5/3/2025

(Auburn, WA) May 3rd the 1st Saturday of the month means it’s Kentucky Derby time. The 151st running would load 19 contenders into the 20 stall starting gates over a sloppy track as rain downpoured overnight and on Derby day.

The weather did not not dampen the enthusiasm with 150,000 in attendance and big crowds at racetracks all around the country celebrating the most famous horse race in history. Our full coverage of the Kentucky Derby is below, followed by our coverage of the 2nd day of live racing at Emerald Downs.

This will be the 2nd and final week of a single race-day week as weekend racing begins next Saturday and continues through the end of the month. The lone exception will be a 3rd day of racing on Memorial Day with live racing all 3 days. The Friday, Saturday, Sunday schedule begins on Friday, June 6.

This will be the schedule for the rest of the season except with a mid-season break over the 4th of July weekend. There will be a spedcial race card on Thursday, July 3 with the Fireworks spectacular and then off until Friday, July 11 where the 3 day weekend scheduled resumes.

Let’s get to the Kentucky Derby news and Raced Day #2 of the 2025 Emerald Downs season!

151st Kentucky Derby

The field of 19 dealt with a sloppy race track and in the end as big longshots threatened at the top of the stretch it came down to the betting favorite Journalism at 3-1 and 7-1 3rd choice Sovereignty. Both came from well off the pace with sweeping moves on the far turn coming in wide to the stretch as they roared past the tiring front-runners and Sovereignty had the most momentum clearing by more than a length. Junior Alvarado got the winning ride, his first in his career. Sovereignty gave owners Godolphin Stables their first Derby victory as well.

Trainer Bill Mott won his second but it’s the first time he crossed the wire in 1st place. He was the trainer of Country House who finished 2nd in the 2019 Derby but got moved up to 1st after the winner Maximum Security was DQ’d and placed 17th. So this was a huge round of first’s for all the connections.

Jounalism and jockey Umberto Rispoli made a great effort after getting hammered out of the starting gate, Rispoli and the betting favorite made their way to the rail into the first turn then worked themselves to the outside midway down the backstretch while sitting in 10th. Sovereignty was further back in 16th at this point and Baeza just ahead in 15th. As they worked themselves down the backstretch Jounalism and Rispoli began to make their move heading into the far turn and swinging wide while Sovereignty also chose the wide route but was further back and Baeza with Flavien Prat was on the outside hip of Sovereignty.

As they turned for home Jounalism exploded to the lead but Sovereign ty was also in high gear and the pair quickly pulled away and squared off for the final 16th. Baeza was also closing but had too much to make up by the time they got inside the 16th pole and Sovereignty rolled by Journalism to post the 1+ win. Journalism held onto 2nd by 3/4’s of a length over a hard charging Baeza and Final Gambit with Luan Machado closed well for a clear 4th place finish.

Second favorite 5-1 Sandman with Jose Ortiz was dead last in the backstretch and made a move on the turn but ended up far back in 7th. Here is the final order of finish:

1st Sovereignty (Junior Alvarado)
2nd Journalism (Umberto Rispoli)
3rd Baeza (Flavin Prat)
4th Flying Gambit (Luan Machado)
5th Owen Almighty (Javier Castellano)
6th Burnham Square (Brian Hernandez Jr)
7th Sandman (Jose Ortiz
8th East Avenue (Manuel Franco)
9th Chunk of Gold (Jareth Loveberry)
10th Tiztastic (Joel Rosario)
11th Coal Battle (Juan Vargas)
12th Luxor Cafe (Joao Moreira)
13th Neoequos (Luis Saez)
14th Publisher (Irad Ortiz Jr)
15th Citizen Bull (Martin Garcia)
16th American Promise (Nik Juarez)
17th Render Judgement (Julien Leparoux)
18th Flying Mohawk (Joseph Ramos)
19th Admire Daytona (Christophe Lemaire)

Pay-Outs
$2 Win-Place-Show
18 Sovereignty  $17.96, $7.50, $5.58
8 Journalism  $4.94, $3.70
21 Baeza  $8.38
$2 Exacta 18-8  $48.32
$1 Trifecta 18-8-21  $231.12
$1 Superfecta 18-8-21-3 $1,682.27
$1 Super Hi 5 18-8-21-3-20  $38,405.96
$1Daily Double 10-18 $29.96
$1 Pick (3)  2-10-18 $128.32
For full chart of the 151st Kentucky Derby click on this link

For the full NBC coverage of the 151st Kentucky Derby click here 

The 151st Kentucky Derby

Emerald Downs Saturday Racing

There were 7 races on tap with a total of 51 runners. This is up from just 39 on opening day last Sunday. The feature race was the 6th race which was the “Seattle Chapter of Girl Friends” purse and had a field of 8 going 6-furlongs. It was a well matched field with the morning-line favorite Company’s Dream with Alex Cruz riding at 7-2.

The sub-feature raced was the 5th race with a field of 10 maiden fillies and mares in the ‘Fabulous Hat Contest Winner’s” Purse. The Maiden Special Weight race was a 5-furlong sprint.

Below is our race-by-race re-cap for Sunday. We’ll have more coverage from Saturday later this week. In this post it will only be the race re-caps and results.

6th Race Feature Race

In the day 2 Feature race a field of 8 3-year-olds and up went 6-furlongs. Breaking 1st was odds-on choice Company’s Dream who showed speed to the top of the stretch then tired and finished 5th. This left the door open for upsets and 17-1 Cross the Causeway got a perfectly timed ride from Kevin Orozco who broke 6th and stayed back for the first half of the race. Orozco and Cause swung wide for the stretch and began to close in on the collapsing front runners while passing others from off the pace.

7-1 Square Cat with David Haldar riding took the lead at the 1/8th pole and ran with hear but could not resist Cross the Causeway as they swept over the top in the final 50 yards to win by 3/4’s of a length. Another closer, Uncle Leon with Francisco Duran also came running and caught Square Cat by a nect at the wire to take 2nd. 11-1 Creative Bid with Kevin Krigger was a 1/2 length from taking 2nd and settled for 4th.

Cross the Causeway stopped the clock in a quick time of 1:09.79. The 4-year-old gelding races for Michael Stark and is trained by Charlie Essex. Cross the Causeway finshed off a massive daily double pay-off after 32-1 Kir Royale upset in the 5th and paid out $1,754.25. 

Cross the Causeway earned $9,120 for his run on Saturday and increases his bank roll to $56,643 and a lifetime record of 4-2-3 from 14 career starts winning at a nice 29% and top 3 finish rate of 64%.

Pay-Outs
$2 Win-Place-Show
7 Cross the Causeway (Orozco)  $36.72, $14.04, $7.16
6 Uncle Leon (Duran)  $6.34, $3.68
2 Square Cat (Haldar)  $4.38
$1 Exacta 7-6 $125.17
$1 Trifecta 7-6-2 $866.12
$1 Superfecta  7-6-2-4 $5,128.60
$1 Daily Double 5-7 $1,754.25
50-cent Pick 3  3-5-7 $585.83

Feature Race Replay

The rest of the Emerald Downs Kentucky Derby Day card

1st Race

A field of 5 3-year-olds and up went 5-furlongs for a claiming tag of $25,000. 2nd favorite 2-1 Slew O’ Mischief with Juliemn Couton went straight to the lead from the 1 hole and set sizzling fractions of 21.78 and 44.47. Pole to Pole with Franciscl Monroy pressured early then began to lose touch with the early leader turning for home.

The betting choice West Coast Bull at 6-5 with Kevin Krigger up laid just off the pace early then swung to the outside turning for home and began gobbling up ground closing the 4 length lead of Slew O’Mischief. Slew then began to lug out and Krigger shifted Bull to the inside and cruised to a daylight victory. Slew O’Mischief held 2nd with Pole to Pole 3rd while Ebel Gal and Pablo Castillo completed the superfecta.

West Coast Bull is owned by Gold Coast Racing VI and trained by Steve Bullock. West Coast Bull ran the 5/8’s in 56.86 and is a Washington bred by Coast Guard out of Marquet Formula by Margquetry and was bred by Jean M. G. Welch.

Pay-Outs
$2 Win-Place-Show
5 West Coast Bull (Krigger)  $4.78, $2.68, $2.26
1 Slew O’Mischief (Couton)  $3.52, $2.54
4 Pole to Pole (Monroy) $2.98
$1 Exacta 5-1 $5.94
$1 Trifecta 5-1-4 $24.32
$1 Superfecta $58.90

2nd Race

After the late scratch that left five 3-year-olds set to 5 1/2-furlongs for a 5k claiming tag. #6 Travel the Map with Kevin Krigger was the odds-on 1-2 favorite and broke well sitting off the early inside speed of Pass the Crown and Juan Gutierrez. Those two set the early fractions but about halfway around the turn Krigger said go and Travel the Map exploded to a quick 4-5-6 length lead and just kept adding to it winning by nearly 10 lengths.

English Meadow and apprentice Pablo Castillo closed well from last to edge out Pass the Crown for 2nd while Pakas Secret and Kevin Orozco ran 4th.

Travel the Map gave Krigger both ends of the 1st daily double and trainer Tim McCanna his 3rd win of the season. Travel the Map ran the 5 1/2-furlongs in 1:03.50 is owned by Fred and Cindy Desimone.

Pay-Outs
$2 Win-Place-Show
6 Travel the Map (Krigger)  $3.06, $2.36, $2.10
5 English Meadow (Castillo) $4.36, 2.24
2 Pass the Crown (Gutierrez) $2.34
$1 Exacta 6-5 $9.79
$1 Trifecta 6-5-2 $23.62
$1 Superfecta 6-5-2-4 $102.00
$1 Daily Double 5-6 $3.50

Travel the Map puts on a clinic

3rd Race

7 maiden 3-year-olds went 5 furlongs in the 3rd race for a 20 or 25k claiming price. 14-1 first time starter Ruby N Ray went straight to the front for jockey David Haldar. Odds-on favorite Goin’ South with Silvio Amador weren’t far behind sitting in 2nd on the outside and those two would battle the whole way round setting fractions of 21.59 and 44.49.

9-2 Adiosa Jojo with Kevin Orozco sat 3rd but by the time they reached the top of the stretch Ruby N Ray was still on the engine and looking like he was not going to give in. Goin’ South and Amador stayed on the outside and got to work slowly inching closer and in the final 25 yards edged past the upset minded Ruby N Ray for a neck victory in a final time of 57.03. Adiosa Jojo held 3rd and Calmcoolncollected took 4th.

Goin’ South is owned by John and Janene Maryanski and Gerald and Gail Schneider and trained by Blaine Wright.

Pay-Outs
$2 Win-Place-Show
7 Goin’ South (Amador) $3.28, $2.80, $2.36
5 Ruby N Ray (Haldar) $7.62, $4.50
3 Adios Jojo (Orozco) $3.18
$1 Exacta 7-5 $13.60
$1 Trifecta 7-5-3 $63.94
$1 Superfecta 7-5-3-6 $209.30
$1 Daily Double 6-7 $3.58
50-cent Pick 3   5-1/6-7 $4.54

Goin’ South just gets up

4th Race

8 older runners went the 1-mile and Benny Buckets gave Kevin Krigger his 3rd win in the 1st four races. Sitting just off the early pace Krigger and Benny took their first lead at the 6-furlong mark and by the top of the stretch had built up a 3 length lead and then poured it on to draw away for a nearly 7 length win easily holding off the deep closers. Stay Lit with Pablo Castillo at 15-1 closed well to get 2nd by a head over race favorite Beskar with Francisco Monroy. Earthly Tiger and Alex Cruz got up by a nose for 4th to complete the super.

Benny Buckets covered the mile in a final time of 1:36.87 and races for Steve and Letha Haahr and trained by Scott Tubbs.

Pay-Outs
$2 Win-Place-Show
3 Benny Buckets (Krigger)  $7.02, $4.24, $3.22
4 Stay Lit (Castillo) $10.42, $5.36
1 Beskar (Monroy) $3.02
$1 Exacta  3-4 $30.82
$1 Trifecta  3-4-1 $114.38
$1 Superfecta  3-4-1-2  $341.40
$1 Daily Double 7-3 $11.36
50-cent Pick 3  6-7-3 $9.41
50-cent Pick 4  5-1/6-4/7-3  $19.10

5th Race

After 4 races of odds-on favorites and a 5-2 2nd choice winning it was time to blow up the tote board. The sub-feature was a field of 10 3-year-old maidens for fillies and mares and first time starter from the barn of Kay Cooper Kir Royale stunned the huge Derby Day crowd with a frontrunning 2+ length win at 5-furlongs. Francisco Monroy was in the saddle for Cooper and went straight to the front clearing off by a length lead with a quarter time of 22.01. By the half mile Kir Royale was out by 1 1/2 lengths in a time of 45.11.

She had plenty in the tank as 5-2 favorite Curlin’s Song with Kevin Orozco made her move at the 1/8th pole. Kir Royale extended that lead to win by 2 1/4 lengths in a final time of 57.55 and did so at the odds of 32-1! Curlin’s Song was well beaten but a clear 2nd over 3rd place Cape Blossom with Alex Cruz and closed well from far back early on. Guard Your Spot and Silvio Amador ran an even race to finish 4th.

Kir Royale races for Pat Crow, Jill Fabulich and Debra Pabst. The 3-year-old daughter of Atta Boy Roy out of Magical Spell by Include is a Washington bred by owner Debra Pabst and her husband Frederick Pabst.

Pay-Outs
$2 Win-Place-Show
5 Kir Royale (Monroy)  $67.10, $21.56, $12.22
9 Curlin’s Song (Orozco) $6.08, $4.28
4 Cape Blossom (Cruz)  $3.34
$1 Exacta 5-9 $189.90
$1 Trifecta 5-9-4 $804.16
$1 Superfecta 5-9-4-1 $5,607.70
$1 Daily Double 3-5 $43.61
50-cent Pick 3 7-3-5 $130.68
50-cent Pick 4 1/6-4/7-3-5 $222.04

Kir Royale wins like a favorite at 32-1!

7th Race

Field of 8 went 5-furlongs in the finale and Alex Cruz finally broke the ice in his quest to win an unprecednted 6th straight riding championship. Cruz was aboard the 8-5 betting favorite Moonlight Grey and broke well out of the gate in 4th place. 7-1 Ruby Rendevous with Kevin Orozco trying to clinch the late Daily Double went straight to the lead and set fractions of 22.03 and 45.69. 2-1 Roman Bronze and Silvio Amador sat 3rd early on.

As they hit the quarter pole Cruz got after Moonlight Grey and the pair made their way to the outside and closed in on a determined Ruby Rendevous who eventually relented just inside the 16th pole as Cruz and Grey won by nearly 2 lengths in a final time of 58.40. Ruby held 2nd by 2 lengths Roman Bronze all alone in 3rd then 5 lengths back to Little Venus with Pablo Castillo and taking 5th to complete the Super Hi 5 was Thirsty Nic and Francisco Duran.

Moonlight Grey races for Donnybrook Stable and Randy Pennington and trqained by Frank Lucarelli.

Pay-Outs
$2 Win-Place-Show
7 Moonlight Grey (Cruz)  $5.52, $3.32, 2.50
5 Ruby Rendevous (Orozco)  $6.82, $4.18
8 Roman Bronze (Amador) $2.60
$1 Exacta 7-5 $23.32
$1 Trifecta 7-5-8 $71.88
$1 Superfecta 7-5-8-1 $251.90
$1 Daily Double 7-7 65.66
50-cent Pick 3 5-7-7 $769.03
50-cent Pick 4 3-5-7-7 $1,712.94
50-cent Pick 5 4/7-3-5-7-7 (4 correct0 $27.23 Carryover $2,723
20-cent Pick 6 6-7-3-5-7-7 Carryover $397
50-cent Super Hi Five 7-5-8-1-2 $679.69

www.elisportsnetwork.com