Eight years after they ran McCraken in the 2017 Kentucky Derby (G1), jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., trainer Ian Wilkes, and owner Janis Whitham of Whitham Thoroughbreds are Derby-bound again. Aiming to improve upon McCraken's eighth-place finish, these connections now have the 2025 Kentucky Derby qualifying points leader, Burnham Square.
Racing April 8 at Keeneland, the 3-year-old gelding rallied down the outside portion of the main track to catch pacesetting East Avenue by a nose to win the $1,225,625 Blue Grass Stakes (G1).
The Blue Grass was the penultimate race in the Road to the Kentucky Derby series, with only one more minor prep to go, the April 12 Lexington Stakes (G3) at Keeneland. Tuesday's race distributed qualifying points toward the May 3 Derby at Churchill Downs on a 100-50-25-15-10 scale to its top five finishers. Combined with 30 earlier points earned in the series, 20 of which were tallied in winning the Holy Bull Stakes (G3) over eventual Florida Derby (G1) winner Tappan Street, Burnham Square now has 130. His points total was just enough to surpass Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Sandman with 129.
With Churchill Downs officials using qualifying points as a preference system for the Derby when the first leg of the Triple Crown attracts more than its 20-horse capacity field size, the win assures Burnham Square a berth in the race. East Avenue also has sufficient points with 60, and Blue Grass third-place finisher River Thames also has enough points to grab a Derby berth with 50 points and higher non-restricted stakes earnings than some other 50-point earners.
Burnham Square is not just headed to the Derby. He is going there as a horse likely to relish the 1 1/4-mile distance of the first leg of the Triple Crown.
He handled 1 1/8 miles in the Blue Grass, passing three horses in the final eighth of a mile to prevail, though in sluggish time. He was clocked in 1:51.33, the slowest time in the Blue Grass since 2007 when Dominican had the same time over Keeneland's past Polytrack surface. Since 2015, the Blue Grass has been run on dirt.
Burnham Square paid $10.48 for a $2 win wager.
Hernandez, known for saving ground when possible, as he did in guiding the Kenny McPeek-trained Mystik Dan to victory in the Kentucky Derby last year, instead took an outside path with Burnham Square.
"For a 3-year-old to make such a long run like he did today and be able to run down grade 1 winners like he did—he's an exciting horse to move forward with," Hernandez said.
Hernandez replaced Edgard Zayas, who had ridden him in Florida, with Wilkes opting to go with a regular Kentucky rider. Wilkes and Hernandez also have a history together; Hernandez was the rider of Whtiham's Fort Larned when the horse won the Whitney Stakes (G1) and Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) in 2012.
Godolphin's East Avenue led for much of the Blue Grass after overtaking Tampa Bay Derby (G3) winner Owen Almighty when hard sent in the run to the first turn. He swapped from his right to his left lead when passing the tracks on the main track with about a sixteenth of a mile remaining—a mistake that may have proved costly. He battled to the wire despite setting quick splits of :22.95, :46.95, 1:11.96, and 1:37.89.
His connections indicated he showed them enough to be considered for the Derby. Godolphin also has Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) winner Sovereignty pointed to the race.
"I think he just about answered every call today," trainer Brendan Walsh said.
Fountain of Youth Stakes runner-up River Thames, who chased the pace in third throughout, came up a bit empty in the closing yards of the Blue Grass, finishing three-quarters of a length behind the runner-up.
Admiral Dennis and Render Judgment were others to pick up Derby points by respectively finishing fourth and fifth. Owen Almighty and last year's Hopeful Stakes (G1) and Champagne Stakes (G1) winner Chancer McPatrick both showed apparent distance limitations in finishing in a dead heat for sixth. The latter was the Blue Grass favorite.
Tuesday's card, postponed three days from April 5 due to heavy rains in Kentucky that led to flooding in some parts of the state, was run on a weekday for the first time since 1988—leading to a diminished Blue Grass Stakes day crowd.
The Blue Grass has produced 23 winners of the Kentucky Derby, with only Street Sense (2007) over the past 30 years, which followed a stretch of four winners exiting the race from 1990-95. 2024 Blue Grass winner winner Sierra Leone was second, beaten a nose by Mystik Dan in the Derby last year.
Wilkes was closely involved with the Carl Nafzger-trained Street Sense, serving as his assistant trainer. Wilkes also was the exercise rider of 1990 Kentucky Derby winner Unbridled for Nafzger.
Before taking questions Tuesday from a cluster of reporters, Wilkes had a call to make to Whitham, who bred the gelded son of Liam's Map out of the grade 2-winning Scat Daddy mare Linda.
"How about that?" Wilkes asked her before offering his congratulations.
And how about Wilkes Tuesday? Besides winning the Blue Grass, he captured the Madison Stakes (G1) with Positano Sunset.
"Can I do it again?" he asked with a smile.
It seems a possibility. Both appear likely to run at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May: Positano Sunset in the Derby City Distaff Stakes (G1), mere hours before Burnham Square in the Derby.
Burnham Square is the fifth grade 1 winner for Liam's Map, who stands for $40,000 at Lane's End in Kentucky.
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