2025 Kentucky Derby Features Top Contenders

The 2025 Kentucky Derby, set for May 3 at Churchill Downs, features a competitive field of 20 horses. Tappan Street enters the race after winning the Grade 1 Florida Derby and ranks sixth in points. Tiztastic, who claimed victory in the Louisiana Derby, ranks fifth and is trained by Steve Asmussen, still seeking his first Derby win. Rodriguez, trained by Bob Baffert, won the Wood Memorial and is fourth in points, as Baffert eyes a record seventh Derby victory. Journalism, with a four-race winning streak, is the morning-line favorite after winning the Santa Anita Derby, ranking third in points. Burnham Square, who won the Blue Grass Stakes, leads the points leaderboard and aims to be the first gelding to win since 2009. Each horse has earned its spot through a series of prep races, and the event promises a thrilling competition among top contenders.