all in The Sport

The Triple Crown of American Thoroughbred Racing — or simply the Triple Crown to you and me — represents the pinnacle of achievement in the world of stateside horse racing. In recent years, the three showpieces have been overtaken somewhat when it comes to prize money, but their prestige remains unrivaled, with only the likes of the UK’s Grand National and Cheltenham Festival coming close.

The Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve is where lifelong dreams are made for anyone who has ever aspired to a career in racing. For the jockeys, making it to the Derby starting gate just once is considered a major accomplishment.

The two top choices on the morning-line will start from posts at different sides of the gate when an expected field of 20 horses lines up for the 150th edition of the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve at about 6:57 p.m. Saturday, May 4 at Churchill Downs.

Since first teaming to win a maiden claiming race at Aqueduct in April 1996 during the early part of their careers, trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey John Velazquez have combined to win another 1,865 races together. Among these is a victory in the 2017 Kentucky Derby with Always Dreaming.

Much has been made of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2024, but the same historical marker applies to its companion race for 3-year-old fillies, the $1.5 million Longines Kentucky Oaks.

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