The Kentucky Derby Proved Renegade’s Toughness

The Kentucky Derby always presents the biggest challenge of any young horses’ career. Renegade came into Derby 152 as the morning line favorite and fresh off a dominant win in the Arkansas Derby. Drawing the rail and post 1 in a 20-horse field could easily turn this race into the Saturday night special no holds barred cage match the Kentucky Derby can become. And true to form it actually did for Renegade.

“All of our fears of drawing the 1 post unfolded right out of the gate,” says Renegade trainer Todd Pletcher. “The good news is despite all the contact he came out of the race unscathed and with no cuts.”

As soon as the horse broke there was an immediate scrum of equine flesh. Intrepido veered inward from his 3 post and created major contact with the 2 horse Albus and sandwiched him with a fast-breaking Renegade who was attempting to clear and not get squeezed inside. To their credit, Renegade and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. escaped the figure four leg lock the horses just to his outside had tried to apply and eased out of the pack as the horses moved down the back stretch. While the runners rolled around the far turn and headed for the wire, the big-running Renegade weaved through the crowd and muscled his way towards the front. Despite more jostling in the stretch, this son of Into Mischief found himself right there within rock-throwing distance of the finish pole. In the final yards of the world’s most famous race, Renegade was looking like he might just overcome it all. Then the late-running Golden Tempo, who had been completely free flowing throughout the mile and a quarter, stole the show by a neck.

Golden Tempo made the history books with his worst to first run, but those who really watched the fight can’t deny the toughness of Renegade.

“He has always shown us he is a very gritty horse,” says Pletcher, who has two Kentucky Derby wins (2010, 2017) to his credit. “Renegade runs with a lot of courage and he has proven he is not afraid to wrestle if he needs to.”

Belmont Stakes Can Be A Showcase For Renegade

Sports fans will be looking forward to the third leg of the Triple Crown and the rematch between the top two finishers in the Kentucky Derby. Run on June 6 at Saratoga Race Course in New York, this edition of the “Test of a Champion” has been shortened to a mile and a quarter because of the track configuration at the Spa. Belmont Park is going through major renovations and will again host the race next year as it returns to its normal mile and a half distance. With a number of other runners lining up for New York’s signature race for three-year-olds, this promises to be anything but a two-horse race. With $2 million on the line, a stallion-making race like this should draw plenty of interest.

The field is yet to be determined for the 158^th running of this historic event, but it will draw fewer horses than the Kentucky Derby. Renegade has displayed a big late kick in winning the Sam F. Davis Stakes and Arkansas Derby earlier this year. Of course the Kentucky Derby showed more of the same, but depending on how the race plays out at Saratoga, Pletcher’s charge may not be coming from far off the pace.

“Renegade is versatile enough and has enough experience that we feel he can win from anywhere,” says the New York-based Pletcher, who has won the Belmont Stakes four times (2007, 2013, 2017, 2022). “The shortened distance and it being run at Saratoga is no real factor for him. We will see how the race unfolds and just let him be him.”

Renegade is owned by Robert Low and Repole Stables. He was purchased for $975,000 at the Keeneland yearling sale in September of 2024. He has 2 wins, 3 second place finishes, and 1 third from six career starts while earning $ 2,031,500 on the track.