Welcome to Kentucky Derby Prospect Profiles, the place we’ll have a look every week at a current winner on the Triple Crown path, normally from the Street to the Kentucky Derby schedule that grants qualifying factors to the primary jewel of horse racing’s Triple Crown. The 1 ¼-mile Kentucky Derby Introduced by Woodford Reserve shall be held Might 3, 2025, at Churchill Downs.
This week, we’ll take a better have a look at Constructed, dominant winner of the $100,000 Gun Runner Stakes Dec. 21 at Honest Grounds. The Onerous Spun colt earned his first 10 factors towards qualifying for the 2025 Kentucky Derby with the win and as of his win ranks 12th on the Street to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.
Racing Résumé:
Constructed was well-backed in his profession debut, being despatched off as the three.33-1 second betting alternative behind East Avenue in a 10-horse subject. He crossed the end line fourth in that first begin Aug. 24 at Ellis Park, and was elevated to 3rd after the runner-up was disqualified for interference. He was by no means a menace in that six-furlong dash, settling effectively off the tempo and ending up 9 ¾ lengths behind romping winner East Avenue, who subsequently gained the Grade 1 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity and was the post-time favourite within the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Introduced by TAA.
The bay son of Onerous Spun was supported on the tote board once more in his return to the monitor for his second begin on Oct. 6 at Keeneland, the place he went off as the two.04-1 second post-time betting alternative in a subject of 11 going seven furlongs.
This time, Constructed sat in second and pressed the early tempo into the flip earlier than taking the lead as the sector entered the stretch earlier than drawing clear to a 1 ½-length victory over longshot Render Judgement. He improved his Equibase and Beyer Pace Figures by 19 and 12 factors, respectively, and the hassle was robust sufficient to persuade his connections to attempt stakes firm for his subsequent begin.
Constructed returned after 11 weeks within the 1 1/16-mile Gun Runner Stakes, a race first run in 2021 that has already produced champion, Travers Stakes winner and Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes runner-up Epicenter. This 12 months’s Gun Runner Stakes solely drew 5 horses, but it surely was a aggressive group and Constructed left the gate as the three.90-1 third betting possibility with substitute jockey Jareth Loveberry aboard. After breaking sharp from the within publish, Constructed settled into a straightforward rhythm via the backstretch, ticking off straightforward fractions of 49.23 for a half-mile and 1:13.77 for six furlongs. Horse and rider drew off on the high of the stretch and coasted to a powerful 6 ¾-length victory in 1:43.53 over two-time winner and a pair of.60-1 second alternative Magnitude, with Render Judgement third and 4-5 favourite Admiral Dennis fourth.
“You all the time prefer it when the tempo is gradual and also you’re on the lead,” coach Wayne Catalano informed the Honest Grounds press workplace. “Drawing the rail with pace, he dealt with it effectively. These are the moments you’re employed on daily basis and stand up within the morning for.”
Pace Figures: As talked about above, from a speed-figure perspective, Constructed has improved considerably from his debut at Ellis Park to his win in October at Keeneland. He stored that development going upward within the Gun Runner, leaping from 69 to 88 to 96 on the Equibase scale and boosting his Beyer figures from 65 to 77 to 92. His 92 Beyer Pace Determine is the fifth-best amongst 2-year-olds this 12 months in a two-turn-route on filth.
Working Fashion: Constructed has developed right into a horse that prefers to race on or close to the lead via his three begins. Based mostly on the previous 10-15 years or so, being forwardly positioned has been useful when it comes to each racing in Derby preps and within the Kentucky Derby itself. Except for Wealthy Strike in 2022 and Mage in 2023, Kentucky Derby winners of current classic have usually been positioned near the tempo early, and will probably be fascinating to see if Constructed continues to make use of this technique in his subsequent couple Derby preps.
Connections: Proprietor Eclipse Thoroughbred Companions is a racing partnership began in 2012 by Aron Wellman, the son of longtime California breeders Michael and Cory Wellman. The secure has campaigned a number of Grade 1 winners, alone or in partnership, since then, together with 2015 Acorn winner Curalina and 2014 Arkansas Derby winner Danza. The latter went on to complete third within the Kentucky Derby. Eclipse additionally owned 2017 Belmont Stakes winner Tapwrit with companions. Wellman and Eclipse purchased Constructed for $260,000 final April as a 2-year-old in coaching on the Ocala Gross sales Co. public sale in Florida. He’s the second prospect with an Eclipse connection to leap on the Derby path in simply eight days, following Journalism who gained the Los Alamitos Futurity on Dec. 14. Eclipse Thoroughbred Companions co-owns that colt with Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Secure, Elayne Stables 5, and Robert LaPenta.
Coach Wayne Catalano surpassed 3,000 profession wins on July 21 at Ellis Park. The New Orleans native started his profession within the horse trade as an adolescent, first as a hotwalker after which as a jockey, incomes over 1,500 victories earlier than retiring within the early Nineteen Eighties. He transitioned to coaching and ever since has been a fixture on the Midwest and Southeast circuits, profitable 11 meet titles at Arlington Park and coaching 4 Breeders’ Cup winners. His solely Kentucky Derby starter got here in 1997 when Crypto Star completed fifth.
Veteran jockey Corey Lanerie rode Inbuilt his first two begins however missed a flight to New Orleans for the Gun Runner task. Jareth Loveberry picked up the mount and made the suitable determination by letting Constructed management the tempo. Loveberry has additionally loved success within the Midwest since beginning his profession within the 2000s, profitable two meet titles at Arlington Park in 2020 and 2021. He practically gained the Kentucky Derby in his first-ever look when he and Two Phil’s took the lead in midstretch of the 2023 run for the roses earlier than setting for second behind Mage.
Pedigree Notes: Constructed is by veteran sire Onerous Spun, who was a part of arguably the greatest class of 3-year-olds this century again in 2007. The son of Danzig gained 4 of 10 races that season and earned over $2.5 million. He completed second within the Kentucky Derby behind Avenue Sense and forward of Curlin, third within the Preakness behind Curlin and Avenue Sense, after which later that fall second within the Breeders’ Cup Traditional behind Curlin. Onerous Spun has been a profitable stallion for Godolphin/Darley, along with his greatest runners able to dealing with each routes and sprints and completely different racing surfaces. His greatest runner when it comes to Triple Crown races is the aforementioned Two Phil’s.
Constructed’s dam Sea Backyard is by Curlin and completed third in a one-mile filth race amongst three profession begins. Sea Backyard is a half-sister to Glenville Gardens, a Grade 2-winning turf sprinter-miler, and he or she is from the household of Grade 1-winning filth sprinter Marley Vale and Grade 2 winner Indian Vale, who competed in a number of route stakes on each filth and turf.
Derby Potential: Whereas Constructed confirmed encouraging enchancment in his third begin when taking the Gun Runner, these making a counter-argument would level out that at the very least partial credit score for the win is as a result of gradual tempo state of affairs that developed. On the constructive facet, Loveberry didn’t hustle Constructed out of the beginning gate to safe the lead – the colt assumed command on his personal and seemed very comfy doing so. Constructed has definitely put himself into the combo of Kentucky Derby contenders heading into the brand new 12 months, and will probably be fascinating to see how he’ll deal with what needs to be extra opponents – and probably extra adversity – in his subsequent begin, which may come at Honest Grounds or probably Oaklawn Park in a February or March Derby prep.
