Competing steeds of the 2025 Kentucky Derby encounters described

Revamped Article:

Saddle up for the 2025 thrilling race to horse racing's Triple Crown, as the Kentucky Derby kicked off its competition this weekend, with a whopping 20 horses set to gallop in the annual wet and wild Run for the Roses. Sovereignty, a horse with gutsy determination and a decent 5-1 odds, emerged victorious, snatching the trophy from Journalism, the heavy-favored contender that finished second[3].

Journalism, who had been hyped as the morning-line favorite, had won three consecutive graded-stakes races coming into Saturday. The odds-setter at Churchill Downs Racetrack, the home of the Derby in Louisville, Kentucky, picked this sophisticated horse with 3-1 odds after last Saturday's post-position draw[4]. Although the odds change leading up to the race, they had been favoring Journalism, giving him the best shot at nailing the win.

Here are the odds of all the Derby horses, lined up based on their number:

Citizen Bull, 20-1
Neoequos, 30-1
Final Gambit, 30-1
American Promise, 30-1
Admire Daytona, 30-1
Luxor Café, 15-1
Journalism, 3-1
Burnham Square, 12-1
Flying Mohawk, 30-1
East Avenue, 20-1
Publisher, 20-1
Tiztastic, 20-1
Render Judgment, 30-1
Coal Battle, 30-1
Sandman, 6-1
Sovereignty, 5-1
Chunk of Gold, 30-1
Owen Almighty, 30-1
Baeza, 12-1
Rodriguez, 20-1
Baeza, a linebacker of horses, came in second behind Journalism in the Santa Anita Derby, making it onto the Derby field after Rodriguez got scratched due to a foot injury[5].

Most of the horses had earned their spots in the Derby by amassing points in a series of races that started last September. Journalism had climbed up the leaderboard by triumphing in the Los Alamitos Futurity Stakes in December, taking the San Felipe Stakes in March, and, most recently, the Santa Anita Derby.

Baeza's trainer, Michael McCarthy, had to rally his spirits when the area he resides, Southern California's Altadena community, had been devastated by massive wildfires earlier in the year[6].

"After all the turmoil and chaos we've faced these past few months, it would be fantastic to offer some brief entertainment to the people still coping with the aftermath," McCarthy shared with our Sports' Jim Axelrod.

Sovereignty and Sandman had posed the closest challenge to Journalism, with odds of 5-1 and 6-1 respectively. Sovereignty had proven to be the second-best horse in March's Florida Derby and February's Fountain of Youth Stakes, along with capturing the Street Sense Stakes in October. Meanwhile, Sandman had won the Arkansas Derby in March after coming third in February's Rebel Stakes and second in the Southwest Stakes in January.

The 2025 edition of the Derby couldn't have ended any closer than the dramatic last few seconds of 2024's race, when Mystik Dan and two other horses were within a nose of each other, with Mystik Dan taking home the victory. This year, Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. rode Burnham Square in the Derby. Hernandez had also ridden Thorpedo Anna to victory in the all-filly Kentucky Oaks the day before, marking the first jockey since 2009 to win both of the weekend's two major races.

The original Derby horse, Rodriguez, had been among the favorites, with odds of 20-1. But the dark bay colt was scratched because of a minor foot injury, making room for Baeza to step into the field[5].

Rodriguez, who had won last month's Wood Memorial Stakes in New York, would now be targeting the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore later in the month, under the experienced guidance of trainer Bob Baffert[5]. Baffert would also have another horse racing at Churchill Downs this year, Citizen Bull, who had been given 20-1 odds despite having achieved victories in California, including the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, and the American Pharoah Stakes[7].

Despite being a "reasonable betting proposition," the odds aren't everything, as proven by Mystik Dan, who had been given 20-1 odds in the 2024 race, but ended up winning the Derby. Exciting times for horse racing, indeed, as we witness the quest for the perfect steed in the 2025 Kentucky Derby.

Sports
Horse Racing
Kentucky Derby

Ivan WilliamsIvan Williams is an adrenaline-fueled journalist that thrives on the pulse of sports. From minor league game highlights to major tournament showdowns, he's always on the hunt for the next big story.

The Kentucky Derby, known for its thrilling races, witnessed a close contest this year, with the horse Sovereignty narrowly beating Journalism, the favored contender, in the wet and wild Run for the Roses.
In the world of horse racing, the odds are not everything, as proven by Mystik Dan, who won the 2024 Derby despite having 20-1 odds initially.
Journalism, the heavy favorite, had won three consecutive graded-stakes races and was expected to win the 2025 Derby. However, it was Baeza who came in second, offering a brief entertainment diversion for people still coping with the aftermath of a massive wildfire in Altadena, Southern California.
Despite being scratched due to a foot injury, Rodriguez, initially a 20-1 odds favorite for the Derby, would be targeting the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore under the guidance of experienced trainer Bob Baffert.