Competition Lineup for the 2025 Kentucky Derby: Introducing the 20 Steeds Vying for the Crown
Informal Take:
Picking a horse's name isn't just a walk in the park. Officially, you get 18 characters to decide on a moniker, but don't let that intimidate you. The Jockey Club, the horse-naming police, lays down some ground rules, but there's plenty of room for creativity.
The smart folks at the Jockey Club oversee every horse's name, and with approximately 45,000 active names in their books, you better make yours count. You can't simply use initials, numbers, the name of living people, vulgar language, or names already on their infamous blacklist. Additionally, if a name has won a grade one stakes race in the last quarter-century or is too close to the names of horses by the same sire or dam, the name is off the table. But hey, everything else is fair game!
This year's Kentucky Derby is no exception, and we've rounded up the backstory behind each of the 20 horses racing. Here's what you need to know:
Kentucky Derby Contenders: Behind the Names
1. Citizen Bull
Tom Ryan from SF Racing is a fan of Citizen Bullhead watches, so he thought replacing bullhead with bull would make a cool name for a horse. And it did!
2. Neoequos
This one's right up common horse-naming alley—it's a direct play on the name of the horse's sire, Neolithic.
3. Final Gambit
Juddmonte Farm had an internal contest and the game-winning (get it?) name was Final Gambit, inspired by a move in Pokemon.
4. Rodriguez
The name of this horse traces back to a decade-old film documentary about the American musician Sixto Rodriguez.
5. American Promise
Brian Coelho and Jonn Bellinger, owners of BC Stables, got their start with a horse named Summer Promise, and their love for America paved the way for American Promise.
6. Admire Daytona
Nothing like a little cross-sport inspiration! This Japanese horse comes from a stable where they like to add "Admire" to horse names, and they were inspired by Florida's famous racing city of Daytona.
7. Luxor Café
The Egyptian reference ties in nicely with the horse's sire, American Pharoah, making Luxor Café a fitting name.
8. Journalism
Aron Wellman, the sports editor of his high school newspaper, showed that his love for journalism can extend beyond the written word. With a dam named Nepotism, he was also searching for a catchy "ism" ending name.
9. Burnham Square
The daughter-in-law of owner Janis Witham is a quilter who loves the Burnham Square quilting block pattern.
10. Grande
Mike Repole went Italian with this name, as grande means big in both Italian and Starbucks coffee lingo. He's expecting big things from this horse!
11. Flying Mohawk
The horse was sired by Karakontie, whose name is a Mohawk word that roughly translates to "flying sun burning across the sky." Fitting for a horse, don't you think?
12. East Avenue
Godolphin opened up naming to employees, and East Avenue is the location of the company's Saratoga, New York, training facility.
13. Publisher
Come on, admit it. Gus King kind of just liked this name. No deeper meaning—just straightforward awesomeness.
14. Tiztastic
This one's easy—the horse's sire is Tiz the Law.
15. Render Judgment
This name plays off the sire Blame, and that's all the context we need.
16. Coal Battle
The name Coal Battle is derived from the sire's name, Coal Front. Now you know!
17. Sandman
The infamous Metallica song may have inspired this name, but owner Jonathan Green was more of a fan of legendary Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, who entered the stadium to the sounds of "Enter Sandman."
18. Sovereignty
Name origin unknown, but we're guessing it's pretty fitting for a horse competing in the Kentucky Derby, known as one of the most prestigious races in the sport of horse racing.
19. Chunk of Gold
Gold runs deep in this horse's family tree, and it's only fitting that the name Chunk of Gold reflects that.
20. Owen Almighty
Travis Boersma named this horse after his own son, Owen. Simple as that!
These 20 horses have their own unique and exciting stories behind their names, mirroring the excitement and unpredictability of the Kentucky Derby itself! Good luck to all the participants!
- For the 151st Kentucky Derby in 2025, horse names are chosen with careful consideration and creativity, adhering to the guidelines set by The Jockey Club.
- Some names, like Citizen Bull, are inspired by personal interests, such as a fan of Citizen Bullhead watches, while others, like Neoequos, are direct plays on the name of the horse's sire, Neolithic.
- horse-racing enthusiasts will be interested to know the backstory behind each of the 20 horses racing in the Kentucky Derby, from the Egyptian reference in Luxor Café to the influence of a Metallica song in Sandman.
- Breeders and owners often involve employees, loved ones, and even pop culture in the naming process, ensuring each horse has a name as unique as the race itself.
