How 2024 Kentucky Derby horses have run on sloppy or wet tracks

Kentucky weather is always subject to change.

So if rain is in the forecast for Kentucky Derby 150 on Saturday at Churchill Downs, here’s a breakdown of which horses have and have not raced on tracks listed as muddy or sloppy.

Colts who have won on off tracks

1. Dornoch: A full brother to 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage, Dornoch began his racing career with a second-place finish in a maiden race at Saratoga on July 29. Later last year, on Dec. 2, he won the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes on a muddy track at Aqueduct. The Danny Gargan trainee beat Sierra Leone by a nose in that race.

2. Sierra Leone: Trainer Chad Brown’s $2.3 million colt has raced twice on off tracks. He finished second by a nose to Dornoch on a muddy track in the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes on Dec. 2. In his 3-year-old debut, he won the Grade 2 Risen Star by a half-length over Track Phantom on a sloppy track at the Fair Grounds.

3. Mystik Dan: Trained by Kenny McPeek, Mystik Dan won the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes by a whopping 8 lengths on a muddy track Feb. 3 at Oaklawn Park. Just Steel finished second in that race. Mystik Dan is coming off a third-place finish on a fast track for the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on March 30 at Oaklawn Park.

8. Just a Touch: Trained by Brad Cox, Just a Touch was unraced as a 2-year-old and has only three career starts. Two were on sloppy tracks. The son of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify won his racing debut in a maiden race Jan. 27 on a sloppy track at the Fair Grounds. He then finished second on a sloppy track at Aqueduct in the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes on March 2. Just a Touch finished second to Sierra Leone on a fast Keeneland track for the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes on April 13.

17. Fierceness: The morning-line favorite for the Kentucky Derby, Fierceness has produced mixed results on off tracks. Trained by Todd Pletcher, Fierceness won his debut by 11 1/4 lengths on a muddy track at Saratoga on Aug. 26, 2023. His next start, Fierceness ran seventh on a sloppy Aqueduct track in the Grade 1 Champagne on Oct. 7. Since then, Mike Repole’s colt has won the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, finished third in the Grade 3 Holy Bull, and demolished the Grade 1 Florida Derby by 13 1/2 lengths. All three were on fast tracks.

20. Society Man: One of trainer Danny Gargan’s two Derby entries, Society Man broke his maiden by winning on a muddy track at Aqueduct on March 9. Before that, the son of 2018 Kentucky Derby runner-up Good Magic ran eighth on a muddy track at Aqueduct on Feb. 3. In his last start. Society Man finished second to Resilience in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial on April 6.

Colts who have hit the board on an off track

4. Catching Freedom: Albaugh Family Stables’ Catching Freedom finished third in the Grade 2 Risen Star on a sloppy Fair Grounds track Feb. 17. Sierra Leone won that race with Track Phantom finishing second. Trained by Brad Cox, Catching Freedom rebounded to win the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby on a fast track March 23 at Fair Grounds.

6. Just Steel: Trained by 88-year-old D. Wayne Lukas, Just Steel has raced twice on off tracks. The son of 2018 Kentucky Derby winner Justify finished third in an optional claiming race on a sloppy track at Churchill Downs on Oct. 29, 2023. This year, Just Steel was second to Mystik Dan on a muddy track for the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes on Feb. 3 at Oaklawn.

7. Honor Marie: Trained by Louisville native Whit Beckman, Honor Marie finished second on a sloppy track in his second career start, an optional claiming race Oct. 29 last year. This year, Honor Marie was fifth on a sloppy track for the Grade 2 Risen Star on Feb. 17 at Fair Grounds. He came back to finish second to Catching Freedom on a fast track for the Louisiana Derby on March 23.

12. Track Phantom: Trained by Steve Asmussen, Track Phantom has a pair of second-place finishes on sloppy tracks. The son of Quality Road finished second on a sloppy track in a maiden race at Churchill Downs on Oct. 29 last year. This year, Track Phantom was caught and passed by Sierra Leone in the slop at the Fair Grounds for the Grade 2 Risen Star on Feb. 17.

Colts who have not run well on an off track

15. Domestic Product: Trained by Chad Brown, Domestic Product ran seventh on a muddy track for the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct on Dec. 2. The son of Practical Joke is coming off a win on a fast track in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby on March 9.

19. Resilience: Trained by Bill Mott, Resilience finished fourth on a sloppy track for the Grade 2 Risen Star won by Sierra Leone at Fair Grounds on Feb. 17. Resilience then bounced back to win the Grade 2 Wood Memorial on a fast track at Aqueduct on April 6.

Colts who have never raced on an off track

5. Catalytic: Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., Catalytic has only three career starts, all on fast tracks in Florida — two at Gulfstream Park and one at Tampa Bay Downs.

10. T O Password: The Japanese colt has raced twice, both wins, on fast tracks in Japan.

11. Forever Young: The Japanese colt is undefeated in five starts, all listed as either fast or good. The first three races were in Japan. The last two were wins in the Saudi Derby and UAE Derby.

13. West Saratoga: Trained by Bahamian Larry Demeritte, West Saratoga has 10 career starts, all on tracks listed as fast. His last race was a second-place finish on the synthetic track at Turfway for the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks on March 23.

14. Endlessly: Trained by Michael McCarthy, Endlessly has never raced on dirt. His four starts as a 2-year-old were on the turf. His two previous starts as a 3-year-old were on the synthetics. He won the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate on Feb. 10 before taking the Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway on March 23.

16. Grand Mo the First: A son of Uncle Mo, Grand Mo the First began his career as a 2-year-old with two races on synthetics, followed by a race on turf. He was switched to dirt as a 3-year-old for a third-place finish on a fast track in the Swale Stakes on Feb. 3 at Gulfstream. He then ran third in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby and third in the Grade 1 Florida Derby, both on fast tracks.

18. Stronghold: The winner of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, Stronghold has raced six times, all on fast tracks. Trained by Phil D’Amato, Stronghold has never finished worse than second.

21. Epic Ride: Trained by Ireland’s John Ennis, Epic Ride joined the field when Encino scratched this week. A son of Blame, Epic Ride has raced five times, all on fast tracks. The first four were on the synthetic track at Turfway. Epic Ride has never finished out of the money, including a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes on April 6 at Keeneland.

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