2025 Kentucky Derby Horse Profile & Betting Outlook: Burnham Square

The 151st running of the Kentucky Derby is an absolutely wide-open affair that offers a great investment opportunity.

In this installment of my Respected Money horse betting profiles, we will focus on the horse who finished atop the final 2025 points leaderboard.

Kentucky Derby Contenders: Burnham Square

POST NUMBER: 9

ODDS: 12-1

JOCKEY: Brian Hernandez Jr. / TRAINER: Ian Wilkes

RECORD: 6 starts: 3-1-1

TOP EQUIBASE SPEED FIGURE: 104

RUNNING STYLE: Mid-Pack / Closer

CAREER EARNINGS: $977,755

This son of Liam’s Map and Linda profiles as one of the top betting contenders for the Run for the Roses.

Burnham Square Breeding: Sire and Dam

Sire: Liam’s Map has sired several graded stakes winners , however, most have found their success racing on grass as opposed to dirt.

Dam: Linda is by Scat Daddy --who was the sire of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify, so the pedigree on the bottom side is there on paper.

Congrats to the connections of Burnham Square for his win in the 100 point Blue Grass Stakes on the Road to the #KyDerby! 🌹

Jockey: @b_hernandezjr
Trainer: @IanWilkesRacing
Owner: Whitham Thoroughbreds pic.twitter.com/ncfDSWbVAH
— Kentucky Derby (@KentuckyDerby) April 9, 2025

Jockey / Owner Derby Achievements

Eclipse Award-winning jockey Brian Hernandez Jr.is no stranger to performing under the biggest lights. Last year, Hernandez pulled off the rare Derby-Oaks Double, guiding Thorpedo Anna to the win in the Kentucky Oaks followed by being aboard Mystik Dan in his win in the Kentucky Derby.

Burnham Square will be trainer Ian Wilkes second starter in the first leg of the Triple Crown. The 59-year-old trainer entered McCraken, who earned an eighth-place finish in the 2017 Kentucky Derby.

Burnham Square Race History

Burnham Square has a career record of three wins with one place and one show finish in six career starts. If you are willing to forgive his fourth-place finish in the Fountain of Youth, you are looking at a horse with three impressive victories.

In late-December Burnham Square broke his maiden with a win at a distance of 1 1/16 mile at Gulstream, winning by 9-lengths with Edgard Zayas aboard. He followed up his first trip to the winner’s circle with a victory over fellow Derby contender Tappan Street in the Holy Bull (G3) in February with Zayas once again in the irons.

The emerging colt capped off his 2025 campaign with a visually impressive win in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) on April 8, with last-to-first finish. The win, which earned him a career-best 104 Equibase speed figure, catapulted Wilkes’ prized colt to the top of the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 130 points.

Burnham Square, who received a brilliant ride by Brian Hernandez Jr., made a sweeping five-wide move deep, beating East Avenue by a nose at the wire.

"BURNHAM SQUARE gets there! A last to first run in the Toyota Blue Grass under Brian Hernandez Jr." 🏇💨

What a thrilling performance in the G1 Blue Grass Stakes at @keeneland yesterday! Congrats to Burnham Square, @IanWilkesRacing, @b_hernandezjr, and all connections! 👏

The… pic.twitter.com/VppoSMXArW
— Equibase (@Equibase) April 9, 2025

Kentucky Derby Outlook

Oddsmakers have Burhnam Square tied for the fourth-lowest odds (+1100) in the current Derby Futures. He rates behind several of the top contenders by the odds due to questions about distance limitations. Due to Hernandez’s rare-feat in last year’s Kentucky Oaks and Derby, we know many in the sport will invest simply on recency bias.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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