If you are wondering why 14 3-year-olds are entered in Saturday’s Grade 3 DK Horse Nashville Derby Invitational Stakes at Kentucky Downs, there are 3.5 million reasons for Kentucky-breds. Each of them dollars. The Nashville Derby is one of the sport’s richest races and has attracted an overflow field of 14, with two also-eligible entrants.

The Nashville Derby promises to be a challenging puzzle for handicappers with the purse enticing the connections of several graded stakes-caliber dirt horses to tackle turf for the first time.

1. Hill Road: He started his career on turf in Europe, but was third in the 2024 FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and won the Grade 3 Peter Pan Stakes in May on dirt at Aqueduct. Trainer Chad Brown likes his turn of foot on turf and that makes him a main contender here.

JOCKEY: Tyler Gaffalione; TRAINER: Chad Brown

2. Test Score: He is in great form right now. Was a close third in the Grade 1 Saratoga Derby Invitational and in his last three starts, all in Grade 1 company, he has a first, second, and third. Definitely belongs in the exotics.

JOCKEY: Manny Franco; TRAINER: Graham Motion

3. King of Ashes: Didn’t fire last time but before that was a neck behind World Beater, who went on to win the Saratoga Derby. Worth a look if the price is long enough.

JOCKEY: Ben Curtis; TRAINER: Brendan Walsh

4. Tomasello: Has a nice turn of early speed but has yet to race beyond 1 1/8 miles and this may be too long for him.

JOCKEY: Fernando De La Cruz; TRAINER: Mark Casse

Toyota Blue Grass Stakes winner Burnham Square (Eclipse Sportswire)

5. Burham Square: A winner of the Grade 1 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes on dirt, this is his turf debut. He’s been training on an all-weather surface and is out of a Scat Daddy mare who won a graded stakes race on grass, so he deserves some consideration.

JOCKEY: Brian J. Hernandez Jr.; TRAINER: Ian Wilkes

6. Simulate: Seems to be on the upswing with a second in the Secretariat Stakes last time out. He’s bred for the distance and has a Hall of Fame trainer in Bill Mott. An interesting possibility

JOCKEY: Junior Alvarado; TRAINER: Bill Mott

7. Tiztastic: Showed little in his last two starts on turf and this seems a tough spot for a bounce-back effort.

JOCKEY: Joel Rosario; TRAINER: Steve Asmussen

8. Sandman: Another Grade 1 winner trying turf for the first time. His pedigree does not scream turf and with a highly popular social media influencer owning a share of him, he will most likely be overbet. Might be worth taking a stand against him, especially in the win pool.

Arkansas Derby winner Sandman (Coady Media)

JOCKEY: Jose Ortiz; TRAINER: Mark Casse

9. Noble Confessor: Has stakes experience but earned his first career win in seventh start last time out. Will need to take a very big step forward here.

JOCKEY: Irad Ortiz Jr.; TRAINER: Todd Pletcher

10. Maximum Promise: Showed little in his lone turf stakes. Pass.

JOCKEY: Luis Saez; TRAINER: Ken McPeek

11. Final Gambit: Lacked a strong closing kick in both the Belmont Derby Invitational and Saratoga Derby. Seems to be best-suited to an all-weather surface.

JOCKEY: Florent Geroux; TRAINER: Brad Cox

12. Wimbledon Hawkeye: European invader should feel right at home on this course. He arrived in the United States after a nose loss in a Group 3 stakes and a second by two lengths in a Group 2 stakes, both in Great Britain. Was also beaten by less than four lengths in a Group 2 stakes at Royal Ascot. Should be a force here.

JOCKEY: Frankie Dettori; TRAINER: James Owen

Also-Eligible - 13. Iron Hand: On the also-eligible list and would need one defection to draw into the race. He has some speed and was a close third in a minor stakes at Gulfstream Park, but has yet to race beyond a mile and a sixteenth.

JOCKEY: Edwin Gonzalez; TRAINER: Jose D’Angelo

Also-Eligible - 14. Native Runner: Second 3-year-old on the also-eligible list, he was a well-beaten eighth in the prep race for this stakes at Ellis Park.

JOCKEY: Brian J. Hernandez Jr.; TRAINER: Ken McPeek

THE PICK: Wimbledon Hawkeye

LIVE LONGSHOT: TBD

SUPERFECTA: 12-1-2-6