Fred Faour: Kentucky Derby horse profile – meet Kingsbarns

As part of our Derby countdown, today we focus on yet another Todd Pletcher horse – Louisiana Derby winner Kingsbarns. Remember, Mattress Mack has a great promotion where if the Derby favorite wins, your furniture is free. Check out the flyer below, then meet Kingsbarns:

Kingsbarns is an Uncle Mo colt who has only raced three times. He is unbeaten in those races, including the Louisiana Derby. He did not start until January, so he does not have the seasoning of the other contenders, but keep in mind Justify followed a path much like this and won the Triple Crown in 2018.

Like Justify, Kingsbarns stays close to the pace, which should give him a big advantage. However, he set very soft fractions in Louisiana, which gave him plenty left in the tank at the end. He probably will not be able to get away with that in Kentucky. However, there should be a lot of room for improvement, and his running style has been very effective in the Derby since they went to the points system.

He is trained by Pletcher, who seems to have the Derby by the throat with this guy, Forte, and Tapit Trice. They could easily go off as the 1-2-3 favorites on race day. Of course, that does not mean a lot, but Pletcher has three legitimate chances, including Kingsbarns.

Is he the next Justify? Maybe. We will find out on the first Saturday in May.