Kentucky Derby Roundup: Speed King surprises in the Southwest

The 2025 Kentucky Derby (G1) is 96 days away. Catch up on the latest news and notes as the Road to the Kentucky Derby unfolds:

Speed King upsets high-profile field in Southwest

Speed King vaulted up the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard thanks to a gate-to-wire win in the $1 million Southwest (G3) at Oaklawn Park, which awarded qualification points on a 20-10-6-4-2 basis to the top five finishers.

Previously a close runner-up in the Remington Springboard Mile, Speed King survived setting fractions of :24.11, :47.82, and 1:12.23 over the slow Oaklawn dirt to defeat a deep Southwest field by one length at odds of 14-1. He completed 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.86. 

Speed King now owns a total of 25 qualification points, ranking second on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.

RELATED: Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Speed King

Sandman, third in the Street Sense (G3) and fifth in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) last year, overcame a poor start to rally and finish second over Tiztastic, runner-up in the Street Sense and third in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2). These two Road to the Kentucky Derby veterans have accumulated 14 points apiece and currently rank 10th and ninth on the leaderboard, with Tiztastic winning the tiebreaker based on non-restricted stakes earnings.

Patch Adams and Monet’s Magic, newcomers to the Derby trail, rounded out the Southwest top five. Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) runner-up Gaming, who came into the Southwest ranked fifth on the leaderboard, endured a ton of early traffic trouble and never recovered while finishing eighth.

Mo Quality, Omaha Omaha lead Withers field

Seven horses will vie for 20-10-6-4-2 Kentucky Derby qualification points in Saturday’s 1 1/8-mile Withers S. at Aqueduct, the fourth of six qualifiers taking place over the New York oval.

Smarty Jones S. runner-up Mo Quality and Jerome S. second-place finisher Omaha Omaha lead the field; they currently sit 25th and 26th on the leaderboard with 5 points apiece. Future Stars S. winner Global Steve, flashy maiden winner Captain Cook, the stakes-experienced Surfside Moon, and allowance runners Corvus and Uncle Jim complete the field.

Ferocious kicks off sophomore campaign in Holy Bull

Last year’s Breeders’ Futurity (G1) and Hopeful (G1) runner-up Ferocious will seek his first stakes win in Saturday’s Holy Bull (G3) at Gulfstream Park, a 1 1/16-mile Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifier worth 20-10-6-4-2 points.

Ferocious hasn’t started since finishing a troubled fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1). In the Holy Bull, he’ll race with blinkers for the first time, an 18% winning move for Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Gustavo Delgado.

Others in the seven-horse field include Grey (G3) winner He’s Not Joking, Mucho Macho Man S. conqueror Guns Loaded, and the maiden winners Kinetic Control, Tappan Street, Burning Glory, and Burnham Square.

Citizen Bull among possible Robert B. Lewis starters

Final entries for Saturday’s Robert B. Lewis (G3) at Santa Anita haven’t been announced as of this writing, but the field for the 1 1/16-mile Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifier may come up strong.

Six-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert has nominated half a dozen horses to the Robert B. Lewis, including newly crowned champion two-year-old male Citizen Bull. The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) winner has been mentioned as a possible Lewis starter by Baffert, and if Citizen Bull wins the lion’s share of the 20-10-6-4-2 qualification points up for grabs, he’ll extend his lead in the Road to the Kentucky Derby rankings. He currently sits atop the chart with 40 points.

Kentucky Derby contender workouts

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

Aviator Gui: Remsen (G2) runner-up Aviator Gui clocked four furlongs in :50.40 on Sunday at Payson Park.

Chancer McPatrick: Returning to serious training for the first time since a misfire in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Hopeful (G1) and Champagne (G1) winner Chancer McPatrick breezed three furlongs in :39.00 on Sunday at Payson Park.

Citizen Bull: In his final timed workout before the Robert B. Lewis, Citizen Bull blazed five furlongs in a bullet :59.00 on Saturday at Santa Anita.

Coal Battle: The Smarty Jones S. winner clocked half a mile in :49.80 on Friday at Delta Downs.

East Avenue: The runaway Breeders’ Futurity (G1) winner breezed five furlongs in 1:01.40 on Sunday at Fair Grounds.

Ferocious: Wrapping up his preparations for the Holy Bull, Ferocious worked five furlongs in 1:01.87 on Friday at Gulfstream Park.

Filoso: In his first workout since finishing sixth in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2), Breeders’ Futurity third-place finisher Filoso breezed four furlongs in :49.60 on Thursday at Palm Meadows.

First Resort: The Kentucky Jockey Club winner turned in his first workout of 2025 when getting half a mile in :48.80 on Sunday at Turfway Park.

Getaway Car: Coming off a runner-up finish in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2), Getaway Car traveled four furlongs in :49.00 at Santa Anita last Monday. He followed up with five furlongs over the same track in :59.60 on Sunday.

Jonathan’s Way: The Iroquois (G3) winner clocked five furlongs in an easy 1:03.20 at Fair Grounds last Monday. He then traveled the same distance in 1:01.80 on Sunday at Fair Grounds.

Journalism: In his first timed workout of 2025, Los Alamitos Futurity winner Journalism traversed half a mile in :49.80 at Santa Anita on Thursday.

Owen Almighty: The Iroquois runner-up clocked a quick half-mile in :47.95 on Saturday at Palm Meadows.

Poster: The Remsen conqueror breezed five furlongs in 1:02.60 on Saturday at Turfway Park.

Tip Top Thomas: In his first workout since finishing second in the Oct. 5 Champagne, Tip Top Thomas clocked a modest three furlongs in :39.72 on Sunday at Palm Beach Downs.

Tux: The Remsen third-place finisher clocked four furlongs in :50.00 on Sunday at Payson Park.

American Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard top five

1. Citizen Bull (40 points)
2. Speed King (25 points)
3. Coal Battle (20 points)
4. Disco Time (20 points)
5. Built (20 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)