2025 Kentucky Derby Preview: Contenders
AP Photo/ Morry Gash
The 2025 Kentucky Derby: Ten Contenders to the Throne of Madness
Louisville, Kentucky—May 3rd, 2025. The clock is ticking, and the gates are about to swing wide open to unleash chaos and fury on the track. The Kentucky Derby, a race of destiny (or maybe just drunken delusion), is looming on the horizon. It’s the center of the sporting universe, where men wear bow ties, women wear wide-brimmed hats, and the horses wear the weight of hope, expectation, and unspeakable greed.
This is no place for the faint of heart, no room for half-assed fantasy, and certainly no time for those who can’t stomach the vicious thrill of competition. The 2025 Derby field is shaping up like a mad god’s chessboard, with ten beasts rising through the chaos, each one driven by the primal urge to be king. And the madness? Oh, it’s in full bloom. Let’s dive into the fray.
1. Thunderstrike
Don’t let the name fool you—this isn’t some fairy tale thunderclap. Thunderstrike is the real deal, a horse bred for chaos. The rumors swirling about this stallion are almost as frightening as his pedigree. Out of the gate, this beast will come thundering at full speed, and if he doesn’t win? Well, he’s going to leave a wake of broken expectations and tears in his dust.
There’s something about Thunderstrike that makes you think of an avalanche—an unstoppable force of nature that isn’t concerned with anything other than its own momentum. Watch out, because when the gates spring open, he’s not just racing for glory; he’s racing to destroy the competition. This is no child’s play. This is pure unbridled terror on four legs.
2. Midnight Riot
Ah, Midnight Riot, the enigma of the 2025 field. We’ve seen his kind before—swaggering onto the track like a lost rock star at the tail end of a bender. He’s got the pedigree, the bloodlines, the connections, but there’s always that lingering question: is this horse the real deal or just another misguided dream that will dissolve into a trail of dust and disappointment?
Midnight Riot has been nothing but inconsistent so far, but the flashes of brilliance he’s shown have some of the big names out there betting their last bottle of bourbon that this horse will show up when it counts. It’s like a cosmic roulette wheel—sometimes he’ll blow the doors off, and sometimes he’ll implode faster than a speeding bullet. But when Midnight Riot races, you get the sense that anything can happen—and anything might. He’s the kind of horse you bet everything on and hope you don’t get burned.
3. Ghost of Saratoga
Now here’s a horse that’s practically a living legend in the making. Ghost of Saratoga is the one every old-timer at the bar will tell you about, their eyes gleaming with whiskey-soaked visions of this horse running like a ghost through the fog. A dark horse with serious class, Ghost of Saratoga has been slowly building a reputation for himself in the lesser races. But that’s what makes this horse so dangerous. He’s got the element of surprise on his side.
He’s unpredictable. He’s a horse that thrives in the shadows, letting the hype build until everyone thinks they have him figured out, and then—wham! He’s out there, dusting the field, winning in a fury of smoke and fire. If you’re not careful, Ghost of Saratoga might just take that Derby crown from under everyone’s nose and disappear into the night.
4. Lady Liberty
You want drama? You want blood? You want a horse that could set this whole thing on fire? Here’s your answer: Lady Liberty. Born out of pure defiance, this filly has fire in her veins and a gaze sharp enough to slice through concrete. There’s a hint of madness in her eyes, and when she hits the track, you can almost hear the whispers: is she racing for victory or is she racing to crash and burn?
She’s the kind of horse you either love or hate, but there’s no denying her raw talent and heart. And in the Derby, that’s the kind of beast that can either rise to godlike heights or fall spectacularly. No middle ground. Lady Liberty doesn’t play by the rules, and that’s what makes her such an alluring, terrifying mystery. She’s going to shock you. You might just wish you hadn’t seen it coming.
5. Hurricane Tommy
Some horses were born to race—Hurricane Tommy was born to conquer. This is a colt that will tear through that field like a violent windstorm ripping through a trailer park. He doesn’t care about the history. He doesn’t care about your past predictions. He only cares about winning.
But there’s something almost too clean about him—he’s got the training, the pedigree, and all the pieces in place to be a contender. But in the back of your mind, you’re always wondering: does this horse have what it takes to pull off the impossible? Can he face down the biggest race of his life and thrive under the pressure?
It’s Hurricane Tommy’s race to lose, but let’s be honest here—he’s got everything to prove.
6. Ace of Spades
Oh, Ace of Spades. The one everyone’s waiting for. The golden child, the sure bet, the horse that has never disappointed. He’s the one with the pedigree to back up every ounce of hype—each stride as smooth as butter, each victory as inevitable as the sunrise. People are already crowning him the next great champion before he’s even crossed the finish line, and maybe that’s the problem.
There’s something terrifying about a horse with no flaws. Something about that perfection makes you think: what if? What if Ace of Spades has reached the peak of his potential and now—now he’s just running on fumes? Maybe the pressure of being the favorite will push him into the chasm of defeat, and maybe, just maybe, Ace of Spades will realize too late that no one can outrun the ghosts of expectations.
Or maybe he’s the real deal. Either way, it’s a race worth watching.
7. Smoke and Mirrors
Let’s talk about the illusion. The horse that hides in plain sight, seemingly floundering in the background, and then—BAM!—there he is, kicking ass and taking names. Smoke and Mirrors has made a career out of evading attention until it’s too late for anyone to stop him. He’s the kind of horse that always seems a little bit too slick for his own good, and that’s what makes him so damn dangerous.
He’s the shadow waiting to strike. A horse who thrives in the chaos of the Derby, where the pressure mounts and the field is packed with egos, hopes, and dreams. Smoke and Mirrors will make it look easy, and that’s what will keep you on edge the entire race. Watch out, because when the smoke clears, this horse will be standing at the front, looking like the only one who knew what he was doing all along.
8. Midnight Star
The star of the night, the one everyone’s hoping will light up the sky in a burst of unforgettable brilliance. The Midnight Star has been the dark horse who’s come from nowhere to shatter every expectation. She’s smooth, quick, and relentless in her drive to push forward. The kind of horse that doesn’t need your approval, doesn’t need your praise. She just needs the damn finish line.
It’s a dangerous thing to bet on a sleeper like Midnight Star, but there’s something undeniably thrilling about watching a horse that hasn’t been overhyped stumble out of nowhere and take the crown. She might be the wild card of the field, and if the stars align, she could just tear that track apart.
9. The Big Lie
This is the horse that no one saw coming. Everyone’s too busy with their favorite contenders to even consider that The Big Lie might actually show up. But something in the way he runs—the way he seems to almost glide through the pack—makes you nervous. He’s too quiet, too under the radar, and that’s exactly why you should be worried.
Is The Big Lie actually the real deal, or has he been hiding in plain sight, setting the perfect trap for his competitors? There’s no telling, but one thing’s for sure—this horse is going to turn heads when the bell rings.
10. Kingmaker
And then we have the Kingmaker—the one who was born for this, bred to dominate, and has no tolerance for second place. He’s the kind of horse you can just feel in your bones. You know when you see him that he’s got it.