Common Threads: Linking the 2018 Kentucky Derby field to past Derby winners

Apr 25, 2018 Vance Hanson/Brisnet.com

Pour over the history books enough and you can find some commonalities that link this year's Kentucky Derby (G1) hopefuls with one or more past winners of America's most famous race. 

Some are well known, others less so. Stump your friends with some of these nuggets and factoids.

AUDIBLE is the only entrant this year bred in New York, a state that produced its first and only Kentucky Derby winner in 2003 with Funny Cide.

BOLT D'ORO will be the first Kentucky Derby starter for trainer Mick Ruis. California Chrome (2014) was the last horse to win the Derby for a trainer (Art Sherman) that had never started a horse in the race before.

BRAVAZO was born and raised at Calumet Farm, which owns the record for most Kentucky Derby winners owned (eight) and bred (nine). The farm's last win as an owner was Forward Pass (1968), while the only one it bred but did not race was Strike the Gold (1991).

COMBATANT enters the Derby with one victory in seven starts. Giacomo entered the 2005 Kentucky Derby with the same record and scored a 50-1 upset.

ENTICED won Churchill Downs' signature two-year-old event, the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2), last November. Others to pull off the Jockey Club/Derby double were Reigh Count (1927-28), Clyde Van Dusen (1928-29), Twenty Grand (1930-31), Cannonade (1973-74), and Super Saver (2009-10).

FIRENZE FIRE has a two-word name that starts with the same letter. There have been 11 such winners in Derby history, including four in the last 11 years. 'SS' and 'BB' have been the most popular with four winners apiece.

FLAMEAWAY is owned by John Oxley, whose Monarchos (2001) still owns the Kentucky Derby stakes record of 1:59.40 for 1 1/4 miles.

FREE DROP BILLY's only prior stakes win occurred in the Breeders' Futurity (G1) at Keeneland. No winner of that race has won the Derby since Swale (1984).

GOOD MAGIC is the reigning champion juvenile colt, of which only 12 since 1936 have ever gone on to win the Kentucky Derby. The first to do so was Count Fleet (1943), who was among six in the group of 12 that swept the Triple Crown.

HOFBURG has raced just three times previously. The first of only two horses to win the Kentucky Derby with just three career starts was the filly Regret (1915).

INSTILLED REGARD has finished out of the top three in his last two starts. The last horse to win the Derby having done that was Count Turf (1951), who was unplaced in seven consecutive races prior to winning the roses.

JUSTIFY enters the Kentucky Derby undefeated from three starts. The last horse to win the Derby with a similar record was Big Brown (2008).

LONE SAILOR broke his maiden on the dirt at Saratoga. The last Derby winner to have done that was the filly Winning Colors (1988).

MAGNUM MOON is the only horse in this year's field by a stallion that has already sired a Kentucky Derby winner. He's by Malibu Moon, the sire of 2013 Derby winner Orb.

MENDELSSOHN was bred in Kentucky and has raced overseas for all but one start, at Del Mar as a two-year-old. Canonero II was bred in Kentucky and raced overseas for all but two starts prior to his upset victory in the 1971 Kentucky Derby. Those were also at Del Mar as a two-year-old.

MY BOY JACK won his final prep in the Lexington (G3) at Keeneland. The only horse to win both the Lexington and Kentucky Derby was Charismatic (1999).

NOBLE INDY won the Louisiana Derby (G2), a race won by previous Kentucky Derby winners Black Gold (1924) and Grindstone (1996).

PROMISES FULFILLED won the Fountain of Youth (G2) but lost the Florida Derby (G1). The only horse to win the Kentucky Derby having done that was Kauai King (1966).

SOLOMINI has not officially won a stakes after being disqualified from first in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G1) in December. The last horse to earn his first stakes win in the Derby after being disqualified from first in an earlier prep was Alysheba (1987), who was demoted in the Blue Grass (G1).

VINO ROSSO is trained by Todd Pletcher and will be ridden by John Velazquez, who teamed up to win the the Derby last year with Always Dreaming. The last trainer-jockey combo to win the Derby in consecutive years was Lucien Laurin and Ron Turcotte with Riva Ridge (1972) and Secretariat (1973).