The second edition of the Grade 3 Nashville Derby, known as the Dueling Grounds Derby from 2014-2023, highlights the second day of the Kentucky Downs all-turf season on Saturday. The $3.5 million purse includes $1.5 million from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund in which only Kentucky-breds are eligible to compete. The rest fight for $2 million over 1-5/16 miles.
Let’s meet the contenders for the Nashville Derby (Race 10):
#1-HILL ROAD: Jim Dandy third-place finisher bypassed last week’s Travers rematch with Sovereignty in favor of this return to turf. Debuted a winner on grass in Ireland last August, but has run exclusively on dirt in 5 US starts, including a Grade 3 Peter Pan score for trainer Chad Brown. Tyler Gaffalione, who rode him to a third-place Tampa Bay Derby effort in March, reunites in the saddle.
#2-TEST SCORE: Productive ’25 campaign already has seen victories in Keeneland’s Grade 3 Transylvania and Saratoga’s Grade 1 Belmont Derby, along with a pair of additional Grade 1 placings. Graham Motion-trained son of 2010 Preakness winner Lookin At Lucky has regular rider Manny Franco aboard and should be among the favorites.
#3-KING OF ASHES: Trainer Brendan Walsh adds blinkers to Churchill Downs’ Audubon Stakes runner-up. Son of Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense exits a disappointing ninth in allowance company at Saratoga behind Nashville Derby return rival Simulate. Ben Curtis has the mount on this 1-for-7 lifetime colt.
#4-TOMASELLO: Earned his first stakes win last out in the Ellis Park prep for the Nashville Derby under Fernando de la Cruz, who returns Saturday. Mark Casse trains the colt by 2020 Kentucky Derby victor Authentic. Despite losing his first 4 outings, Tomasello has won 3 of his last 4, all in turf routes.
#5-BURNHAM SQUARE: First of 3 Kentucky Derby alumni in the field, he was sixth on the first Saturday in May. Trainer Ian Wilkes tries turf for the first time with this Liam’s Map gelding, whose dam Linda was quite adept on grass. Grade 1 Blue Grass winner will be ridden as usual by Brian Hernandez Jr., the all-time winningest jockey at Kentucky Downs.
#6-SIMULATE: Grade 2 Secretariat Stakes runner-up as the 2-1 favorite, he’ll try to continue the dream “Derby” run for Bill Mott and Junior Alvarado of Sovereignty fame. Colt by Kitten’s Joy has a maiden and allowance win at Saratoga on his ledger and has yet to be tested beyond 1-1/16 miles.
#7-TIZTASTIC: Kentucky Derby 10th-place finisher has struggled to regain his turf form in the American Derby and Saratoga Derby in recent starts. But the Steve Asmussen charge did win the Juvenile Mile and an allowance over this turf course at age 2. Joel Rosario guided him to the Louisiana Derby victory in March and has been aboard ever since. Co-owner Ron Winchell heads the ownership team of Kentucky Downs.
#8-SANDMAN: Seventh in the Kentucky Derby and third in the Preakness, the Arkansas Derby winner will try turf for the first time on Saturday. Trainer Mark Casse bypassed a third attempt vs. Sovereignty in the Travers for this spot and gets Jose Ortiz back in the saddle. Posted a grass workout at Saratoga to ready for this surface change.
#9-NOBLE CONFESSOR: Snapped a 6-race losing stream to open his career with a wire-to-wire turf maiden score July 24 at Saratoga. The Todd Pletcher trainee bid against stakes company three times while a maiden, beaten just over 2 lengths in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. The Pletcher barn won this race in 2018 and 2019 when it was called the Dueling Grounds Derby. Irad Ortiz Jr. rides.
#10-MAXIMUM PROMISE: Third-place finisher to Nashville Derby return rival Final Gambit in the Jeff Ruby at Turfway in March, this colt seeks to stop a 4-race losing skid. Dominant maiden breaker on dirt last summer at Ellis Park, he’s been off the board in both career bids on turf – including 10th in the American Turf on May 3 at Churchill, his most recent start. Luis Saez rides the son of Maximum Security.
#11-FINAL GAMBIT: Kentucky Derby fourth-place finisher hasn’t been able to recreate his electric late kick he showed on Tapeta at Turfway in his maiden and Jeff Ruby victories. Similar efforts and results when rallying too late to impact the Belmont Derby and Saratoga Derby in recent turf tries. Brad Cox trains and jockey Florent Geroux picks up the mount for the first time as Flavien Prat opts to stay at Saratoga to ride.
#12-WIMBLEDON HAWKEYE: European raider Bellum Justum won this race a year ago under Frankie Dettori and this colt and rider will look to continue that momentum. Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed in his native England, this is a grandson of Kitten’s Joy (by Two Thousand Guineas winner Kameko). Trainer James Owen makes his US debut from his Newmarket, England base. Seasoned 12-furlong runner will be adept at the distance.
(AE) #13-IRON HAND: Gulfstream synthetic allowance winner for Jose D’Angelo finished third August 2 in the listed Bears Den Stakes in his only turf try – which snapped a 4-race win streak.
(AE) #14-NATIVE RUNNER: American Derby runner-up would be a potential second Kenny McPeek entrant if he joins the lineup alongside Maximum Promise. American Derby runner-up at Churchill disappointed last out as the 5-2 favorite in Ellis Park’s prep for the Nashville Derby.
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