Kentucky Derby Horse Profile: Like the King

Apr 08, 2021 John Mucciolo/TwinSpires.com

M Racing Group’s Like the King picked up 100 points on the 2021 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series following a one-length tally in the $240,040 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) at Turfway Park on March 27. The winner endured nine panels on the Tapeta surface in 1:50.22 beneath Drayden Van Dyke, recording his first graded stakes triumph.

Like the King has won or placed in each of his six career races, and moved his lifetime line to 6-3-2-1, $200,680. He debuted at Belterra Park in a five-furlong dash on July 29 and finished second-best. Stretching out and moving to the lawn second out, the son of Palace Malice led from gate-to-wire in posting a 7 1/2-length win. The chestnut colt came home third in an allowance test at Keeneland, prior to capping his solid two-year-old season with an allowance tally at Turfway. He was runner-up in the John Battaglia Memorial S. to kick off his sophomore campaign.

The winner was bred in the Bluegrass State by Horseshoe Racing and passed through the auction ring on two occasions. After selling for $28,000 as a weanling purchase at the 2018 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, Like the King brought the gavel down at $170,000 at the 2019 OBS October Yearling Sale.

Trained by Wesley Ward, he is the first foal produced from the stakes-placed Corinthian mare Like A Queen. She also has an unraced two-year-old gelding by Maclean’s Music named Kiss Principal, as well unnamed yearling colt by Fast Anna.

“We spaced out some of his races and I think it's helped because he's a big, rangy colt,” Ward said. “He's always showed an affinity for grass and that's why we kept him on the Tapeta surface this winter with this race in mind.”

Like the King has shown the ability to win from on the front end, and from off of the pace, too. The chestnut three-year-old is clearly talented and has the scope of a colt who could relish 1 1/4 miles in five weeks. But he is winless from two tries on dirt in his career and has yet to prove that he can run with the upper echelon of his crop on the surface. At this stage of his development, the improving sophomore looks like a fringe contender on the Triple Crown Trail.