Horse Racing

Kentucky Derby 2025: Horse and Jockey Colors & Silks Guide

David Evans Sports Editor

Published28 Apr 2025

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The 2025 Kentucky Derby colors and silks are set for the runners at Churchill Downs. Being able to spot your horse’s colors quickly can make a big difference on race day. Here’s everything you need to know before they load the gates.

What You Need To Know About The 2025 Kentucky Derby

📅 Date: Saturday, May 3, 2025
📍 Venue: Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky
🕒 Time: 18:57 ET
🏇 Distance: 1¼ miles (10 furlongs)
📺 How to Watch: NBC and Peacock
💰 Purse: $3M to the winner, $5M total
🎯 Odds: Journalism (+275), Sovereignty (+600)

Kentucky Derby 2025 Colors & Silks

Kentucky Derby 2025: Horse and Jockey Colors & Silks Guide

1. Citizen Bull

Jockey: Martin Garcia
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Career Earnings: $1,436,000
Odds: +1800
Dominated early at two but hasn’t looked the same this season. Needs to control the pace up front or risks fading badly over the final quarter of a mile.

2. Neoequos

Jockey: Flavien Prat
Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr.
Career Earnings: $153,250
Odds: +8000
Lightly raced closer who sneaks into the Derby off minor placings. Needs a collapse in front to enough tired horses late.

3. Final Gambit

Jockey: Luan Machado
Trainer: Brad Cox
Career Earnings: $446,400
Odds: +1600
Closed strongly to win the Jeff Ruby Steaks on synthetic. Dirt remains a question mark, but stamina and attitude fit Churchill well.

4. Rodriguez

Jockey: Mike Smith
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Career Earnings: $476,000
Odds: +1400
Grinder who outbattled rivals to win the Wood Memorial. Always shows up, but needs the race to unfold perfectly to win at this distance.

5. American Promise

Jockey: Nik Juarez
Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
Career Earnings: $335,000
Odds: +2000
Old-school Lukas trainee who improved sharply winning the Virginia Derby. Class test looms, but has experience over longer distances.

6. ire Daytona

Jockey: C P Lemaire
Trainer: Yukihiro Kato
Career Earnings: $599,044
Odds: +4000
Japanese colt who won the UAE Derby. Tough, battle-tested, but international horses have struggled historically in the Derby.

7. Luxor Cafe

Jockey: Joao Moreira
Trainer: Noriyuki Hori
Career Earnings: $257,209
Odds: +1100
Fukuryu Stakes winner from Japan. Has the style to compete but no U.S. experience and unknown stamina beyond 1.1 miles.

8. Journalism

Jockey: Umberto Rispoli
Trainer: Michael McCarthy
Career Earnings: $600,000
Odds: +275
Front-runner who crushed California preps. Sets fast paces and dares others to chase, but first time facing a full, deep field like this.

9. Burnham Square

Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr.
Trainer: Ian Wilkes
Career Earnings: $927,425
Odds: +1400
Hard-trying gelding who keeps outrunning expectations. Distance suits, but faces real pace pressure for the first time since early winter.

10. Grande

Jockey: John Velazquez
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Career Earnings: $140,000
Odds: +2000
Lightly raced but classy. Huge step up needed, but progression curve points to a horse still improving with every start.

11. Flying Mohawk

Jockey: Joseph Ramos
Trainer: Whitworth Beckman
Career Earnings: $156,800
Odds: +5000
Turfway Park runner-up with a closing style. First time on dirt against real class, and the surface change is a serious unknown.

12. East Avenue

Jockey: Manuel Franco
Trainer: Brendan Walsh
Career Earnings: $612,500
Odds: +1800
Breeders’ Futurity winner at two. Inconsistent this year, but if he rebounds to his juvenile form, he’s a sneaky top-four threat.

13. Publisher

Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
Trainer: Steven Asmussen
Career Earnings: $355,000
Odds: +3300
Grinder who keeps finishing well in Arkansas preps. Reliable sort, but his figures look a cut below the top group.

14. Tiztastic

Jockey: Joel Rosario
Trainer: Steven Asmussen
Career Earnings: $1,395,800
Odds: +2500
Louisiana Derby winner who’s consistent and proven just under this distance. Could be overlooked but has real finishing punch late.

15. Render Judgment

Jockey: Julien Leparoux
Trainer: Kenneth Meek
Career Earnings: $163,172
Odds: +8000
Needed scratches to sneak into the field. Big outsider who closes a little but is unlikely to land a blow here.

16. Coal Battle

Jockey: Juan Vargas
Trainer: Lonnie Briley
Career Earnings: $1,169,500
Odds: +2500
Speedball who won the Rebel Stakes wire-to-wire. Needs to break clean and somehow last under maximum pressure at one and a quarter miles.

17. Sandman

Jockey: José Ortiz
Trainer: Mark Casse
Career Earnings: $1,117,995
Odds: +1000
Arkansas Derby hero with a big late kick. Distance no issue, but needs a good setup with enough pace to run into.

18. Sovereignty

Jockey: Junior Alvarado
Trainer: William Mott
Career Earnings: $548,800
Odds: +600
Polished closer with a beautiful turn of foot. Strong Fountain of Youth and Florida Derby efforts put him right among the serious players.

19. Chunk Of Gold

Jockey: Jareth Loveberry
Trainer: Ethan West
Career Earnings: $324,400
Odds: +5000
Always honest and tries hard but hasn’t shown a top gear against real competition. Needs a massive step up to compete here.

20. Owen Almighty

Jockey: Javier Castellano
Trainer: Brian Lynch
Career Earnings: $430,935
Odds: +5000
Front-runner who wired the Tampa Bay Derby field. Will need everything his own way early to even sniff the top 5 late.

21. Baeza

Jockey: Flavien Prat
Trainer: John Shirreffs
Career Earnings: $100,000
Odds: +1400
Rapidly improving after finishing second in the Santa Anita Derby. Late bloomer who fits on talent but lacks the seasoning most Derby winners have.

*All odds courtesy of BetOnline

2025 Kentucky Derby Prediction

The 2025 Kentucky Derby sets up as a clash between early speed and relentless closers. Journalism enters as the deserving favorite after dominant wins in California, but faces a deeper, tougher group at Churchill Downs.

Sovereignty owns the best pure turn of foot in the field and could blow past everyone late if he gets the right setup. While Sandman doesn’t have the same explosive kick, he looks better suited for a true one and a quarter mile grind, having already proven himself at longer distances in the Arkansas Derby.

Prediction: Sandman (+1000) is the pick for his stamina and toughness if this turns into a real survival test late.