Hades

Hades, a Florida-bred Awesome Slew gelding, made his debut Dec. 3, 2023, at Gulfstream Park and overcame a bump at the start to win a 5 ½-furlong maiden optional claiming race by a half-length. He returned on Dec. 31 to close out his 2-year-old season, and this time contested the early pace before drawing clear in the stretch and dominating a seven-furlong allowance optional claiming race against fellow statebreds by eight lengths.

That effort gave his connections the confidence to test Hades against much tougher competition, and he made his next start and 3-year-old debut Feb. 3 in the 1 1/16-mile, Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes, which also marked the return of 2023 champion 2-year-old colt Fierceness. With regular rider Paco Lopez in the irons, Hades set the early pace with pressure from Inveigled and Fierceness to his outside and was challenged by the latter foe in the far turn, but he found another gear and put away Fierceness in midstretch. He held off a late bid by New York shipper Domestic Product and posted the upset two-length win at odds of 9.20-1, earning 20 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve.

Hades followed that win with a fifth-place finish in the Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa on March 30, good for 10 more Kentucky Derby points.

Hades is out of the unraced Quality Road mare The Shady Lady and is from the family of Grade 1 winners Discreet Cat and Discreetly Mine.