Almost every casual sports fan knows about the Kentucky Derby and most can probably also remember that it is held annually on the first Saturday in May, but beyond that it’s always nice stumble across a yearly refresher. For that, we have a handy Beginner’s Guide to the Kentucky Derby, but today let’s narrow the focus a bit.

One aspect of the 2023 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve that we at America’s Best racing are especially excited about, which you might have seen on social media, is our “A Stake in Stardom” program in partnership with the great people at West Point Thoroughbreds.

Jace's Road.

Jace's Road. (Coady Photography)

Jace's Road.

West Point is co-owner along with Albaugh Family Stables of Kentucky Derby runner Jace’s Road. Through the A Stakes in Stardom initiative NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, FOX Sports reporter Lindsay Czarniak, and Fox Sports talk show host Joy Taylor will be attending the 2023 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 6 in Louisville, Ky., as minority owners of Jace’s Road through West Point Thoroughbreds.

Jace’s Road is a fast and talented 3-year-old, as is required to qualify for the Kentucky Derby. Let’s find out more about Jace’s Road, starting with the basics:

• WHO: 3-year-old Thoroughbred racehorse Jace’s Road
• WHAT: Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve
• WHEN: May 6 - start time is set for approximately 6:57 p.m. ET.
• WHERE: Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.
• HOW: Qualified by winning Gun Runner Stakes and finishing third in Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby

On a recent visit to the barn of Brad Cox, who trains Jace’s Road and won the Eclipse Award as outstanding trainer in North America in 2020 and 2021, our team at ABR was very pleased to find out that Jace’s Road is not only a gifted athlete but also a fantastic horse to be around. Some Thoroughbreds can be a handful and males can be a bit “studdish,” but Jace’s Road loves company, gobbling down mints, and being doted upon by visitors. Jace, as he is sometimes referred to, also apparently relishes his sleep and spends a big chunk of his days laying down in his stall.

“Jace’s Road is a happy dude, he loves his job, and he is a nice horse to be around in the barn, very intelligent,” said Terry Finley, president and founder of West Point Thoroughbreds, which manages racing partnerships across North America that provide unique opportunities for individuals to fulfill their dreams of owning a Thoroughbred racehorse.

Finley and co-owner Albaugh Family Stable purchased Jace’s Road for $510,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September yearling sale. That’s one high-priced racehorse, right? Kentucky-bred Jace’s Road was a standout and sold for well above the $132,045 average price and $65,000 median price for the 2,672 yearlings (1-year-old racehorses) purchased at what is the probably the most important Thoroughbred auction in the world. The top-priced yearling from the sale was purchased for $1.7 million.

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So, what was it about Jace’s Road that caught the eye of West Point and the Albaugh family at the 2021 Keeneland September sale?

“He was a beautiful representative of his sire, Quality Road, who is always on our radar at these sales, and you have Hall of Famer Silverbulletday on the female side of his pedigree. That’s a big plus,” Finley explained. “We had him in our sights at the Keeneland sale and the Albaugh family did, too, so it was an easy call to team up and try to get him.”

Finley mentioned Jace’s Road’s sire (father), Quality Road, who was an outstanding racehorse. Quality Road won eight of 13 starts and earned more than $2.3 million in three seasons on the racetrack. In fact, he was set to be a fairly strong favorite in the 2009 Kentucky Derby after he won the Fountain of Youth Stakes by 4 ¼ lengths and the Florida Derby by 1 ¾ lengths. Fate intervened, however, as he was sidelined just six days before the Derby with a minor foot injury called a quarter crack, or split hoof wall, and missed the race.

Mine That Bird wound up winning the Kentucky Derby that year in a 50-1 upset, while Quality Road’s owner-breeder Edward P. Evans was left to wonder what might have been. Quality Road returned in August 2009 and won a stakes race at Saratoga Race Course and then won three major Grade 1 races as a 4-year-old in 2010.

His quality carried over to a second career as a Thoroughbred stallion as he is the sire of 81 stakes winners through April 28, including champions Abel Tasman, Corniche, and Caledonia Road as well as 2019 Pegasus World Cup winner City of Light.

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The bottom half (mother’s or dam’s side) of pedigrees for Thoroughbred racehorses also is extremely important and, as Finley mentioned, Jace’s Road hails from a family that produced 1998 champion 2-year-old filly and 1999 champion 3-year-old filly Silverbulletday. She won the 1998 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and the 1999 Kentucky Oaks, earned more than $3 million, and was enshrined in the Racing Hall of Fame in 2009.

There was much to like about this good-looking and well-bred yearling by Quality Road in September 2021, and the colt subsequently named Jace’s Road has proved quite talented early in his career with two wins and two thirds from six starts and $238,050 in earnings.

Jace’s Road earned a strong 101 Equibase Speed Figure for his 5 ½-length runaway win in the Gun Runner Stakes in December at Fair Grounds and enters this year’s Kentucky Derby off a third-place finish at the New Orleans track in the $1 million Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby under regular rider Florent Geroux. Cox and Geroux teamed to win the 2021 Kentucky Derby with Mandaloun via disqualification.

“Brad Cox says that he is hitting all his marks and training well leading up to the Derby, just looking forward to the big day,” Finley said.