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2025 Kentucky Derby Photos

horse racing kentucky derby
American Promise on the track Monday morning with trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

Photos courtesy of Amber Chalfin of Downthestretchphotos.com.

Date: 4/28/2025

Monday morning five days before the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs was busy and the track was listed as fast. Conditions were overcast during training hours with the temperature in the low 50's. With many of the Derby horses working on Saturday and Sunday, there were only two timed works on Monday, with several only walking the shedrow this morning.

Video for this morning's work can be viewed here on YouTube. Videos of individual horses in timed works can be found here.

Below are photos and comments for 9 Derby horses and 6 Oaks fillies.

Kentucky Derby

horse racing Admire Daytona - warmed up in the one-mile chute, then had a light training session on the track prior to schooling in the paddock. Trainer Yukihiro Kato is expected to arrive Monday afternoon and the colt could breeze Tuesday.

horse racing American Promise – jogged once around the main track under Tayja Smith and then took a few more laps around the chute before returning to trainer D. Wayne Lukas' barn. "He's a beautiful horse," Lukas said. "The best thing is not having to make a single adjustment. Everything has been smooth so far the past six weeks (since winning the Virginia Derby). That is a big plus not to have to worry about anything."

horse racing Burnham Square – jogged to the starting gate where he stood and then backed out before galloping a mile under Mark Cutler for trainer Ian Wilkes.

horse racing Chunk of Gold – galloped about 1 1/2 miles Monday morning under trainer Ethan West. "He was definitely feeling good and wanted to do more," West said.

horse racinghorse racing Citizen Bull – worked 5f in :58.40 under jockey Martin Garcia for trainer Bob Baffert. Citizen Bull's work was the fastest of 15 at the distance over a fast track. Churchill Downs clockers caught Citizen Bull in fractions of :11.60, :23, :45.80, :58.40 and out six furlongs in 1:12.40 and seven-eighths in 1:27.20. Baffert said, "He worked really good out there. But he was just messin' around. He did it easy." Garcia added, "I thought I was working four furlongs. But then when I get into it, Bob tells me I'm going five. So I'd broken off at the half-mile pole, which meant I had to go past the wire and finish up at the seven (furlong marker). We did it and it worked out OK."

horse racing Coal Battle – put the finishing touches on his Kentucky Derby preparations with a three-furlong blowout in :36 with Bethany Taylor aboard for trainer Lonnie Briley. "He looks like he did pretty easily," Briley said of the work that produced fractions of :11.60, :36 and out a half-mile in :50. "The closer to the race the tougher it gets," said the 72-year-old Briley, who will be saddling his first Kentucky Derby starter. "He will walk tomorrow and then there will be some jogging and galloping. He's ready."

horse racing Flying Mohawk – had a light gallop Monday morning under trainer Whit Beckman's assistant/exercise rider Maurilio Garcia.

horse racing Grande – galloped 1 3/8 mile under exercise rider Juan Suarez then schooled at the starting gate. Trainer Todd Pletcher said, "It's looking like we might get some rain and some funky weather over the next few days so I wanted to get him to the gate when we've got dry land."

horse racing Neoequos – had an easy gallop at 7:15 a.m. for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.

Kentucky Oaks

horse racingBless the Broken galloped 1 1/2 miles under exercise rider Genis Bracho. Trainer Will Walden said, "(Jockey John Velazquez) said she was there for him every step of the way and when she asked her (to go) she gave. He pretty much committed to the Oaks after that and anytime you can get a Hall of Famer to ride along, it's a positive."

horse racingEarly On galloped twice around on Monday.

horse racingFive G galloped 1 1/4 miles under Raul Alejandro for trainer George Weaver, who said, "It's very exciting. It's not surprising (the success of Vekoma). He was a good horse and he was bred to be a good horse and I thought he would be a great sire. He is well on his way."

horse racingFondly galloped 1 1/2 miles under William Humphrey at 7:15 for trainer Graham Motion.

horse racingGood Cheer galloped at 7:15 a.m. under assistant/exercise rider Katie Tolbert. After training, Tolbert, along with trainer Brad Cox's other local assistant, Trace Messina, accompanied the Oaks favorite to the paddock.

horse racingTenma (with Grande) galloped twice around under exercise rider Eric Garcia and then schooled in the starting gate.

Photos courtesy of Amber Chalfin of Downthestretchphotos.com.

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