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USA Today
03-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Coal Battle trainer, jockey, owner and more to know about 2025 Kentucky Derby horse
Coal Battle trainer, jockey, owner and more to know about 2025 Kentucky Derby horse Show Caption Hide Caption Meet Kentucky Derby contender Coal Battle's trainer Lonnie Briley At the age of 72, Louisiana trainer Lonnie Briley talks about Kentucky Derby contender Coal Battle ahead of the 151st Run for the Roses. Coal Battle will enter the Kentucky Derby off a third-place finish in the Arkansas Derby on March 29 Lonnie Briley, the 72-year-old trainer of Coal Battle, is in the Kentucky Derby for the first time Coal Battle is one of 20 horses expected to enter the 2025 Kentucky Derby on May 3 at Churchill Downs. Spots for the Run for the Roses are earned by gaining points through a series of Kentucky Derby prep races that began last September. The post-position draw for the Kentucky Derby is set for Saturday, April 26. Post time for the Kentucky Derby is set for 6:57 p.m. on Saturday, May 3. Coal Battle will enter the Kentucky Derby off a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on March 29 at Oaklawn Park. He currently ranks eighth on the Kentucky Derby points leaderboard with 95. Color: Dark bay. Bred in: Kentucky. Sire: Coal Front. Dam: Wolfblade, by Midshipman. Price tag: $70,000 at 2023 Texas Thoroughbred Association Yearling Sale. Owner: Norman Stables (Robbie Norman). First Derby. Trainer: Lonnie Briley. First Derby. Jockey: Juan Vargas. First Derby. Record: 5-0-1 in eight starts. Career earnings: $1,188,875. Road to the Kentucky Derby points: 95 (No. 8). Last race: Third in Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on March 29 at Oaklawn Park. Running style: Versatile colt has won on the lead and coming from behind. Notes: He's won five races at four different tracks — Evangeline, Delta Downs, Remington Park and Oaklawn Park (twice). He won the Grade 2 Rebel on Feb. 23 at 11-1 odds to put himself in contention for a Kentucky Derby spot. … The 72-year-old Briley has been training on the Louisiana circuit for more than 30 years. He had never even entered a horse in a graded stake — much less won one — until Coal Battle's score in the Rebel. … Coal Battle's two worst finishes have come in his two Kentucky races – fourth in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile on Sept. 8 and seventh in an allowance race at Keeneland on Oct. 12. ... The third-place finisher in last year's Arkansas Derby, Mystik Dan, went on to win the Kentucky Derby. What they're saying: 'It was a long drive getting to Churchill (from Oaklawn Park), but we're getting settled in,' Briley said. 'He's a pretty laid-back horse. If he's not lying down, he's usually at the back of his stall just relaxing. He knows when it's game time.' Last May, NBC Sports announced a partnership with Churchill Downs to present the Kentucky Derby on NBC and Peacock through 2032. The extension includes multiplatform rights to the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks and Derby and Oaks Day programming, which will be presented on NBC, Peacock, USA Network and additional NBCU platforms. You can stream the 2025 Kentucky Derby on Fubo and Peacock. Post time for the 151st Kentucky Derby is set for 6:57 p.m. on Saturday, May 3. Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@ Follow on X @KentuckyDerbyCJ. More horse racing: Set for second Kentucky Derby, St. Xavier grad Whit Beckman hopes for better racing luck This story was updated to add a gallery.
NBC Sports
17-04-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
2025 Kentucky Derby odds: Betting, full field, expert analysis, jockeys, trainers, and fun facts
The field is set for the 151st Kentucky Derby and while the Run for the Roses is not until May 3 and the draw does not even happen until April 26, storylines are emerging. Legendary trainer Bob Baffert's return to the Kentucky Derby tops the list. Back at Churchill Downs for the first time in three years following his suspension due to a failed post-race drug test involving his horse, Medina Spirit, after the 2021 Kentucky Derby, Baffert returns with multiple entries (Citizen Bull, Madaket Road, Rodriguez). Journalism is the current favorite followed by Sovereignty and Sandman, but the field features speed beyond those three thoroughbreds. Keep in mind, the favorite has won the Kentucky Derby just under 35% of the time since 1908 (40 times). In fact, the favorite has failed to secure a victory the last five years. Because the Run for the Roses remains a race where surprises are common, and longshots often emerge victorious, lets dive into the field for 2025. NBC Sports' horse racing analyst Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper) offers his thoughts on the contenders and once post positions are drawn on April 26, he will be back offering his favorite plays. The following is a snapshot of each horse in the field including their lineage, jockey, trainer, and career highlights on their path to the 151st Kentucky Derby. (Horses listed in alphabetical order) Sire: Drefong Jockey: Christophe Lemaire | Trainer: Yukihiro Kato Career Highlight: Won the UAE Derby Fun Fact: Admire Daytona was the top points earner on the European/Middle East Road to the Kentucky Derby Sire: Justify Jockey: Nik Juarez | Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas Career Highlight: Won the 2025 Virginia Derby Fun Fact: The phrase 'American Promise' is also associated with a handful of moments leading to the passage of the Voting Rights Act. Sire: Liam's Map Jockey: Brian T. Hernandez, Jr. | Trainer: Ian R. Wilkes Career Highlight: Won the 2025 Blue Grass Stakes Fun Fact: Burnham Square's grandfather is 1990 Derby winner Unbridled Sire: Preservationist Jockey: Jareth Loveberry | Trainer: Ethan W. West Career Highlight: Placed second at the 2025 Louisiana Derby Fun Fact: This is Loveberry's second Derby ride. He rode Two Phil's to a second-place finish in 2023. Sire: Into Mischief Jockey: Martin Garcia | Trainer: Bob Baffert Career Highlight: Won the 2024 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fun Fact: This will be Garcia's 5th Derby. His best finish was third in 2015 aboard Dortmund. Sire: Coal Front Jockey: Juan P. Vargas | Trainer: Lonnie Briley Career Highlight: Won the 2025 Rebel Stakes Fun Fact: Both of Coal Battle's parents, Coal Front and Wolfblade, are descendants of Seattle Slew. Sire: Medaglia d'Oro Jockey: Luan Machado | Trainer: Brendan P. Walsh Career Highlight: Second in the 2025 Blue Grass Stakes Fun Fact: Medaglia d'Oro, East Avenue's sire, raced in all three Triple Crown races in 2002, finishing fourth in the Kentucky Derby, eighth in the Preakness and second in the Belmont. Sire: Not This Time Jockey: Luan Machado | Trainer: Brad H. Cox Career Highlight: Won the 2025 Jeff Ruby Steaks Fun Fact: The Kentucky Derby will be Final Gambit's first race on dirt. Sire: Karakontie Jockey: Joseph D. Ramos | Trainer: D. Whitworth Beckman Career Highlight: Second in the 2025 Jeff Ruby Steaks Fun Fact: The Kentucky Derby will be Flying Mohawk's first race on dirt. Sire: Curlin Jockey: John Velazquez | Trainer: Todd A. Pletcher Career Highlight: Rallied from seventh for a second-place finish in the Wood Memorial to qualify for the Derby Fun Fact: Pletcher and Velazquez teamed up to win the Derby with Super Saver in 2010 and Always Dreaming in 2017. Jockey: Umberto Rispoli | Trainer: Mike McCarthy Career Highlight: Won the 2025 Santa Anita Derby Fun Fact: Curlin has sired winners of the Preakness, Belmont Stakes, and Breeders' Cup Classic but not the Kentucky Derby Sire: American Pharaoh Jockey: TBA | Trainer: Noriyuki Hori Race Highlight: Won the 2025 Fukuryu Stakes Fun Fact: Luxor Cafe won three stakes races in Japan to qualify for the Kentucky Derby. Trainer and horse making their first starts outside of Japan. Sire: Quality Road Jockey: Mike E. Smith | Trainer: Bob Baffert Career Highlight: Finished second in the Rebel Stakes Fun Fact: Baffert's 1st of 5 Kentucky Derby wins was with Silver Charm in 1997. Sire: Speightstown Jockey: TBA | Trainer: Brian Lynch Career Highlight: Won the Tampa Bay Derby with the 2nd fastest time in the history of the race Fun Fact: Irad Ortiz, Jr. rode Owen Almighty at Tampa but the ride is in question for the Derby. Sire: American Pharoah Jockey: Flavien Prat | Trainer: Steven M. Asmussen Career Highlight: Finished second in the Arkansas Derby Fun Fact: Asmussen is the winningest trainer of all-time amassing over 10,000 victories as a trainer Sire: Maclean's Music Jockey: Irad Ortiz, Jr. | Trainer: Todd A. Pletcher Career Highlight: Finished second in the Fountain of Youth Stakes Fun Fact: River Thames has never run a race the length of the Kentucky Derby (1 1/4 miles). Sire: Authentic Jockey: Michael E. Smith | Trainer: Bob Baffert Career Highlight: Won the 2025 Wood Memorial Fun Fact: Both of Rodriguez' victories have come in wire-to-wire fashion, and he figures to be at or near the front early in the Kentucky Derby. Sire: Tapit Jockey: Jose L. Ortiz | Trainer: Mark Casse Career Highlight: won the 2025 Arkansas Derby Fun Fact: Tapit is the No. 1 active sire by lifetime Grade 1 winners, and the All-Time leading sire by earnings. Jockey: Manuel Franco | Trainer: William I. Mott Career Highlight: Won the 2025 Fountain of Youth Fun Fact: Mott was the trainer of Resilience who finished sixth in the 2024 Kentucky Derby. Jockey: Luis Saez | Trainer: Brad H. Cox Career Highlight: Won the 2025 Florida Derby Fun Fact: Tappan Street upset Sovereignty to win the Florida Derby. Sire: Tiz the Law Jockey: Joel Rosario | Trainer: Steven M. Asmussen Career Highlight: Won the 2025 Louisiana Derby Fun Fact: Asmussen's father was a jockey, and his two sons are currently jockeys. As the Derby approaches and the Draw is announced, NBC Sports will keep you up to speed on the latest news from Churchill Downs as the best in horse racing make their final preparations in an effort to claim the coveted blanket of roses.
