The Kentucky Derby: How every owner made it to Churchill | Lexington Herald Leader
Kentucky Derby

Here’s who owns every 2022 Kentucky Derby horse and the road they took to Churchill Downs

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Previewing the 2022 Kentucky Derby

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Just getting a contender into the 20-horse Kentucky Derby field is a tall order, much less winning the race.

For most, just making it there is the culmination of years of dreams and determination. For some, having a big bank account and keeping select company can make all of the difference. And it certainly doesn’t hurt to have a bit of all of that and more to make a Run for the Roses on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville.

Some of this year’s owners already have a Derby victory under their belts, and they’re hoping to add to their trophy cases and résumés. And there are several who had horses in last year’s field yet came up short. For others, this could be their one and only shot at making history.

Here’s a look at the owners of each Thoroughbred who’ll compete in the 2022 Kentucky Derby.

1. Mo Donegal (10-1)

Owners: Donegal Racing and Repole Stable.

Trainer: Todd A. Pletcher.

Breeding: In Kentucky by Ashview Farm & Colts Neck Stables.

Auction history: $250,000 to Donegal Racing at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Earnings to date: $621,800.

Last time out: Won Grade 2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 9.

Other graded stakes results: Third in the Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 5; first in the Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct on Dec. 4, 2021.

Churchill Downs results: None.

About Donegal Racing: Donegal appeared to be headed into the Derby as the sole owner of Mo Donegal before selling a minority interest to Repole Stable. Donegal, named for a town in Ireland, was founded by its president, Jerry Crawford, in 2008 with the goal of buying yearlings that develop into Kentucky Derby horses. The Iowa-based syndicate has had three Derby starters, with Grade 1 winners Paddy O’Prado (2010) and Dullahan (2012) both finishing third. Keen Ice was seventh in the 2015 Derby.

About Repole Stable: Owned by Mike Repole, who is known for co-founding Glacéau (maker of Vitaminwater), which sold to Coca-Cola for $4.1 billion, and BodyArmor SuperDrink, a sports drink manufacturer now partially owned by Coca-Cola. He was the owner for Uncle Mo, who was the 2010 Eclipse Award winner for 2-year old colts and has gone on to be a top stallion. In 2021, he was a co-owner for 17th-place Kentucky Derby finisher Dynamic One. Repole’s best Derby finish among six prior starters was ninth in 2018 with Vino Rosso, who went on to win the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Classic.

2. Happy Jack (30-1)

Owner: Calumet Farm.

Trainer: Doug F. O’Neill.

Breeding: In Kentucky by Calumet Farm.

Auction history: Reserve not attained at the 2019 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

Earnings to date: $182,200.

Last time out: Third in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita on April 9.

Other graded stakes results: Third in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita on March 5; fifth in the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 6.

Churchill Downs results: None.

About Calumet Farm: Established in 1924 in Lexington by William Monroe Wright, founding owner of the Calumet Baking Powder Company. Now owned by Brad Kelley, a Kentucky native who built Commonwealth Brands, a maker of discount cigarettes. His net worth, according to Forbes, is $2.6 billion. Whirlaway gave Calumet its first of eight Kentucky Derby victories and won the Triple Crown in 1941. Citation won the Triple Crown in 1948. Calumet’s other Derby winners include Pensive (1944), Ponder (1949), Hill Gail (1952), Iron Liege (1957), Tim Tam (1958) and Forward Pass (1968). Bourbonic finished 12th in the 2021 Kentucky Derby.

3. Epicenter (7-2)

Owner: Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC.

Trainer: Steven M. Asmussen.

Breeding: In Kentucky by Westwind Farms.

Auction history: $260,000 to Winchell Thoroughbreds at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Earnings to date: $1,010,639.

Last time out: Won the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds on March 26.

Other graded stakes results: First in Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds on Feb. 19; second in Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds on Nov. 13, 2021.

Churchill Downs results: First in maiden special weight race on Nov. 3, 2021; sixth in maiden special weight race on Sept. 18, 2021.

About Winchell Thoroughbreds: The racing and breeding operation was started by Verne Winchell, who died in 2002. The Illinois native founded the doughnut company Winchell’s. That company merged with Denny’s in 1967. Winchell Thoroughbreds is now a partnership of Joan Winchell and her son, Ron. They campaigned 2004 Wood Memorial winner Tapit, now one of the world’s leading stallions who stands at Gainesway Farm in Kentucky. Winchell Thoroughbreds owns a 50% share of both Tapit and Gun Runner, another one of the sport’s top stallions. The Winchells own 320-acre Corinthia Farm near Lexington. Ron Winchell is involved in gaming bars/restaurants, construction, and real estate development. In partnership, Winchell purchased Kentucky Downs in Franklin, Kentucky, in November 2018. It campaigned Midnight Bourbon, the sixth-place finisher in the 2021 Kentucky Derby.

“I have been going to races for as long as I can remember,” Ron Winchell told BloodHorse in March. “I have a lot of memories of going to Santa Anita Park with my dad. As I got older, he treated me more like a partner than a son. We did everything together, especially in the latter part of his life. We went to sales together. He was very impactful on my life. He chased the Kentucky Derby for probably 50 years and since he passed away in 2002 (at the age of 87), I’ve picked up the chase for him.”

Epicenter, the second choice in the morning line for the Kentucky Derby, broke his maiden in his second attempt at Churchill Downs on Nov. 13, 2021.
Epicenter, the second choice in the morning line for the Kentucky Derby, broke his maiden in his second attempt at Churchill Downs on Nov. 13, 2021. Coady Photography

4. Summer Is Tomorrow (30-1)

Owners: Michael Hilary Burke and Negar Burke.

Trainer: Bhupat Seemar.

Breeding: In Kentucky by Brereton C. Jones.

Auction history: $25,000 to Magna Carta Bloodstock at the 2019 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale; reserve not attained at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale; $169,743 at the 2021 Arqana Deauville 2-Year-Old Breeze Up.

Earnings to date: $267,606.

Last time out: Second in the Grade 2 UAE Derby at Meydan Racecourse on March 26.

Other graded stakes results: None.

Churchill Downs results: None.

About Michael Hilary Burke and Negar Burke: Their horses run almost exclusively in the United Arab Emirates. This will be their first Kentucky Derby starter.

5. Smile Happy (20-1)

Owner: Lucky Seven Stable.

Trainer: Kenneth G. McPeek.

Breeding: In Kentucky by Moreau Bloodstock International Inc. and White Bloodstock LLC.

Auction history: $175,000 to Cooper Bloodstock at the 2019 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale; $185,000 to Lucky Seven at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase.

Earnings to date: $549,810.

Last time out: Second in the Grade 1 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 9.

Other graded stakes results: Second in the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds on Feb. 19; first in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs on Nov. 27, 2021.

Other Churchill Downs results: None.

About Lucky Seven Stable: Located in Louisville and owned by the Mackin family, Smile Happy is the stable’s first Kentucky Derby horse. “We’ve been doing this since 1991 and this is the closest we’ve gotten,” Mike Mackin said, according to a report by WLKY in Louisville. The family company is Interlock Industries, which produces steel and aluminum.

Smile Happy, a 20-1 shot in the Kentucky Derby who finished second in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, is owned by Louisville-based Lucky Seven Stable and trained by Lexington-based Kenny McPeek.
Smile Happy, a 20-1 shot in the Kentucky Derby who finished second in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, is owned by Louisville-based Lucky Seven Stable and trained by Lexington-based Kenny McPeek. Coady Photography

6. Messier (8-1)

Owners: SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert E. Masterson, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC, Catherine M. Donovan, Golconda Stable, Siena Farm LLC.

Trainer: Tim Yakteen.

Breeding: In Ontario by Sam-Son Farm.

Auction history: $470,000 to SF Racing/Starlight Racing/Madaket Stables at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase.

Earnings to date: $435,600.

Last time out: Second in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita on April 9.

Other graded stakes results: First in the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 6; second in the Los Alamitos Futurity at Los Alamitos on Dec. 11, 2021; first in the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes at Del Mar on Nov. 14, 2021.

Churchill Downs results: None.

About Messier’s owners: The ownership consortium is led by SF Racing, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables, who have been dubbed “The Avengers,” according to the Kentucky Derby’s website. SF Racing’s Tom Ryan is the one who announced the Canadian-bred colt, purchased by the group as a yearling, was to be named after hockey legend Mark Messier. Ryan, who is from Ireland, is based in Lexington and his wife, Katie, is the daughter of former Edmonton Oilers forward Pat Hughes, who won three Stanley Cups.

7. Crown Pride (20-1)

Owner: Teruya Yoshida.

Trainer: Koichi Shintani.

Breeding: In Japan by Shadai Farm.

Auction history: None.

Earnings to date: $734,569.

Last time out: Won the Grade 2 UAE Derby at Meydan Racecourse on March 26.

Other graded stakes results: None.

Churchill Downs results: None.

About Teruya Yoshida: Owns Shadai Farm in Japan. He is the grandson of Zensuke Yoshida, a pioneer of the Japanese racing industry. It was Zenya Yoshida who bought Sunday Silence in 1990 and brought him to Japan, where he became Japan’s leading sire. Teruya Yoshida owned the first Japanese entrant in the Kentucky Derby, Ski Captain, who was 14th in 1995.

“Japanese horses have become very strong nowadays. I want to continue to provide evidence that they can win in major international races by trying to compete all over the world,” said Teruya Yoshida, according to a report by BloodHorse.

8. Charge It (20-1)

Owner: Whisper Hill Farm LLC.

Trainer: Todd A. Pletcher.

Breeding: In Kentucky by Whisper Hill Farm LLC.

Auction history: None.

Earnings to date: $230,400.

Last time out: Second in the Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park on April 2.

Other graded stakes results: None.

Churchill Downs results: None.

About Whisper Hill Farm LLC: The Florida-based farm is owned by Mandy Pope. Her family owns Variety Wholesalers, a company based in Henderson, North Carolina, which owns more than 380 retail stores in the southeast including the Roses and Maxway stores. Whisper Hill Farm finished fifth in 2013 with its only other Kentucky Derby starter, Mylute.

Coady Photography

9. Tiz the Bomb (30-1)

Owner: Magdalena Racing, Lessee.

Trainer: Kenneth G. McPeek.

Breeding: In Kentucky by Spendthrift Farm.

Auction history: $330,000 to Kenneth McPeek (agent) at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase.

Earnings to date: $1,044,401.

Last time out: Won the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park on April 2.

Other graded stakes results: Seventh in the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 5; second in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mark on Nov. 5, 2021; first in the Grade 2 Castle and Key Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland on Oct. 10, 2021.

Churchill Downs results: Seventh in maiden special weight race on May 14, 2021.

About Magdalena Racing, Lessee: McPeek bought land in Lexington in 2006 to use as a base of his operations and named it Magdalena Farm after the first matriarch of the land, Magdalena Weber Shely. It is the Lexington native’s first year with a horse in the Kentucky Derby since 2013, when he had two. His best Derby finish is second with Tejano Run in 1995.

10. Zandon (3-1)

Owner: Jeff Drown.

Trainer: Chad C. Brown.

Breeding: In Kentucky by Brereton C. Jones.

Auction history: $170,000 to Mike Ryan (agent) at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Earnings to date: $713,000.

Last time out: Won the Grade 1 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 9.

Other graded stakes results: Third in the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds on Feb. 19; second in the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct on Dec. 4, 2021.

Churchill Downs results: None.

About Jeff Drown: He’s the founder and CEO of Lyon Contracting Inc., a commercial and industrial contractor in St. Cloud, Minnesota. The company has expanded into North and South Dakota, Wisconsin and Iowa.

“It’s my first Derby,” he said last month, according to a report by Trainer Magazine. “It’s very exciting. There’s no doubt. You see these 2-year-olds prepping and you wonder, ‘Can they make the Derby? Can they make the Oaks?’ There’s a lot of enjoyment taking a horse from a yearling being broken to watch him train and grow up and see the talent develop. It’s just a lot of fun.”

11. Pioneer of Medina (30-1)

Owner: Sumaya U.S. Stable.

Trainer: Todd A. Pletcher.

Breeding: In Kentucky by International Equities Holding Inc.

Auction history: Reserve not attained at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Earnings to date: $181,350.

Last time out: Third in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds on March 26.

Other graded stakes results: Fourth in the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds on Feb. 19.

Churchill Downs results: None.

About Sumaya U.S. Stable: The operation is owned by Oussama Aboughazale, who purchased the former Belvedere Farm in Paris, Kentucky, about six years ago.

I loved Kentucky from the first time I came here more than 20 years ago,” Aboughazale, born in Jerusalem and previously based in Chile, told the Thoroughbred Daily News in 2020 of the decision to begin operations in the Bluegrass. “I fell in love with it. I said, ‘I want to have the Kentucky passport.’”

America’s Best Racing’s profile of Sumaya said that the Aboughazale family made its fortune in agriculture, exporting fruit they grow in Chile to locations around the world. The family is a majority shareholder of the fresh produce division of Del Monte Fruit Company.

12. Taiba (12-1)

Owner: Zedan Racing Stables Inc.

Trainer: Tim Yakteen.

Breeding: In Kentucky by Bruce C. Ryan.

Auction history: $140,000 to Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale; $1,700,000 to Gary C. Young (agent) at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Florida Select 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale.

Earnings to date: $490,200.

Last time out: Won the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita on April 9.

Other graded stakes results: None.

Churchill Downs results: None.

About Zedan Racing Stables Inc.: Founded in 2016 and based in Lexington, it is the Thoroughbred racing venture of businessman Amr F. Zedan. He is the chairman of The Zedan Group, an energy-focused company (mainly oil and gas services) based in Saudi Arabia. Amr Zedan was part of the group that owned California Chrome when he won the 2014 Kentucky Derby. Zedan Racing owned Medina Spirit, who finished first in the 2021 Kentucky Derby before being disqualified.

13. Simplification (20-1)

Owner: Tami Bobo.

Trainer: Antonio Sano.

Breeding: In Florida by France Weiner and Irwin Weiner.

Auction history: $50,000 to the Taylor Made Sales Agency at the 2019 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

Earnings to date: $515,350.

Last time out: Third in the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park on April 2.

Other graded stakes results: First in the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park on March 5; second in the Grade 2 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 5.

Churchill Downs results: None.

About Tami Bobo: She and her husband own First Finds, a horse farm in Ocala, Fla. Horses have been a part of her life since she was about 2 years old, the 48-year-old Bobo told Trainer Magazine. “My family moved to Ocala when I was 8 years old,” she said. “I showed horses all over the country.”

Take Charge Indy, who won the Florida Derby before finishing 19th in the Kentucky Derby in 2012, was the first Thoroughbred she bought, Trainer Magazine reported.

14. Barber Road (30-1)

Owner: WSS Racing LLC.

Trainer: John Alexander Ortiz.

Breeding: In Kentucky by Susan Forrester and Judy Curry.

Auction history: $15,000 to Long Lick Bloodstock at the 2019 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

Earnings to date: $650,720.

Last time out: Second in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park on April 2.

Other graded stakes results: Third in the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park on Feb. 26; second in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park on Jan. 29.

Churchill Downs results: Second in the Lively Shively Stakes on Nov. 27, 2021; first in a starter allowance race on Nov. 10.

About WSS Racing LLC: Owned by former Walmart CEO Bill Simon, who began his Thoroughbred venture five years ago.

“My wife Tammy and I have been married for over 35 years,” Simon told BloodHorse in March. “She has always been into horses and racing, and I never thought much about them. I used to travel a lot for my job, so when I retired I thought it could be something we could do together after doing a lot of things apart. Some friends got us involved in ownership through a partnership in our first horse, and from there I was just intrigued with the math and numbers involved. And now it’s turned into a family business.”

Barber Road is owned by former Walmart CEO Bill Simon. He’s a 30-1 shot racing from post position No. 14.
Barber Road is owned by former Walmart CEO Bill Simon. He’s a 30-1 shot racing from post position No. 14. Coady Photography

15. White Abarrio (10-1)

Owners: C2 Racing Stable LLC and La Milagrosa Stable LLC.

Trainer: Saffie A. Joseph Jr.

Breeding: In Kentucky by Spendthrift Farm.

Auction history: $7,500 to Jose Ordonez at the 2020 Ocala Winter Mixed Sale; $40,000 to Carlos L. Perez at the 2021 Ocala March Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training.

Earnings to date: $823,650.

Last time out: Won the Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park on April 2.

Other graded stakes results: First in the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 5; third in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes on Nov. 27, 2021.

Other Churchill Downs results: None.

About C2 Racing Stable LLC: The Thoroughbred racing stable is based out of Gulfstream Park in Florida and is owned and operated by Clint Cornett of Flower Mound, Texas, and Mark Cornett of Naples, Florida. The venture is fairly new, but the brothers have been involved in horse racing for many years.

“We have actually been in racing a while,” Clint Cornett said in a report by the Thoroughbred Daily News posted in late March. “We used to run under Turf Express in the early 2000s. In 2021, we decided to get back in the game and started C2 Racing Stable. We had been out of it since 2010. … I had a personal goal to run on the first Saturday in May and I told Mark to find us a horse. Little did I know, the second one we purchased is potentially going to be the horse.”

About La Milagrosa Stable LLC: Owned by Antonio Pagnano.

16. Cyberknife (20-1)

Owner: Gold Square LLC.

Trainer: Brad H. Cox.

Breeding: In Kentucky by Kenneth L. Ramsey and Sarah K. Ramsey.

Auction history: $400,000 to Joe Hardoon (agent) at 2020 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase.

Earnings to date: $860,000.

Last time out: Won the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park on April 2.

Other graded stakes results: Sixth in the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds on Jan. 22.

Churchill Downs results: Second in a maiden special weight race on Nov. 5, 2021; second in a maiden special weight race on Sept. 25, 2021.

About Gold Square LLC: Owned by New Jersey native Al Gold, who built his fortune in commercial real estate. He spends half the year in Del Ray Beach, Fla., and the other half in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., BloodHorse reported. “I started going to the racetrack when I was 16 years old, I’m 66 years old now, so I have 50 years of experience in this as a horseplayer.”

17. Classic Causeway (30-1)

Owner: Kentucky West Racing LLC and Clarke M. Cooper.

Trainer: Brian A. Lynch.

Breeding: In Kentucky by Kentucky West Racing LLC and Clarke M. Cooper Family Living Trust.

Auction history: None.

Earnings to date: $521,100.

Last time out: 11th in the Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park on April 2.

Other graded stakes results: First in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby at Tampa Bay Downs on March 12; first in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 12; second in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs on Nov. 27, 2021; third in the Grade 1 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland on Oct. 9, 2021.

Other Churchill Downs results: None.

About Kentucky West Racing LLC: Kentucky West is a Thoroughbred farm in St. Charles, Idaho, started by real estate developer Patrick O’Keefe on an 800-acre ranch he bought in 1993. O’Keefe is a native of Utah. The 80-year-old told the Paulick Report that he once had more money to invest than knowledge when it came to the horse business. “I was dumb as a post,” he quipped. “I had no background in racing whatsoever.”

O’Keefe also told the Paulick Report that he has turned down many offers for his first Derby starter. “When you get to be my age, it ain’t about the money any more,” he said. “I’ve had millions and lost millions. I’d probably blow the money anyhow. Money, with me, has wings. I can make it but I can’t keep it. … I just really want to take this trip with the horse. I think Cooper does, too. He’s up there with me (in age). I’ll never get another chance.”

About Clarke M. Cooper: Based in Kentucky, the 70-year-old Cooper has partnered with O’Keefe on several horses.

18. Tawny Port (30-1)

Owner: Peachtree Stable.

Trainer: Brad H. Cox.

Breeding: In Kentucky by WinStar Farm LLC.

Auction history: $430,000 to John P. Fort at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Earnings to date: $427,000.

Last time out: First in the Grade 3 Stonestreet Lexington Stakes at Keeneland on April 16.

Other graded stakes results: Second in the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park on April 2; fifth in the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds on Feb. 19.

Churchill Downs results: None.

About Peachtree Stable: Based in Florida and owned by longtime breeders and horse owners John and Elizabeth Fort. Peachtree’s best finish in three Kentucky Derby tries was second with Invisible Ink in 2001.

18. Zozos (20-1)

Owners: Barry and Joni Butzow.

Trainer: Brad H. Cox.

Breeding: In Kentucky by Barry and Joni Butzow.

Auction history: None.

Earnings to date: $291,200.

Last time out: Second in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds on March 26.

Other graded stakes results: None.

Churchill Downs results: None.

About Barry and Joni Butzow: Zozos’s owners and breeders are from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, and are in the Canterbury Park Hall of Fame. The Butzows are Kentucky Derby regulars as attendees, but this will be their first time there as owners.

Joni Butzow told the Star Tribune of Minneapolis that having a horse they bred in the Kentucky Derby is “like having one of your kids go from Little League to the big leagues.”

20. Ethereal Road (30-1)/scratched

Owners: Julie Gilbert and Aaron Sones.

Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas.

Breeding: In Kentucky by Paul Pompa Jr.

Auction history: $90,000 to Wingardium Leviosa at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Earnings to date: $294,545.

Last time out: Fourth in the Grade 3 Stonestreet Lexington Stakes at Keeneland on April 16.

Other graded stakes results: Seventh in the Grade 1 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 9; second in the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park on Feb. 26.

Churchill Downs results: Fifth in a maiden special weight race on Nov. 28. 2021; seventh in a maiden special weight race on Oct. 31, 2021.

About Julie Gilbert and Aaron Sones: Gilbert and Sones are California-based Thoroughbred breeders who are also the president and director, respectively, of Jackson Hole Trust Company, a Wyoming-based company that “provides a full range of trust services to U.S. and multinational families.” The wife-and-husband team co-owned Trojan Nation, who was 16th in the Kentucky Derby in 2016.

21. Rich Strike

Owner: RED TR-Racing LLC

Trainer: Eric R. Reed.

Breeding: In Kentucky by Calumet Farm.

Auction history: None.

Earnings to date: $111,289.

Last time out: Third in the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park on April 2.

Other graded stakes results: None.

Churchill Downs results: First in a maiden claiming race on Sept. 17, 2021.

About RED TR-Racing LLC: It’s the first Derby for the company owned by Richard Dawson, an Oklahoma resident semi-retired from the energy business, according to a report by the Daily Racing Form.

Rattle N Roll (also eligible/scratched)

Owner: Lucky Seven Stable (Mackin).

Trainer: Kenneth G. McPeek.

Breeding: In Kentucky by St. Simon Place.

Auction history: $55,000 to Rexy Bloodstock at the 2019 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale; $210,000 to Kenneth McPeek (agent) at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Earnings to date: $435,960.

Last time out: Sixth in the Grade 1 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 9.

Other graded stakes results: Fourth in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds on March 26; sixth in the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park on March 5; first in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland on Oct. 9, 2021.

Churchill Downs results: First in a maiden special weight race on Sept. 23, 2021; third in a maiden special weight race on June 26, 2021.

About Lucky Seven Stable: See Smile Happy.

This story was originally published May 4, 2022, 7:55 AM.

Dennis Varney is the assistant sports editor for the Lexington Herald-Leader and Kentucky.com. He is a Pike County native and Western Kentucky alum. He has also worked at The Times of Northwest Indiana, The Seattle Times and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
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Previewing the 2022 Kentucky Derby

Click below to view more content from the Lexington Herald-Leader and Kentucky.com previewing the 148th Kentucky Derby to be held May 7 at Churchill Downs in Louisville.