Derby alumni: Get updates on 29 who ran for the roses

The Derby Alumni tracker checks in with the horses who raced in the Kentucky Derby, both this year and in previous years, keeping up with what they have done since they ran for the roses.

2024 Kentucky Derby

The two shortest-priced horses from the 2024 Kentucky Derby, Fierceness and Sierra Leone, clashed Saturday at Saratoga in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy. Though Sierra Leone got the best of Fierceness in the run for the roses, Fierceness was back to his brilliant best at Saratoga. He stalked the pace and cleared off in the lane, holding off the finishing Sierra Leone to win by a length.

Dornoch, 10th in the Kentucky Derby, came back to win the Belmont Stakes and then stayed in smart form in the Haskell (G1) on July 20 at Monmouth. He once against showed why he is one of the grittiest horses in the sophomore class. He battled with Timberlake, got headed by Mindframe mid-stretch and came back to win by 1 1/4 lengths.

2023 Kentucky Derby

Eight runners from the 2023 Kentucky Derby were recently in action. The star of the group was Tapit Trice, who returned to the races for the first time since the 2023 Travers (G1). On July 20 at Monmouth he contested the Monmouth Cup (G3). He tracked closer to the pace than he usually did as a sophomore, opened up in the lane and drew off to win by 5 1/4 lengths over odds-on favorite Highland Falls.

Three others hit the board in stakes company. Reincarnate finished second to up-and-coming Midnight Mammoth in the 1 1/2-mile Cougar II (G3) at Del Mar on Thursday. Mandarin Hero splashed through the mud on July 7 and rallied for second behind Ryan in the Sekirei Sho, at about 1 1/4 miles at Morioka. On July 5, Confidence Game hit the board for the first time since his 2023 Rebel (G2) win when he finished third in the Iowa Sprint, beaten only a length by 2020 Kentucky Derby alumnus Necker Island.

Hit Show is the one other runner from the 2023 Kentucky Derby to run in stakes company, contesting the 1 1/8-mile Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap (G3) on July 6. He was bet to favoritism after an allowance win, but couldn't find the late kick he need and crossed the wire seventh, 6 1/2 lengths behind Red Route One. Hit Show is entered in Sunday's West Virginia Derby (G3).

Three others from the field recently ran in non-stakes engagements. Lord Miles was second in a handicap at Gulfstream on July 20, and King Russell and Rocket Can finished off the board in allowance company.

Cyclone Mischief is entered Saturday in an allowance-optional claiming race at Ellis Park. He drew the seventh post of eight in a six-furlong dirt sprint, and is in under the two-other-than condition. At 7-2 the Dale Romans trainee is the second favorite behind Rhyme Schemes (9-5), a 3-year-old who has not raced since winning the Saratoga Special (G2) last August.

2022 Kentucky Derby

Crown Pride returned to the winners' circle on July 15 for the first time since his Korea Cup (G3) victory last September. In the listed Mercury Cup at Morioka, going about 1 1/4 miles on the dirt, he tracked in second much of the way and battled all the way to the wire to get the best of a three-horse win photo, winning by a nose over last-out stakes winner Beyond the Father.

Tawny Port remained on the lawn and picked up another graded-stakes placing July 20 in the 1 3/8-mile United Nations (G2) at Monmouth. He stalked the pace set by wire-to-wire winner Get Smokin, rallied in the lane, but was narrowly beaten to the wire. He finished third, behind Get Smokin and Grand Sonata, but missed the win by only a head.

Four others from the 2022 Kentucky Derby field have raced recently, though finished off the board. Happy Jack, coming off a win in the Triple Bend (G2), finished sixth behind The Chosen Vron in the Bing Crosby (G1) on Saturday. Zozos was sixth in allowance company, Ethereal Road was ninth in allowance company, and Tiz the Bomb finished sixth in a straight claiming race.

Two runners from the 2022 Kentucky Derby are entered to race in the coming days. Charge It, fifth in the Hanshin at Churchill Downs in his most recent start, steps back up to the top level for the Whitney (G1) on Saturday at Saratoga. Classic Causeway, most recently seventh in the Stephen Foster (G1) on dirt, returns to the lawn for the Kentucky Downs Preview Turf at Ellis on Sunday.

Rattle N Roll, unraced and off the work tab since a fourth-place finish in the Lukas Classic (G2) on Sept. 30, is back in serious training. The Kenny McPeek trainee posted a three-furlong work July 20 at Churchill Downs, and did another Saturday. Smile Happy, also trained by McPeek during his racing career, has been retired and is up for adoption through the Secretariat Center.

2021 Kentucky Derby

A pair of runners from the 2021 Kentucky Derby not only ran in recent weeks, but are entered to return to the starting gate.

Hidden Stash finished seventh behind Grade 3-placed Fuerteventura in a 1 1/8-mile allowance optional claiming race on the grass at Ellis Park. He flattened late but was beaten by only 4 3/4 lengths by the winner. Hidden Stash turns back to 1 1/16 miles for an allowance optional claiming race Friday at Colonial Downs. He is a 15-1 morning-line long shot in a field of 12. The 2-1 morning-line favorite is Grade 3 winner Highestdistinction, who makes his 7-year-old debut in the race.

Brooklyn Strong returned to action July 3 in a $25,000 starter allownace at one mile and 70 yards on the dirt at Parx. He tracked in close range early but weakened to finish sixth of seven, 11 1/2 lengths behind winner Winnin'onweekends. Brooklyn Strong drops back down into a straight claiming race on Thursday, a dirt mile at Penn National where he will be in for a $16,000 tag. He is the 3-1 second choice on the morning line behind Alvy (5-2), a last-out winner in a claiming race at Delaware.

2020 Kentucky Derby

Necker Island may be 7 years old, but the millionaire is still winning horse races for trainer Chris Hartman. In his second start of the year, in the Iowa Sprint on July 5, Necker Island saved ground, bid along the rail, and got up in time to win by 3/4 length over Jaxon Traveler.

Three others from the 2020 Kentucky Derby were in action recently as well, with one in stakes company.

Enforceable contested the Clásico Jockey Club del Perú (G1) on June 23, going about 1 1/2 miles on the dirt at Monterrico. He tracked in range of the leader while keen early, opened up through the first turn and set the pace into the lane. But Gluck reeled him in at the turn for home, and he flattened to finish fourth, 14 1/4 lengths behind runaway winner Gluck.

South Bend was fifth in an allowance-optional claiming race at Woodbine on July 19 going about 1 1/8 miles on the lawn, crossing the wire 5 1/2 lengths behind Public Sector. Storm the Court finished third in an allowance-optional claiming race at Laurel on July 5, and is already entered to return to the races Friday at Laurel. Like his most recent start it is a second-level condition on the turf, though he stretches out from the flat mile to 1 1/16 miles.

2019 Kentucky Derby

No one from the 2019 Kentucky Derby field has raced or worked in the last four weeks, though several runners remain in training this year. However, winner Country House had his first winner as a stallion Sunday when Bridle a Butterfly blew up the tote board in a five-furlong maiden special weight turf dash at Gulfstream. At 21-1 the longest shot in a seven-horse field, the Bethany Baumgardner trainee chased mid-pack, kicked on well in the lane and cleared off to win by 3 1/2 lengths.