LOUISVILLE, Ky. – At the annual trainers’ dinner Tuesday night, one of the many events that are part of the landscape of Kentucky Derby week, 32-year-old Ethan West, a first-time starter at the Kentucky Derby, found himself sitting at a table with 89-year-old D. Wayne Lukas, whose first of 50 Derby starters came in 1981. “That was our table – me, my wife, my oldest son, and Mr. and Mrs. Lukas,” West said. “That was pretty special to us. I don’t know if they did that as a joke – the oldest and youngest in the room.” Did West get any words of wisdom from the four-time Kentucky Derby winner? “We made small talk, but like everybody’s told me, the biggest, if you could call it advice, would be enjoy it, how special it is, just don’t forget that part,” West said. “We’re trying to enjoy every moment of it.” West admitted to being a bit tense the first few mornings he was here, but he, like his colt, appear to have settled in nicely. “I wouldn’t say the pressure’s off but the closer we get to the races, I’m getting more excited about it,” West said. “You always want everything to go right but those first few days I was extra laser-focused on it.” West is here with a horse, Chunk of Gold, who originally cost $2,500 as a yearling. His current owners paid $167,500 for him. He will be competing against Sandman, who cost $1.2 million at auction. Chunk of Gold is among the least accomplished horses in the field, with only a maiden win and a pair of graded stakes placings under his belt. But that makes him no different than Mage and Rich Strike, the winners of the 2023 and 2022 Kentucky Derbies, respectively, or Country House, the 65-1 shot who in 2019 was elevated from second to first by the disqualification of Maximum Security for interference. There is a maiden in the Derby for the first time since 2019. Publisher earned his way into the Derby with a runner-up finish in the Arkansas Derby. The last maiden to win was Brokers Tip in 1933. Only 12 maidens have tried it since. Publisher is one of two horses trained by Steve Asmussen, who despite winning more races than any trainer in history is winless in this race with 26 starters over 18 Derbies. Asmussen calls it a privilege to have the opportunity to try it again Bob Baffert is back at the Kentucky Derby for the first time since 2021. His first Derby starter came in 1996, when his California-bred Cavonnier got beat a nose by the Lukas-trained Grindstone. Baffert wondered if he’d ever make it back. He won the next two Derbies and now has six overall. A seventh appeared to be won in 2021 only to have it taken away when Medina Spirit was disqualified due to a medication violation. Saturday, he sends out Citizen Bull, the 2-year-old champion of 2024, and Rodriguez, the Wood Memorial winner, in search of that seventh Derby trophy. :: DRF Kentucky Derby Package: Save on PPs, Clocker Reports, Betting Strategies, and more. “I don’t really think about records. I worry about every time you win it, you better appreciate it, you never know when you’re going to get another crack at it,” Baffert said. Baffert is 72. This is his 22nd Kentucky Derby. Lonnie Briley is 72. Coal Battle, the four-time stakes winner, is his first Derby starter. In the final days before the Derby, the topics of conversation become veterinary examinations and the weather. There have been vet scratches from the body of the Derby field each of the last six years. Baeza, the Santa Anita Derby runner-up, needed a scratch before 9 a.m. Friday to get into the field. There are always rumors, ranging from whispers to dull roars, about potential defections. As of 8:30 a.m. Thursday there were no scratches. “It’s very awkward,” said John Shirreffs, the trainer of Baeza. “He deserves an opportunity if it presents itself.” As far as the weather, the ever-changing forecast now calls for the possibility of a half-inch of rain Saturday. Journalism, the expected favorite, has raced exclusively in Southern California and had never encountered a wet track until one of his first days at Churchill Downs when he galloped in the mud. Trainer Michael McCarthy, who has exuded confidence all week long, does not seem too concerned about a wet track. “Would you ask me if I’d be more worried about a clean trip or a wet racetrack?” McCarthy said. “I’d say I’d be more worried about a clean trip.” Derby 151 is here. Enjoy. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.