All 21 horses set to race in this year’s Kentucky Derby can trace their lineage back to the legendary racehorse, Secretariat. This year is particularly significant, marking 52 years since Secretariat clinched the Triple Crown with a record time that still stands. No matter who crosses the finish line first, the horse’s legacy endures.
Secretariat sired over 660 registered foals during his lifetime. He was renowned for his exceptional heart and dominating performances. Winning the Derby, Preakness, and Belmont in record time, he ended a 25-year drought for the Triple Crown in 1973, creating one of the most iconic moments in horse racing history.
In the Derby, Secretariat finished in 1:59.40. Then, just two weeks later, he won the Preakness Stakes in 1:53. During the Belmont Stakes, he overwhelmed his competitors, claiming victory by an astonishing 31 lengths. He became the first Triple Crown winner since Citation back in 1948.
All the competitors this Saturday have some connection to that remarkable story:
- 1. Citizen Bull with jockey Martin Garcia (17-1 odds)
- 2. Neo Ecos with jockey Flavien Prat (54-1 odds)
- 3. Final Gambit with jockey Luang Machado (18-1 odds)
- 4. Rodriguez with jockey Mike Smith (9-1 odds)
- 5. American Promise with jockey Nick Juarez (13-1 odds)
- 6. Praise Daytona with jockey Christophe Lemaitre (40-1 odds)
- 7. Luxor Café with jockey Joa Moreira (14-1 odds)
- 8. Journalism with jockey Umberto Rispoli (4-1 odds)
- 9. Burnham Square with jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. (20-1 odds)
- 10. Grande with jockey John Velazquez (18-1 odds)
- 11. Flying Mohawk with jockey Joe Ramos (34-1 odds)
- 12. East Avenue with jockey Manny Franco (34-1 odds)
- 13. Publisher with jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. (30-1 odds)
- 14. Jockey Joel Rosario (19-1 odds)
- 15. Make a Judgment with jockey Julien Leparoux (12-1 odds)
- 16. Coal Battle with jockey Fan Vargas (30-1 odds)
- 17. Sandman with jockey Jose Ortiz (5-1 odds)
- 18. Rights with jockey Junior Alvarado (11-1 odds)
- 19. Gold Chuck with jockey Jareth Loveberry (35-1 odds)
- 20. Owen Almighty with jockey Javier Castellano (43-1 odds)
- 21. Baeza with jockey Flavien Prat (54-1 odds)
How to watch it?
- Location: Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky
- Date: May 3, 2024
- Post time: 7:02 PM EST
- Broadcast: NBC
- Purse: $5 million
