Triple Crown tracker: 7 entrants from 2025 Derby race Saturday
The Triple Crown Tracker checks in with the horses who raced in the 2025 Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont, keeping up with what they have done since the classics.
2025 Kentucky Derby
Though no one in the 2025 Kentucky Derby field has raced in recent weeks, seven entrants are slated to race in the coming days.
The Grade 3 Oaklawn Mile on Saturday in Hot Springs is the hot spot, with three horses from last year's Kentucky Derby field slated to challenge the morning-line favorite, 2024 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Full Serrano. East Avenue, in his first start since the West Virginia Derby (G3) last fall, is the 7-2 third choice on the morning line. Coal Battle (6-1) also makes his 4-year-old debut, as he was last seen finishing second in the Indiana Derby (G3). Neoequos (12-1) switches back to dirt after winning on the Gulfstream lawn last out.
Two others from the 2025 Kentucky Derby field are running in other races Saturday at Oaklawn. Publisher, who broke his maiden and cleared his first-level condition this winter in Arkansas, steps back up to stakes company in the 1 1/16-mile American Pharoah Overnight Stakes, where he is the 3-1 second choice behind Classic Car Wash. Render Judgment, unraced since a 10th-place finish in an allowance at Oaklawn on Jan. 3, tries again at the same level in a 1 1/16-mile race Saturday, where he is a 12-1 long shot.
Another pair of entrants from last year's Kentucky Derby race at Gulfstream on Saturday. Grande, who won an allowance-optional claimer on Feb. 14 in his 4-year-old debut, steps up to stakes company for the Ghostzapper (G3). Owen Almighty, unraced since the Perryville (G3) last fall at Keeneland, tackles older foes for the first time in the seven-furlong Army Mule.
| Derby | Horse | Last race | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sovereignty | 1st Travers (G1) | Worked 5f Mon. at PAY |
| 2 | Journalism | 4th Breeders' Cup Classic | Worked 5f Sun. at SA |
| 3 | Baeza | 6th Breeders' Cup Classic | Worked 4f Sun. at PAY |
| 4 | Final Gambit | 2nd Last Hurrah | Worked 4f Jan. 17 at TP |
| 5 | Owen Almighty | 3rd Perryville (G3) | Entered Sat. in Army Mule |
| 6 | Burnham Square | 2nd Alw OC (Feb. 28 at GP) | Worked 5f Fri. at PMM |
| 7 | Sandman | 6th Razorback Handicap (G3) | No works since last race |
| 8 | East Avenue | 5th West Virginia Derby (G3) | Entered Sat. in Oaklawn Mile (G3) |
| 9 | Chunk of Gold | 3rd Clark (G2) | Worked 5f Jan 3 at TP |
| 10 | Tiztastic | 10th Nashville Derby (G3) | Worked 5f Fri. at FG |
| 11 | Coal Battle | 2nd Indiana Derby (G3) | Entered Sat. in Oaklawn Mile (G3) |
| 12 | Luxor Cafe | 5th Saudi Cup (G1) | No works since last race |
| 13 | Neoequos | 1st, Sunshine Turf | Entered Sat. in Oaklawn Mile (G3) |
| 14 | Publisher | 1st Alw (Sat. at OP) | Entered Sat. in American Pharoah Overnight |
| 15 | Citizen Bull | 2nd Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile | Stands for $45,000 at Ashford |
| 16 | American Promise | 8th Preakness | Worked 5f Mon. at FG |
| 17 | Render Judgment | 10th Alw (Jan. 3 at OP) | Entered Sat. in Alw at OP |
| 18 | Flying Mohawk | 6th Alw OC (Feb. 21 at FG) | Worked 4f Sat. at FG |
| 19 | Admire Daytona | 14th Musashino (G3) | No works since last race |
| SCR | Grande | 1st Alw OC (Feb.14 at GP) | Entered Sat. in Ghostzapper (G3) at GP |
| SCR | Rodriguez | 4th Belmont | Worked 4f July 14 at SA |
2025 Preakness Stakes
Preakness runner-up Gosger made his 4-year-old debut Saturday at Gulfstream. The Brendan Walsh charge set the pace as the 3-10 favorite in the conditioned 1 1/16-mile allowance but was reeled in late by Navajo Warrior and had to settle for second, beaten by 1 1/2 lengths.
Pay Billy, making his second start of the year in a Laurel Park allowance on Feb. 27, returned to the winners' circle for the first time since the Federico Tesio in April of last year. The Michael Gorham trainee bided his time as a pair contested a speed duel in front of him, rallied into them in the final furlong and drew off to win by two lengths.
| Preakness | Horse | Last race | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Journalism | 4th Breeders' Cup Classic | Worked 5f Sun. at SA |
| 2 | Gosger | 2nd Alw OC (Sat. at GP) | No works since last race |
| 3 | Sandman | 6th Razorback Handicap (G3) | No works since last race |
| 4 | Goal Oriented | 1st Malibu (G1) | Stands for $30,000 at Spendthrift |
| 5 | Heart of Honor | 7th Al Maktoum Classic (G2) | Entered Sat. in Dubai World Cup (G1) |
| 6 | River Thames | 6th Preakness | Worked 4f Jan. 11 on PBD |
| 7 | Pay Billy | 1st Alw OC (Feb. 27 at LRL) | Worked 4f Sun. at LRL |
| 8 | American Promise | 8th Preakness | Worked 5f Mon. at FG |
| 9 | Clever Again | 5th Gun Runner | Worked 5f Fri. at FG |
2025 Belmont Stakes
Heart of Honor had success early in the Dubai Carnival meet but ran into a setback Feb. 28 in the Al Maktoum Classic (G2) at Meydan. After a slow start, he never got into contention and finished seventh of nine, 14 lengths behind Meydaan. The Jamie Osborne trainee presses on, however. He is entered in Saturday's Dubai World Cup (G1), where he will face not only Meydaan again but also Breeders' Cup Classic winner Forever Young and last year's Dubai World Cup winner Hit Show.
| Belmont | Horse | Last race | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sovereignty | 1st Travers (G1) | Worked 5f March 16 at PAY |
| 2 | Journalism | 4th Breeders' Cup Classic | Worked 5f Sun. at SA |
| 3 | Baeza | 6th Breeders' Cup Classic | Worked 4f Sun. at PAY |
| 4 | Rodriguez | 4th Belmont | Worked 4f July 14 at SA |
| 5 | Hill Road | 10th Breeders' Cup Turf | Worked 3f Fri. at PAY |
| 6 | Heart of Honor | 7th Al Maktoum Classic (G2) | Entered Sat. in Dubai World Cup (G1) |
| 7 | Uncaged | 5th Alw OC (Oct. 24 at KEE) | Sold to race in Kuwait |
| 8 | Crudo | 2nd Dwyer | Sold to race in Saudi Arabia |