Kentucky Derby Horse Profile: Cyclone State

Jan 10, 2025 John Mucciolo/TwinSpires.com

Gold Square, LLC, George Messina, and Michael Lee’s Cyclone State earned 10 points on the 2025 Road to the Kentucky Derby following his facile, 3 1/2-length score in the $150,000 Jerome S. at Aqueduct on Jan. 4. The Chad Summers trainee led at every call while finishing one mile on the fast main strip in 1:40.82 under the guidance of Luis Rivera Jr.

'He's just a special horse. He's a horse we've always been high on,” Summers said. “He reared up a little bit at the start, but we've learned with him. Nobody goes in the gate with him -- he's got a little bit of a funny mouth, he doesn't like that. Luis Rivera has worked with him a lot getting on him in the morning time and in the afternoon. He just continues to get better.”

Omaha Omaha, Ican, Studlydoright, and Mansetti rounded out the top five and earned qualifying points on a 5-3-2-1 basis, respectively.

Cyclone State wins the Jerome S. at Aqueduct and picks up 10 @KentuckyDerby points! 🌹 pic.twitter.com/kaRMUTTy22

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) January 4, 2025

Cyclone State commenced his career at Aqueduct on July 6 and finished unplaced in a 5 1/2-furlong heat while facing maiden special weight foes. He finished out of the money in a pair of subsequent tries at Saratoga, which preceded a second-place finish at Aqueduct Sept. 28. The son of McKinzie started his three-race win streak with a maiden triumph on Nov. 3, and he captured an allowance tilt on Dec. 6 in advance of his Jerome stroll. His lifetime line now reads 7-3-1-0, $208,250.

The winner was bred in Iowa by H. Allen Poindexter and brought the gavel down at $70,000 at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He is the first stakes hero produced from the four-time stakes winning Dominus mare Chanel’s Legacy, who is also responsible for 2024 Prairie Mile S. runner-up Zatara.

Cyclone State continues to move in the right direction with Brisnet Speed figures of 73-79-85-87-93 from his last five attempts. The speedy sort will need to get faster to run with the best in his division, and he is also a question mark at classic distances, but the sophomore is on the rise and can’t be dismissed on the Triple Crown trail due to his ascending form.

The $1.5 million Saudi Derby (G3) on Feb. 22 at King Abdulaziz Racecourse is the next possible landing spot for Cyclone State.