Kentucky Derby Class of ’17: Where Are They Now?

Racing
Always Dreaming leads the field through the Churchill Downs stretch en route to winning the 2017 Kentucky Derby. (Eclipse Sportswire)

If you’re a casual horse racing fan, you probably remember that a horse named Always Dreaming won the Kentucky Derby last year. But what happened to him after the race, and what happened to the other horses who ran in the 2017 Kentucky Derby? Well, we decided to answer those questions by taking a look back at each and every runner from a year ago.


Eclipse Sportswire

Always DreamingWon the Kentucky Derby

What happened next and where is he now?

The 2017 Kentucky Derby winner lost his next race, the Preakness Stakes, and hasn’t won since. He is scheduled to return to Churchill Downs on Friday, May 4, and run in the Alysheba Stakes.


Eclipse Sportswire

Lookin At LeeFinished 2nd

What happened next and where is he now?

A late-closing runner-up in the Derby at odds of more than 33-to-1, Lookin At Lee is still in pursuit of a graded stakes score. He’s run seven times since the big race last year and hasn’t finished better than third in any of those races. He finished fifth in the Oaklawn Handicap in mid-April.


Eclipse Sportswire

Battle of MidwayFinished 3rd

What happened next and where is he now?

Having outrun his long odds at Churchill, Battle of Midway returned to win his next start, the Affirmed Stakes at Santa Anita Park. He went on to win the Las Vegas Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and is now a stallion at WinStar Farm.


Eclipse Sportswire

Classic EmpireFinished 4th

What happened next and where is he now?

Plagued by pesky injuries in his short career, Classic Empire was valiant in all of his starts, including the Kentucky Derby. Two weeks later at Pimlico, he finished a close second in the Preakness Stakes. In late 2017, he was retired to Ashford Stud.


Eclipse Sportswire

Practical JokeFinished 5th

What happened next and where is he now?

It was distance, never talent, that was the issue with Practical Joke. He ran well in the Derby but didn’t experience his breakthrough win until capturing the Dwyer Stakes at a mile, and the seven-furlong H. Allen Jerkens Stakes later in 2017. Like Classic Empire, he too stands now at Ashford Stud.


Eclipse Sportswire

TapwritFinished 6th

What happened next and where is he now?

Though he didn’t win the Kentucky Derby, Tapwrit had his moment in the sun when he won the third leg of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets, in June. He only ran once more in 2017, finishing fourth in the Travers Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets. He’s back in training with some recent works posted (though it’s unclear where he might start next). When he’s retired, he is due to stand at Gainesway Farm, home of his sire Tapit.


Eclipse Sportswire

GunneveraFinished 7th

What happened next and where is he now?

Gunnevera is one of the more battle-tested horses to emerge from last year’s Derby. He came back to finish fifth in the Preakness, before winning a stakes race at his home track, Gulfstream Park, in August. He’s gone on to run in the Travers, Breeders’ Cup Classic, Pegasus World Cup and Dubai World Cup. There’s no word on where he might run next.


Eclipse Sportswire

McCrakenFinished 8th

What happened next and where is he now?

One of the early favorites on the 2017 Derby trail, McCraken encountered trip issues that compromised his chances on the first Saturday in May. He did, however, return to Churchill Downs to capture the Matt Winn Stakes. He ran three more times, without winning, to finish out the year, and is now back in training for his 2018 debut.


Eclipse Sportswire

GormleyFinished 9th

What happened next and where is he now?

The son of Malibu Moon won the Santa Anita Derby before the Kentucky Derby but wasn’t able to get back to the winner’s circle in 2017. He did run well in the Belmont Stakes, finishing fourth. Gormley is now retired and stands at Spendthrift Farm.


Eclipse Sportswire

Irish War CryFinished 10th

What happened next and where is he now?

After finishing mid-pack in the Kentucky Derby, Irish War Cry looked like a winner in the Belmont Stakes until he was caught in the closing stages by Tapwrit. He’s run four times since and, like many of his other ’17 Derby racemates, has yet to break through with a win. Most recently, he finished sixth in the Gulfstream Park Hardacre Mile Stakes in late March.


Eclipse Sportswire

HenceFinished 11th

What happened next and where is he now?

A classic “wise guy” horse, the overmatched Sunland Derby winner was sent off at odds of just 15-to-1 in the Kentucky Derby. After finishing 11th, and then finishing 9th in the Preakness Stakes, Hence did come back to win the Iowa Derby in July. He recently finished fourth in his first race of 2018 and is back on the worktab at Churchill Downs for an expected rematch with Always Dreaming in the Alysheba Stakes on May 4.


Untrapped
Eclipse Sportswire

UntrappedFinished 12th

What happened next and where is he now?

A hard-trying horse who made it to Louisville via the Arkansas prep route at Oaklawn Park, Untrapped didn’t make a significant impact in the 2017 Derby. He did finish up the year by scoring several checks, including third-place finishes in the Ohio Derby and Indiana Derby, and by winning the Oklahoma Derby. He’s been busy in 2018 too, having raced four times already. He finished third in Oaklawn Park Handicap a few weeks ago. 


Eclipse Sportswire

GirvinFinished 13th

What happened next and where is he now?

A winner of the Risen Star Stakes and the Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds, Girvin never got going on Kentucky Derby day. He did come back to win one of the biggest 3-year-old races of the year, the betfair.com Haskell Invitational Stakes at Monmouth Park in July. He’s set to make his first start of 2018 in the Steve Sexton Mile Stakes at Lone Star Park on May 6 — the day after this year’s Kentucky Derby.


Eclipse Sportswire

PatchFinished 14th

What happened next and where is he now?

A fan favorite, the one-eyed son of Union Rags barely cracked the top 15 in last year’s Derby, though a tough outside post could be attributed for some of his difficulties. Patch came back to run extremely well in the Belmont Stakes, where he finished third. He’s back in training but hasn’t yet started his 2018 campaign. 


Eclipse Sportswire

J Boys EchoFinished 15th

What happened next and where is he now?

A winner of the Gotham Stakes in New York, J Boys Echo had his troubles on Derby day in Louisville. He’s yet to get back to the winner’s circle but did finish second in a pair of allowance races late last year. He made his first start of 2018 in the Razorback Handicap at Oaklawn in February. His most recent listed workout was in March and there’s no indication as to where he might start next.


Eclipse Sportswire

SonneteerFinished 16th

What happened next and where is he now?

He came into the Kentucky Derby as a maiden (having never won a race) and Sonneteer left Louisville as a maiden. Two starts later, Sonneteer would score his first career victory. He launched his 2018 campaign with a win at odds of 29.80-to-1 in the Fifth Season Stakes at Oaklawn in January.


Eclipse Sportswire

Fast and AccurateFinished 17th

What happened next and where is he now?

Unlike Animal Kingdom, who won the Kentucky Derby in 2011, Fast and Accurate couldn’t parlay a victory in the Spiral Stakes into Derby glory. He’s run eight times since last year and has one win to his credit, which came on the turf at Gulfstream Park West. He’s currently still in training in Florida.


Eclipse Sportswire

IrapFinished 18th

What happened next and where is he now?

Of all of the horses who finished in the bottom half of the 2017 Kentucky Derby field, it was Irap who showed the most improvement and greatest promise in the ensuing months. The Tiznow colt came back to win the Ohio Derby and Indiana Derby. He followed that up with a pair of extremely impressive efforts, running third in the Travers Stakes and second in the Pennsylvania Derby. But Irap was pulled up with an injury after the finish of the Pennsylvania Derby at Parx. Best efforts were made to save Irap, but he developed laminitis and was sadly euthanized a month after sustaining the injury.


Eclipse Sportswire

State of HonorFinished 19th

What happened next and where is he now?

The Canadian-bred colt just didn’t have his day in the Derby and finished a well-beaten 19th (technically, he finished last since Thunder Snow didn’t really run the race). Following the Derby, he shipped North where finished 8th in the Queen’s Plate (Canada’s version of the Kentucky Derby) and third in two other stakes races. He hasn’t run in 2018, nor does he show any posted works.


Eclipse Sportswire

Thunder SnowFinished 20th

What happened next and where is he now?

Just like that, the Derby dream was over for Thunder Snow. In one of the most unusual starts to any Kentucky Derby, Thunder Snow skipped around for a few moments — he didn’t run — and was then guided off the track before the rest of the field had even hit the clubhouse turn. As odd as that was, the Irish-bred colt has more than redeemed himself since last year’s Derby. He’s won a Group 2 and two Group 1 races overseas, including an upset win in the $12-million Dubai World Cup in late March.

newsletter sign-up

Stay up-to-date with the best from America's Best Racing!