2025 Kentucky Derby Horse Profile & Betting Outlook: Admire Daytona
Fresh off his victory in UAE Derby (G2) Admire Daytona will be looking to upset the field as one of the biggest longshots in the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby.
In this installment of my Respected Money horse betting profiles we will take a deeper look at an international challenger who enters the Run for the Roses in search of his third win in his last four races.
Kentucky Derby Contenders: Admire Daytona
POST NUMBER: 6
ODDS: 30-1
JOCKEY: Christophe Lemaire / TRAINER: Yukihiro Kato
RECORD: 6 starts: 2-2-0
TOP EQUIBASE SPEED FIGURE: n/a
RUNNING STYLE: Stalker (Presser)
CAREER EARNINGS: $672,047
This son of Defrong and Ice Pastel profiles as a late-developing performer with a strong pedigree for long distances.
Admire Daytona Breeding
Sire: Drefong was an Eclipse Award winning sprinter who is most notably known for winning the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1). Drefong’s dam, Eltimaas, is a daughter of Horse of the Year and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Ghostzapper - indicating distance should not be an issue.
Dam: Ice Pastel, is a daughter of 2011 Preakness (G1) Shackleford, who displayed strong ability to win on dirt at route distances.
Admire Daytona Jockey / Owner Derby Achievements
Jockey Christophe Lemaire will be looking for his first career in-the-money finish riding Admire Daytona. Made his Derby debut aboard Crown Pride in the 2022 Kentucky, finishing 13th. The top international rider guided Admire Daytona to his UAE Derby win at Meydan Racecourse.
Trainer Yukihiro Kato will be making his Kentucky Derby debut.
Admire Daytona is smelling roses! 🌹 pic.twitter.com/OsATjHERlT
— Kentucky Derby (@KentuckyDerby) April 5, 2025
Admire Daytona Race History
Admire Daytona has a career record of two wins and two runner-up finishes in six career starts.
Came up short in his first three career tries, finally breaking his maiden in the first race of his 2025 campaign.
After earning a runner-up finish behind Luxor Cafe in a maiden attempt as a two-year-old, he finished fourth behind the fellow Japanese standout in the Hyacinth Stakes.
Opting to avoid Luxor Cafe for a third time in the Fukuryu Stakes, his connections decided to ship to Dubai. The move paid major dividends as the late-developing colt upset the UAE Derby (G2) field, by a nose, at odds of 10-1 odds with a front-running score.
Admire Daytona galloping this morning at @ChurchillDowns.
— Kevin Kerstein (@HorseRacingKK) April 17, 2025
📸: Coady Media pic.twitter.com/gO4dgLRcBZ
Admire Daytona Kentucky Derby Outlook
Oddsmakers hold tepid feelings for Admire Daytona’s chances in the Kentucky Derby listing him among the biggest moonshots at +5200 in Derby Futures. History is not Admire Daytona’s side as UAE Derby winners are 0-for-19 dating back to 2000, with Master of Hounds earning the highest finish (5th) in 2011. On paper, all handicapping angles point to the son of Drefong being severely overmatched against this level of competition.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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-1be8bb0e9ea1ab9f8bfbf612aa95e4bb.jpeg "Frank Taddeo")
Frank Taddeo is a successful high-stakes fantasy football player who created the first-ever DFS program offered in a Las Vegas sportsbook. Besides contributing NFL fantasy analysis with a Vegas slant, Frank Taddeo primarily performs as On SI’s Senior Fantasy Analyst, providing his significant experience and resources in the sports world.