You can never really count out a Bob Baffert-trained horse. After all, Baffert trained the last two Triple Crown winners and won the Kentucky Derby on six occasions. Rodriguez is a dark-horse candidate to win on paper, but he's placed in the top three in five starts dating back to November.

A horse named Render Judgment, partially owned by Toby Keith’s Dream Walkin’ Farms, is in the field for the iconic race at Churchill Downs. The horse’s inclusion marks the fulfillment of a 30-year dream for Keith, who died from stomach cancer on Feb. 5, 2024.

Kentucky Derby will take place on Saturday at Churchill Downs, with post time scheduled for 6:57 p.m. ET. Hall of Fame trainers Bob Baffert and Steve Asmussen were the only two 2025 Kentucky Derby trainers that drew two horses into the 2025 Kentucky Derby field.