Like the King

Like the King won two of four races as a 2-year-old and did not finish outside the top three in four starts during his juvenile campaign. The Palace Malice colt won a turf race by 7 ½ lengths in September and then capped the year with a 3 ½-length score in a one-mile allowance-optional claiming race on the synthetic main track at Turfway Park Dec. 4, 2020.

Like the King made his stakes and 3-year-old debut Feb. 26 in the $100,000 John Battaglia Memorial Stakes at Turfway and finished second to Hush of a Storm. He followed with a victory in the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks March 27 at Turfway Park, where he surged to the front in the stretch and withstood a claim if foul to prevail. Like the King banked 100 points toward qualifying for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve with the victory, punching his ticket to the first jewel of the Triple Crown.

In the Derby, Like the King finished twelfth. He raced on the grass in his next two starts, finishing off the board in the Audobon Stakes at Churchill Downs, but finishing second in the Kent Stakes at Delaware Park.

Stakes-placed winner Like a Queen, by Corinthian, is the dam (mother) of Like the King.