This feature provides a capsule look at three horses who are heating up on the Triple Crown trail and three horses whose chances for the 2025 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve are not quite as strong as they previously were.
One of the most important, and exciting, weekends on the horse racing calendar every year is here, with two prestigious qualifying points races for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve set for Saturday, March 29.
This is the time of year for new stars to arise in Thoroughbred racing. The final races preparing horses for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve run on May 3 at Churchill Downs are being held around the country, and competition is intense as the best equine athletes attempt to gain a spot in the Derby with a good finish in their final prep race.
By 1943, the United States was more than a year into World War II, with Allied forces fighting in both Europe and the Pacific. For many, the racetrack served as a distraction, a place to get away from the heaviness of reality and find personalities to root for in challenging times.
One of the preeminent prep races on the road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve will be held at Gulfstream Park, which hosts the Grade 1, $1 million Curlin Florida Derby presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa.
