LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A year removed from a Kentucky Derby he wasn’t keen to participate in, trainer Michael McCarthy is right where he wants to be coming into Saturday’s 151st Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. McCarthy, 54, is here with Journalism, winner of four straight races including the Santa Anita Derby, a résumé that makes him the unquestioned favorite in the world’s most famous horse race. Last year, McCarthy sent out his first Derby starter in Endlessly, a horse McCarthy felt was better suited to turf than dirt. But his owners, John and Jerry Amerman, wanted to try the Derby. Endlessly, the second-longest shot on the board at 48-1, finished ninth in the 20-horse field. Journalism, a son of Curlin owned by Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, and Robert LaPenta, figures to be 3-1 or shorter at the expected post time of 6:57 p.m. Eastern. The Kentucky Derby scratched from a field of 21 at entry time to 19 by Friday morning as Wood Memorial winner Rodriguez was scratched by trainer Bob Baffert on Thursday and Wood Memorial runner-up Grande was scratched by regulatory veterinarians on Friday, both due to foot issues. “This is definitely the position you want to be in,” McCarthy said. “You think horse racing, you think Kentucky Derby. We’re pleased to go over there with the favorite and as I look at him today it’s certainly justified.” From a speed-figure standpoint, Journalism has run two of the fastest races of this 3-year-old group. In March, his first start of the year, Journalism ran a 108 Beyer Speed Figure winning the Grade 2 San Felipe by 1 3/4 lengths. A month later, his speed figure may have dropped six points, but his profile certainly rose when he overcame trouble at the three-eighths pole to win the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby by three-quarters of a length, his fourth consecutive victory after a third-place finish sprinting on debut last fall. “He met with some adversity and seemed to handle it fine,” McCarthy said. “He’s tactical enough, in my opinion. He can get himself in and out of those situations.” The Triple Crown is hardly a new situation for McCarthy. In addition to winning the Preakness in 2021 with Rombauer, McCarthy worked 11 years for trainer Todd Pletcher, a period during which Pletcher won the 2010 Kentucky Derby with Super Saver and the 2007 Belmont Stakes with Rags to Riches. Journalism, a horse with a versatile running style, breaks from post 8 under Umberto Rispoli. After a three-year absence from the Derby owing to the disqualification of Medina Spirit from first in 2021 due to a medication violation, Baffert is back in the race and seeking a record seventh Derby victory. With the scratch of Rodriguez, Baffert is down to one entrant, Citizen Bull, the 2-year-old champion male of 2024 who this year won the Robert Lewis Stakes. :: DRF Kentucky Derby Package: Save on PPs, Clocker Reports, Betting Strategies, and more. Citizen Bull finished fourth in the Santa Anita Derby, after which Baffert said he felt he ran a short horse. Baffert has ramped up Citizen Bull’s training, working him four times in 16 days. Baffert previously indicated that he was going to take blinkers off Citizen Bull, but he is now going to leave them on for the Derby. Citizen Bull drew the rail, so it’s imperative he break running under Martin Garcia. “If [he doesn’t] break, then we’re in big trouble,” Baffert said. The Derby, on paper, appears to have a lot of speed in it. That includes East Avenue,  Neoequos, American Promise, and Owen Almighty. East Avenue was a front-running winner of the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at 2 and was recently beaten a nose after setting the pace in the Grade 1 Blue Grass. He’s had a couple of poor performances when unable to make the lead, though he did stumble badly in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. East Avenue, trained by Brendan Walsh, is owned by Godolphin Racing. Sovereignty, trained by Bill Mott, also is owned by Godolphin. Sovereignty, the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth winner and Grade 1 Florida Derby runner-up, has a closing style that would benefit from a strong pace. Last October, Sovereignty won the Street Sense Stakes at Churchill as a maiden. He beat Tiztastic and Sandman, both of whom have won major stakes this year and are in the Derby field. “He’s a good horse, he’s got a run over the track. We got to prove he can go a mile and a quarter, but he indicates with his running style there’s a good chance that could happen,” Mott said. “He’s coming into the race in very good order.” Tiztastic and Sandman are two of a host of late-runners whose connections are counting on a fast early pace. Tiztastic, trained by Steve Asmussen, won the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby from next to last. His stablemate, Publisher, rallied from last to finish second to Sandman in the Arkansas Derby. :: KENTUCKY DERBY 2025: The field, odds, point standings, news, and more “It’s quite obvious, with two deep closers, the faster they go early the better chance we have,” said Asmussen, who through April 26 had 10,861 career wins but is winless with 26 starters in 18 Derbies. Baeza, runner-up to Journalism in the Santa Anita Derby, drew into the field with the scratch of Rodriguez. He is trained by John Shirreffs, who upset the 2005 Kentucky Derby with 50-1 shot Giacomo. Baeza, a half-brother to 2023 Kentukcy Derby winner Mage and 2024 Belmont winner Dornoch, will be ridden by reigning Eclipse Award winning jockey Flavien Prat. Prat had also been named to ride Neoequos. That horse, who finished third in the Florida Derby, will now be ridden by Luis Saez. Sandman, trained by Mark Casse, took advantage of a hot pace to win the Arkansas Derby. He has shown a tendency in his last three races to drift out in the stretch, something he likely can’t afford to do in the Derby under Jose Ortiz. Burnham Square won a maiden and the Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park before running fourth in the Fountain of Youth. He bounced back with a strong effort, running down East Avenue to win the Blue Grass. Burnham Square is trained by Ian Wilkes, who learned how to get a horse to this race in peak condition working as an assistant to Carl Nafzger when the Hall of Fame trainer won the Derby in 1990 with Unbridled and in 2007 with Street Sense. Brian Hernandez Jr., who won last year’s Derby on 18-1 shot Mystik Dan, rides Burnham Square. Hernandez is seeking to become the first jockey since Victor Espinoza (2014-15) to win back-to-back Kentucky Derbies. Chunk of Gold was the runner-up to the ultra-impressive Magnitude in the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds in February. While he wouldn’t have won the race, he did encounter some traffic trouble that may have prevented him from finishing closer. Chunk of Gold came back with a solid second-place finish in the Louisiana Derby. Jareth Loveberry, whose only previous Derby ride was aboard 2023 runner-up Two Phil’s, rides Chunk of Gold for trainer Ethan West. Chunk of Gold began his career on synthetic but has run better on dirt. :: Get DRF Kentucky Oaks & Derby Betting Strategies by Marcus Hersh and David Aragona. Full analysis and wager recommendations! The connections of Flying Gambit are hoping for similar when that horse makes his dirt debut in the Derby. He is coming off a powerful last-to-first victory in the Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway, a race that produced 2022 Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike and 2011 Derby winner Animal Kingdom. Flying Gambit has trained extremely well on dirt since the Jeff Ruby. Flying Gambit is trained by Brad Cox, whose other expected Derby starter, Grade 1 winner Tappan Street, was not entered after suffering a fracture in his right foreleg. Flying Mohawk, second in the Ruby to Final Gambit, also is trying dirt for the first time after five starts on turf and one on synthetic. His trainer, Whit Beckman, is removing blinkers from Flying Mohawk’s equipment. Coal Battle, the Grade 2 Rebel winner, finished third in the Arkansas Derby. His trainer, Lonnie Briley, felt his rider may have moved too soon into a hot pace in that race. Japan-based Forever Young finished third, beaten two noses, in last year’s Kentucky Derby. This year, Japan is represented by Luxor Cafe and Admire Daytona. Luxor Cafe, a Kentucky-bred son of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, has a high cruising speed and has won four in a row, including the Fukuryu Stakes. Admire Daytona is a Japanese-bred son of American sprint champion Drefong. He won the U.A.E. Derby in his last start, on April 5. The scratch of Grande from the Kentucky Derby means that trainer Todd Pletcher will not have a Derby starter for the first time since 2003 and jockey John Velazquez, will miss the race for the first time since 2006. Unfortunately, the forecast has turned bleak for Saturday. Periods of rain, locally heavy at times, could bring as much as an inch of rain to Louisville. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.