Kentucky Derby Roundup: Magnitude climbs the leaderboard

The 2025 Kentucky Derby (G1) is 75 days away. Catch up on the latest news and notes as the Road to the Kentucky Derby unfolds:

Magnitude stuns in Risen Star

Few bettors expected Magnitude to win Saturday’s 1 1/8-mile Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds. Coming off a second in the Gun Runner S. and a sixth in the Lecomte (G3), the Steve Asmussen trainee started as a 43-1 longshot against 11 rivals.

But Magnitude exceeded expectations in dramatic fashion. He dashed to the lead, set fast fractions of :23.42, :46.92, and 1:10.95, and powered clear down the homestretch to dominate by 9 3/4 lengths in the strong time of 1:48.85.

RELATED: Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Magnitude

As the first leg of the Road to the Kentucky Derby Championship Series, the Risen Star awarded 50-25-15-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualification points to the top five finishers. With 55 points in total, Magnitude has vaulted to second place on the leaderboard, virtually guaranteeing him a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate.

Chunk of Gold rallied for second place in the Risen Star and sits sixth on the leaderboard with 25 points. Built, winner of the Gun Runner and second in the Lecomte, finished third in the Risen Star and ranks fourth with 35 points.

Vassimo and American Promise rounded out the Risen Star top five, while Breeders’ Futurity (G1) winner and Risen Star favorite East Avenue faded to finish 10th (in a dead-heat).

Getaway Car hangs on in Sunland Park Derby

After recording top-four finishers in the American Pharoah (G1), Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), and Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, Getaway Car appreciated dropping in class for Sunday’s 1 1/16-mile Sunland Park Derby at Sunland Park.

Facing easier foes was enough to send last year’s Best Pal (G3) conqueror to the winner’s circle. Getaway Car set fractions of :23.31, :46.93, and 1:10.99 before turning back a stiff challenge from Caldera to score by a nose in 1:42.64.

Touchy, Take Charge Tom, and Itsmybirthday rounded out the top five.

The Sunland Park Derby awarded Road to the Kentucky Derby qualification points on a 20-10-6-4-2 basis. With 36 points to his credit, Getaway Car has climbed to third place on the leaderboard.

Coal Battle, Speed King lead deep Rebel field

An excellent field has assembled for Saturday’s $1.25 million Rebel (G2) at Oaklawn Park, the second 2024-25 Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifier worth 50-25-15-10-5 points.

The field is led by Coal Battle and Speed King, the top two finishers in the Remington Springboard Mile S. in December. Coal Battle has since won the Smarty Jones S. at Oaklawn, while Speed King followed up with a triumph in Oaklawn’s Southwest (G3). They currently rank seventh and fifth on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.

Other Road to the Kentucky Derby points earners entered in the Rebel include Southwest runner-up Sandman, Robert B. Lewis (G3) third-place runner Madaket Road, Lecomte (G3) third-place finisher Innovator, Champagne (G1) fourth-place finisher Smoken Wicked, the three-time graded stakes-placed Tiztastic, and Gun Runner S. fourth-place finisher Admiral Dennis.

Rounding out the field are Hypnus, Publisher, Dreaminblue, Bullard, Brereton’s Baytown, and Hot Gunner.

First Resort makes sophomore debut in John Battaglia Memorial

Last year’s Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) winner First Resort leads an overflow field of 14 horses entered in Saturday’s John Battaglia Memorial S. at Turfway Park, a Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifier worth 20-10-6-4-2 points.

First Resort has never raced over Turfway’s synthetic Tapeta track, but he’s trained for months over the surface and capped off his winter work tab with five furlongs in :59 2/5. Expect this Godolphin homebred to deliver a strong showing in his three-year-old debut.

Other accomplished names in the field include Tremont S. and Nashua S. winner Studlydoright, Leonatus S. winner Baby Max, Turfway Prevue S. conqueror Coming in Hot, and Lecomte (G3) fifth-place finisher Maximum Promise.

Spirit Rags, Shan, Calling Card, California Burrito, Banks, King of Ashes, Brereton’s Baytown, Special Caliber, and Maitre D complete the lineup. The latter two are also-eligible entrants.

Barnes, Citizen Bull prove popular in Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 4

Unbeaten San Vicente (G2) winner Barnes closed as the 8-1 individual favorite in Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 4, narrowly beating out his champion stablemate Citizen Bull (9-1).

The two Bob Baffert trainees were the only individual horses to settle at single-digit odds. “All Other Three-Year-Olds,” which included Risen Star winner Magnitude, closed as the overall favorite at 9-2.

For a complete list of betting interests and final odds, check out our Pool 4 recap.

Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby continues in Hyacinth

The Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby resumes on Sunday with the running of the 1,600-meter Hyacinth S. at Tokyo Racecourse, the third leg of the four-race series. Points are available on a 30-15-9-6-3 basis to the top five finishers.

The field isn’t yet finalized, but the early entries include 10 Triple Crown nominees: Danon Figo, Dragon, Ecoro Azel, Happy Man, Luxor Cafe, On the Move, Poulsen, Promised Gene, Taisei Dorado, and Vilja Liad.

Happy Man has already earned 10 Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby qualification points courtesy of a runner-up finish in the Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun. A top-four finish in the Hyacinth will make him the highest-ranking Triple Crown nominee on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.

Kentucky Derby contender workouts

Here are some of the latest workouts recorded by Road to the Kentucky Derby points earners:

Admiral Dennis: Five furlongs in 1:00.20 at Fair Grounds on Saturday.

Burnham Square: Half a mile in :50.05 at Palm Meadows on Saturday.

Burning Glory: Half a mile in a bullet :48.60 at Payson Park on Friday.

Captain Cook: Four furlongs in :52.00 at Belmont Park on Saturday.

Chancer McPatrick: Four furlongs in :49.80 at Payson Park on Sunday.

Citizen Bull: Five furlongs in 1:00.60 at Santa Anita on Monday.

Coal Battle: Five furlongs in 1:01.20 at Oaklawn last Monday.

Filoso: Five furlongs in a bullet :59.10 at Palm Meadows on Friday.

First Resort: Five furlongs in a bullet :59.40 at Turfway Park last Monday.

Golden Afternoon: Half a mile in :50.60 at Fair Grounds on Friday.

Hill Road: Four furlongs in :49.40 at Payson Park on Sunday.

Innovator: Five furlongs in a bullet :59.80 at Oaklawn on Friday.

Journalism: Five furlongs in 1:00.80 at Santa Anita on Sunday.

Madaket Road: Four furlongs in :48.00 at Santa Anita on Sunday.

Maximum Promise: Five furlongs in 1:01.00 at Fair Grounds on Saturday.

Patch Adams: Four furlongs in :49.80 at Payson Park on Saturday.

Rodriguez: Six furlongs in 1:11.80 at Santa Anita on Monday.

Smoken Wicked: Five furlongs in a bullet 1:00.00 at Fair Grounds on Thursday.

Sovereignty: Four furlongs in :49.40 at Payson Park on Saturday.

Speed King: Half a mile in :48.00 at Oaklawn on Friday.

Tappan Street: Four furlongs in :49.80 at Payson Park on Saturday.

Tip Top Thomas: Half a mile in a bullet :47.77 at Palm Beach Downs on Saturday.

Tiztastic: Five furlongs in a bullet 1:00.00 at Oaklawn last Monday.

American Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard top five

1. Citizen Bull (60 points)
2. Magnitude (55 points)
3. Getaway Car (36 points)
4. Built (35 points)
5. Speed King (25 points)

European-Middle East Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard top five

1. Hotazhell (20 points)*
2. Wimbledon Hawkeye (13 points)*
3. Camille Pissarro (10 points)*
4. Rashabar (5 points)*
5. Delacroix (5 points)*

Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard top five

1. Myriad Love (20 points)*
2. Natural Rise (14 points)
3. Happy Man (10 points)
4. Soldier Field (6 points)*
5. Clay King (5 points)

* Not currently nominated to the Triple Crown.