WinStar Farm, along with several partners, will have three chances as owners to win Saturday’s $2 million Kentucky Derby (G1).
Audible, Justify and Noble Indy are all colts with graded stakes wins in their last start prior to the Derby. And adding in the top-class colt Bolt d’Oro, who WinStar bred and sold, and the farm has ties to 20 percent of the Run for the Roses field.
Audible, the Florida Derby (G1) winner, is co-owned by China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners and Starlight Racing. He drew post five and will be ridden by Javier Castellano. Audible was a $500,000 purchase as a 2-year-old.
“We liked him, we liked the chance of getting him in the fold and he was a horse that we felt like ticked a lot of boxes for us,” said WinStar’s Elliott Walden on deciding to buy the son of Into Mischief.
Justify, in post seven for trainer Bob Baffert, has gotten the most hype this year with his meteoric rise from maiden winner in February to 3-1 favorite in the Derby. He secured his spot in the Kentucky Derby with a win in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) on April 7. Justify has the same ownership group as Audible, and was also purchased for $500,000, but as a yearling.
WinStar’s final entrant, Noble Indy, is co-owned with Repole Stable. WinStar also bred this son of Take Charge Indy, who has become one of the leading sires of his generation. Like Audible, Noble Indy is trained by Todd Pletcher, who teamed up with WinStar to win the 2010 Derby with Super Saver.
Noble Indy, winner of the Louisiana Derby (G2), wasn’t as fortunate when post positions were drawn, getting #19. He’ll be ridden for the first time by Florent Geroux, who will try to use the colt’s natural speed to get near the front in the first quarter-mile.
Bolt d’Oro is a shining example of the WinStar sales program. The son of Medaglia d’Oro sold for $630,000 as a yearling at Saratoga, where he was purchased by his current owner/trainer Mick Ruis. The colt has gone on to win the Del Mar Futuruity (G1) and Frontrunner S. (G1), and has never finished worse than third in six starts, including four Grade 1’s.
