Kentucky Derby Prep Races: 2025 Lexington Stakes

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Final Shot at Derby Points: Lexington Stakes Headlines Keeneland Saturday

As the Road to Churchill Downs narrows, the $400,000 Lexington Stakes (G3) on April 12 at Keeneland offers a final chance for 2025 Kentucky Derby hopefuls to earn qualifying points. With no runners currently ranked within the top 32 of the leaderboard, this 1 1/16-mile contest still holds significant implications for late-blooming colts and savvy Kentucky Derby betting strategies.

Offering points on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale, the Lexington Stakes may not hold the same weight as the major Kentucky Derby Prep Races, but it has launched solid contenders in the past. While the Kentucky Derby odds for the participants may be long, a Saturday breakout performance could shift the picture dramatically.

Praetor Favored After Dominant Allowance Win

Chad Brown’s promising colt Praetor tops the morning line at 2-1. The Into Mischief colt impressed in an allowance optional claimer at Gulfstream, winning by 7 1/2 lengths going a mile. With two wins already under his belt, he now stretches out slightly in distance and returns to Keeneland with strong works, including a :49 bullet four-furlong breeze and a :37 three-furlong move earlier this week.

Flavien Prat, who piloted Praetor in his first two career starts, reunites with the colt after Tyler Gaffalione rode him in his last outing. Praetor is campaigned by a partnership of William Lawrence, CHP Racing, and Gainesway Stable.

Gosger and Bullard Offer Threats

The second choice, Gosger (7-2), enters off a maiden-breaking win at Gulfstream Park in his sophomore debut. The Brendan Walsh trainee is lightly raced, with just two starts, but his pedigree by Nyquist suggests he could have more to offer as the distances increase. He runs for breeder-owner Harvey A. Clarke Racing Stables.

Bullard (9-2) brings the most stakes experience to Lexington. The son of Gun Runner is a Grade 3 winner and placed in Grade 2 company, having scored in the Bob Hope Stakes (G3) at Del Mar. That race saw him defeat a small but quality field, including potential Kentucky Derby entrant Madaket Road, by nearly five lengths.

Owned by Three Chimneys Farm, Talla Racing, St. Elias Stables, and West Point Thoroughbreds, Bullard has the back class to contend if he fires.

Hypnus Looks to Rebound

After a maiden win at Fair Grounds, Hypnus (6-1) struggled in two primary Kentucky Derby prep races—the Rebel Stakes and Louisiana Derby—finishing seventh in both. Still, trainer Kenny McPeek has kept faith in the Into Mischief colt, who is out of Grade 1 winner Dream Tree. Hypnus posted a sharp :47 1/5 bullet work on April 7 at Churchill Downs and is one of just four in the field to have previously run the Lexington distance.

Hypnus shares the top Equibase Speed Figure in the field (90) with Bullard and is expected to push the early pace under Luis Saez.

Others to Watch

Rounding out the nine-horse field are longshots Bracket Buster (20-1), Hard as Life (30-1), Native Runner (15-1), Rolando (6-1), and Touchy (8-1). While none have the resume of the top contenders, surprises are common in late-season preps, and all bring potential upside on the stretch out.

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