2025 Kentucky Derby Horse Profile & Betting Outlook: Grande

“Sheets” players were ecstatic to see Mike Repole’s Grande earn a spot in the field after needing defections to draw in.

In this installment of my Respected Money Kentucky Derby horse betting profiles, we will focus on an improving colt who took a major step forward in the Wood Memorial Stakes.

Kentucky Derby Contender: Grande

POST NUMBER: 10

ODDS: 20-1

JOCKEY: John Velazquez / TRAINER: Todd Pletcher

RECORD: 3 starts: 2-1-0

TOP EQUIBASE SPEED FIGURE: 106

RUNNING STYLE: Stalker (Prefers to press the pace)

CAREER EARNINGS: $228,200

This son of Curlin and Journey Home profiles as a challenger who should relish the distance demanded in the Run for the Roses.

Grande Breeding: Sire and Dam

Sire: Curlin has sired winners of the Preakness, Belmont Stakes, and Breeders’ Cup Classic, but Grande would be his first to enter the Kentucky Derby winner’s circle for the two-time Horse of the Year. Curlin will have two chances to win this year’s Derby as he is also the sire of expected favorite Journalism.

Dam: Journey Home, a daughter of War Front, who finished among the top two in 6 of 10 career races. The talented gal held success racing in Graded stakes races at all levels - primarily on turf.

Grande Jockey / Owner Derby Achievements

Veteran jockey John Velazquez has had mounts in 24 Kentucky Derbys - most notably finding the winner’s circle three times aboard Animal Kingdom (2011), Always Dreaming (2017), and Authentic (2020 . He also rode Medina Spirit first across the finish line in 2021 - but later lost the win after the horse was disqualified due to a medication violation.

Despite having 62 Kentucky Derby starters in his illustrious training career, Todd Pletcher has only won the prestigious race twice: Super Saver (2010) and Always Dreaming (2017). It is important to highlight that Velazquez and Pletcher hooked up for the Derby win with Always Dreaming.

#1 GRANDE ($20.60) by Curlin out of the graded stakes winning War Front mare Journey Home takes race 7 at @GulfstreamPark. @ljlmvel and Todd Pletcher team up for their second win on the card.

Watch more on @FanDuelTV. pic.twitter.com/HpF5clErbu
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) January 11, 2025

Grande Race History

Grande has a career record of two wins and one second-place finish in three career starts..

The improving colt began his racing career in January, breaking his maiden at first asking with a 2 and ½ length win at Gulfstream Park at a distance of one mile.

The emerging contender followed up his first trip to the winner’s circle with another score at Gulfstream Park in February, stretching out to one and ⅛ mile.

Earlier this month, Grande earned his first triple-digit Equibase speed figure (106) for his late-driving runner-up finish in the Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct behind Derby rival Rodriguez with jockey Dylan Davis in the saddle.

Grande Kentucky Derby Outlook

Grande, who finished 22nd on the final Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 50 points from his second-place in the Wood Memorial, earned a spot in the race after defections by contenders above him. Oddsmakers hold lukewarm feelings for Mike Repole’s entrant at odds of +1800 in the current Derby Futures. Following the news that the River Thames will skip the Derby in favor of the Preakness, Grande will be Pletcher’s only chance to win the first leg of the Triple Crown for a third time.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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