a pair of decent races in 2016 as a two-year-old but failed to win. At the beginning of 2017, he was transferred to North America’s most successful trainer, Todd Pletcher, and he’s blossomed ever since, winning three races in a row, including the Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park last time out. He’s very lightly-raced, which could mean he is fresh for the grueling Triple Crown campaign.
3. Irish War Cry
Here’s another horse who was under the radar to start 2017 but has progressed nicely heading into the Kentucky Derby. Irish War Cry burst onto the scene at Gulfstream Park in early February when he defeated Classic Empire in the Grade 2 Holy Bull. He finished a disappointing seventh in his next start in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth, but last time out, he shipped to Aqueduct to win the Grade 2 Wood Memorial. That was one of the fastest Kentucky Derby prep races of the year. His breeding pedigree suggests that he’ll love the longer Kentucky Derby distance of 1 1/4 miles: his sire, Curlin, won several races going that long.
4. Hence
After struggling as a two-year-old in 2016, Hence broke his maiden at Oaklawn Park in mid-January after trying to jump the rail in the stretch. Even though he lost several lengths in doing so, he was still able to re-rally and win the race. Two starts later, he qualified for the Kentucky Derby by winning the Grade 3 Sunland Derby. That’s not usually a strong race, but some of the horses he defeated have already come back to run very well, including Irap, who won the Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes; Conquest Mo Money, who finished second in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby; and Hedge Fund, who finished second in the Grade 3 Illinois Derby.
5. Gunnevera
He’s the feel-good story of the Kentucky Derby. He certainly doesn’t have the flashy connections, but he does have a flashy resume. Gunnevera won two graded stakes races as a two-year-old, and two races ago, he won the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park. His latest effort was a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Florida Derby, where he was defeated by Always Dreaming. However, on his back will be the nation’s top jockey, Javier Castellano, who knows exactly how to ride him, having been aboard for most of his major races.
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