Here’s who owns every 2024 Kentucky Derby horse and how they amassed their fortunes. (2024)

The Kentucky Derby field is official and we’re just days away from dreams being fulfilled for one horse’s owners.

Just getting a contender into the 20-horse starting gate for Saturday’s race is a tall order, much less winning. For most, making it to Louisville for the race is the culmination of years of dreams and determination. For some, having a big bank account and keeping select company can make all of the difference.

The 2024 Derby field has plenty of owners making their first attempt to take the Run for the Roses. Until Encino was scratched Tuesday, Goldolphin Racing, a six-time Eclipse Award winner, was attempting to finally get its first win in this historic race. In fact, there are no past winning primary owners with a horse in this year’s 150th edition of the race.

Here’s a look at the owners of each thoroughbred who’ll compete in the 2024 Kentucky Derby.

1. Dornoch

Owners: West Paces Racing LLC, R. A. Hill Stable, Belmar Racing and Breeding LLC, Two Eight Racing LLC and Pine Racing Stables.

Trainer: Danny Gargan.

Breeding: In Kentucky by Grandview Equine.

Earnings to date: $552,275.

Last time out: Fourth in Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes (won by Sierra Leone) at Keeneland on April 6.

Other graded stakes results: First in Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park on March 2. … First in Grade 2 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct on Dec. 2, 2023.

Churchill Downs results: None.

About the owners: West Paces Racing is an ownership group co-founded by Larry Connolly, Keith Mason and others and includes more than 20 investors. Mason served as Georgia Gov. Zell Miller’s chief of staff and in President Bill Clinton’s administration. Connolly retired after selling Connolly LLC, a large global-recovery auditing firm, BloodHorse reported. … Raymond Hill III of R.A. Hill Stable is from Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, and grew up going to Monmouth Park with his mother. America’s Best Racing reported that a Wall Street deal 17 years ago led to Hill purchasing his first thoroughbred. … Vito Cucci, a renowned chef, is the owner of Nanina’s in the Park in Bellville, New Jersey, and started Belmar Racing and Breeding about 5½ years ago. … Two Eight Racing is owned by former Major League Baseball player Jayson Werth. He batted .267 with 229 home runs and 799 RBI in 15 seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals from 2002-17. He signed a seven-year, $126 million deal with the Nationals in December 2010. … Pine Racing Stables is owned by Mark Pine.

Here’s who owns every 2024 Kentucky Derby horse and how they amassed their fortunes. (1)

2. Sierra Leone

Owners: Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, Brook T. Smith and Peter Brant.

Trainer: Chad Brown.

Breeding: In Kentucky by Debby M. Oxley.

Earnings to date: $918,000.

Last time out: Won Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 6.

Other graded stakes results: Won Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds on Feb. 14. … Second in Grade 2 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct (won by Dornoch) on Dec. 2, 2023.

Churchill Downs results: None.

About the owners: The partnership includes Michael Tabor, who got into horse racing in the mid-1990s after selling his betting company, Price Arthur, and then becoming a partner in Coolmore Stud, according to America’s Best Racing. Tabor won the 1995 Derby with Thunder Gulch. … John Magnier owns Ashford Stud, the home of Coolmore Stud. His wife, Susan, is the daughter of legendary Irish trainer Vincent O’Brien. … Derrick Smith has worked in property and currency trading. … Westerberg is the horse racing venture of German-born Swiss billionaire Georg von Opel, the great-grandson of Adam Opel, who founded the German car manufacturer Opel AG. George von Opel’s net worth, estimated by Forbes as of April 25, is $2.3 billion. … Brook Smith has operated a small stable of horses for about 20 years, according to the Thoroughbred Daily News. … Peter Brant made his money in the paper mill industry and as a magazine publisher and art collector. He was also the breeder of 1995 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes winner Thunder Gulch.

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3. Mystik Dan

Owners: Lance Gasaway, 4 G Racing LLC, Valley View Farm and Daniel Hamby III.

Trainer: Kenny McPeek.

Breeding: In Kentucky by Lance Gasaway, Daniel Hamby & 4 G Racing LLC.

Earnings to date: $641,360.

Last time out: Third in Grade 1 Arkansas Derby (won by Muth) at Oaklawn Park on March 30.

Other graded stakes results: Won Grade 3 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park on Feb. 3.

Churchill Downs results: Fifth in allowance optional claiming race (won by Who Dey) on Nov. 25, 2023. … Won maiden special weight race on Nov. 12, 2023.

About the owners: Lance Gasaway, a former football star at Arkansas-Monticello, and 4 G Racing’s Brent Gasaway are cousins. Lance Gasaway, who farms rice, corn, soybeans and cotton in Star City, Arkansas, said Mystik Dan’s team is a low-budget operation, BloodHorse reported. “It’s an honor that we got in there,” Gasaway said. “There are only 20 horses; for us to have a horse that we bred ourselves, to make it to the Kentucky Derby that’s just a big accomplishment. Whether we win or run dead last, we’ve done something that’s just very seldom done. … This horse is a good horse. ... We’ve got as good a shot as anybody to win this one.”

4. Catching Freedom

Owner: Albaugh Family Stables LLC.

Trainer: Brad Cox.

Breeding: In Kentucky by WinStar Farm.

Earnings to date: $877,350.

Last time out: Won Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds on March 23.

Other graded stakes results: Third in Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds (won by Sierra Leone) on Feb. 17.

Churchill Downs results: Fourth in allowance optional claiming race (won by Parchment Party) on Nov. 9. 2023. First in maiden special weight race on Oct. 1, 2023.

About the owners: Albaugh Family Stables, based in Des Moines, Iowa, is a racing operation run by Jason Loutsch and father-in-law Dennis Albaugh, who also owns a pesticide company called Albaugh Inc., which is headquartered in Ankeny, Iowa. One of the stable’s notable horses is Brody’s Cause, who won the 2015 Breeders’ Futurity and 2016 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland and went on to finish seventh in the 2016 Kentucky Derby. Albaugh is known for his large car collection, particularly Chevrolets. Loutsch is also a co-owner of Iowa-based home builder MJ Properties. In 2023, Albaugh Family Stables’ Angel of Empire finished third in the Kentucky Derby while the organization was also a part-owner of Jace’s Road (17th) and Cyclone Mischief (18th).

5. Catalytic

Owners: Tami Bobo, Julie Davies and George G. Isaacs.

Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr.

Breeding: In Kentucky by Fred W. Hertrich III.

Earnings to date: $216,825.

Last time out: Second in Grade 1 Florida Derby (won by Fierceness) at Gulfstream Park on March 30.

Other graded stakes results: None.

Churchill Downs results: None.

About the owners: Tami Bobo and her husband own First Finds, a horse farm in Ocala, Florida. Horses have been a part of her life since she was about 2 years old, she told Trainer Magazine in 2022. “My family moved to Ocala when I was 8 years old,” she said. “I showed horses all over the country.” Take Charge Indy, who won the Florida Derby before finishing 19th in the Kentucky Derby in 2012, was the first thoroughbred she bought, but she eventually sold the horse. Bobo’s first Kentucky Derby horse of her own, Simplification, finished fourth in 2022. … Julie Davies is an owner and trainer based in Ocala. … George Isaacs is the general manager of Bridlewood Farm in Ocala.

6. Just Steel

Owner: BC Stables LLC.

Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas.

Breeding: In Kentucky by Summerhill Farm.

Earnings to date: $724,545.

Last time out: Second in Grade 1 Arkansas Derby (won by Muth) at Oaklawn Park on March 30.

7. Honor Marie

Owners: Ribble Farms LLC, Michael H. Eiserman, Earl I. Silver, Kenneth E. Fishbein and Dave Fishbein.

Trainer: Whit Beckman.

Breeding: In Kentucky by Royce Pulliam.

Earnings to date: $526,175.

Last time out: Second in Grade 2 Louisiana Derby (won by Catching Freedom) at Fair Grounds on March 23.

Other graded stakes results: Fifth in Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes (won by Sierra Leone) at Fair Grounds on Feb. 17. … Won Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs on Nov. 25, 2023.

Other Churchill Downs results: Second in allowance optional claiming race (won by Otto the Conqueror) on Oct. 29, 2023. … Won maiden special weight race on Sept. 29, 2023.

About the owners: Honor Marie’s Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes victory was the first graded stakes win for Ribble Farms, which is based in Arkansas and owned by Alan and Kerry Ribble. “We were just blown away,” Kerry Ribble told the Thoroughbred Daily News. “I don’t think we had even had an allowance win before that. Every day my husband and I look at each other and ask, ‘How did we get here?’ This is all new to us and we are just soaking it in.”

Kenneth Fishbein, Earl Silver and Michael Eiserman, owners of KEM Stables, are also along for the ride, buying into Honor Marie just before the Risen Star Stakes. “We are all octogenarians, and we have known each other for as many years as you can imagine,” Silver told the NYRA. “It’s incredible, especially at our ages. It’s well worth the wait, and we’re having a good time.”

8. Just a Touch

Owners: Qatar Racing, Resolute Racing and Marc Detampel.

Trainer: Brad Cox.

Breeding: In Kentucky by Don Alberto Corporation.

Earnings to date: $281,700.

Last time out: Second in Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes (won by Sierra Leone) at Keeneland on April 6.

Other graded stakes results: Second in Grade 3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct on March 2.

Churchill Downs results: None.

About the owners: Qatar Racing, founded in 2012, represents the racehorse ownership interests of the brothers who own QIPCO Holdings, led by Sheikh Hamad Bin Abdullah Al Thani. He was the ruling Emir of Qatar from 1995-2013. … Resolute Racing is owned by John Stewart, the founder and managing partner of MiddleGround Capital, a private equity firm.

Stewart started his career as an hourly line worker at Toyota Motor Corporation. His daughter owns Southern Barker, a luxury dog boutique with locations in Lexington and Louisville. … Marc Detampel is a managing director for Felix Global, a talent and organizational consulting firm.

9. Encino (scratched)

Owner: Godolphin LLC.

Trainer: Brad Cox.

Breeding: In Kentucky by Godolphin.

Earnings to date: $378,315.

Last time out: Won Grade 3 Stonestreet Lexington Stakes at Keeneland on April 13.

Other graded stakes results: None.

Churchill Downs results: None.

About the owner: Founded by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (the prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Dubai), Godolphin is a global thoroughbred breeding operation and horse racing team that has operations in Dubai, Europe, Australia, Japan and Lexington, Ky. Godolphin has won the Eclipse Award for top owner six times (2010, 2012 and 2020-23) but still seeks its first Kentucky Derby winner. Its best finish was third with Essential Quality in 2021.

10. T O Password

Owner: Tomoya Ozasa.

Trainer: Daisuke Takayanagi.

Breeding: In Japan by Yanagawa Bokujo.

Earnings to date: $163,339.

Last time out: Won f*ckuryu Stakes at Nakayama on March 23.

Other graded stakes results: None.

Churchill Downs results: None.

About the owners: Based in Japan, Tomoya Ozasa’s horses have names starting with his initials. T O Password will be his first Kentucky Derby contender.

Here’s who owns every 2024 Kentucky Derby horse and how they amassed their fortunes. (4)

11. Forever Young

Owner: Susumu Fujita.

Trainer: Yosh*to Yahagi.

Breeding: In Japan by Northern Racing.

Earnings to date: $2,049,451.

Last time out: First in Grade 2 UAE Derby at Meydan Racecourse on March 30.

Other graded stakes results: First in Grade 3 Saudi Derby at King Abdulaziz Racecourse on Feb. 24.

Churchill Downs results: None.

About the owners: BloodHorse reported in 2021 that Susumu Fujita began horse ownership that year and is the founder and CEO of CyberAgent, which provides internet advertising services and media services, including internet, TV, and smartphone games. As of May 2023, Forbes estimated Fujita’s net worth at $970 million.

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12. Track Phantom

Owners: L and N Racing LLC, Clark O. Brewster, Jerry Caroom and Breeze Easy LLC.

Trainer: Steve Asmussen.

Breeding: In Kentucky by Breeze Easy LLC.

Earnings to date: $405,000.

Last time out: Fourth in Grade 2 Louisiana Derby (won by Catching Freedom) at Fair Grounds on March 23.

Other graded stakes results: Second in Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes (won by Sierra Leone) at Fair Grounds on Feb. 17. … Won Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds on Jan. 20.

Churchill Downs results: Won maiden special weight race on Nov. 25, 2023. … Second in maiden special weight race (won by Real Men Violin) on Oct. 29, 2023. … Third in maiden special weight race (won by Stronghold) on Oct. 1, 2023.

About the owners: America’s Best Racing reported that L and N Racing is a four-way partnership including Tulsa, Oklahoma, lawyer Lee Levinson; sons Andy and Michael; and family friend and prosecutor Don Nelson. The Thoroughbred News reported that Lookin at Lee was the first horse L and N Racing purchased at public auction and he ended up second to Always Dreaming in the 2017 Kentucky Derby. … Clark Brewster is an Oklahoma attorney most widely known for representing Bob Baffert and Stormy Daniels. … Jerry Caroom has been a leading owner winner at Oaklawn Park in Arkansas. … Breeze Easy’s Mike Hall owns multiple other businesses, with a primary focus in the oil and gas industry, the stable’s website says. Breeze Easy is based in West Virginia.

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13. West Saratoga

Owner: Harry L. Veruchi.

Trainer: Larry Demeritte.

Breeding: In Kentucky by Two Hearts Farm II LLC.

Earnings to date: $460,140.

Last time out: Second in Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks (won by Endlessly) at Turfway Park on March 23.

Other graded stakes results: Third in Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes (won by No More Time) at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 10. … Fifth in Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity (won by Locked) at Keeneland on Oct. 7, 2023. … Won Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs on Sept.16, 2023.

Other Churchill Downs results: Second in maiden special weight race (won by Unified Point) on June 4, 2023. … Second in maiden special weight race (won by Frosty the Giant) on May 11, 2023.

About the owner: West Saratoga provided Harry Veruchi with his first career graded stakes victory, which came in the 2023 Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs. Veruchi paid just $11,000 for the colt at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Veruchi has been racing horses for more than 40 years and bought his first horse in 1982. He told America’s Best Racing that he typically spends anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000 for a yearling. “I’m not looking for a Kentucky Derby horse. Obviously, that is the ultimate. But I’m not looking for a graded stakes horse. I’m looking for a horse I can have fun with, make some money with, maybe win a small stakes race somewhere. I just want to have fun.”

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14. Endlessly

Owner: Amerman Racing LLC.

Trainer: Michael McCarthy.

Breeding: In Kentucky by Mrs. Jerry Amerman.

Earnings to date: $707,200.

Last time out: First in Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park on March 23.

Other graded stakes results: Eighth in Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (won by Unquestionable) at Santa Anita on Nov. 3, 2023. … Won Grade 3 Zuma Beach Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 8, 2023. … Won Grade 3 Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes at Del Mar on Sept. 10, 2023.

Churchill Downs results: None.

About the owners: Amerman Racing is the stable of John and Jerry Amerman of California. They have a pair of Breeders’ Cup winners to their credit — Adoration in the 2003 Distaff and Oscar Performance in the 2016 Juvenile Turf. John Amerman is a former chairman and CEO of Mattel Toys.

15. Domestic Product

Owner: Klaravich Stables Inc. (Seth Klarman).

Trainer: Chad Brown.

Breeding: In Kentucky by Klaravich Stables.

Earnings to date: $314,200.

Last time out: Won Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby at Tampa Bay Downs on March 9.

Other graded stakes results: Second in Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes (won by Hades) at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 3. Seventh in Grade 2 Remsen Stakes (won by Dornoch) at Aqueduct on Dec. 2, 2023.

Churchill Downs results: None.

About the owners: Owned by Seth Klarman, the CEO and president of Boston-based Baupost Group, a private investment partnership he founded in 1982. Forbes lists Klarman’s net worth at $1.3 billion and says that Baupost had $27.4 billion under management as of March 2023. Klaravich Stables, along with William H. Lawrence, won the Eclipse Award for outstanding owner in 2019. Klaravich Stables won the 2022 Preakness Stakes with Early Voting.

16. Grand Mo the First

Owner: Granpollo Stable.

Trainer: Victor Barboza Jr.

Breeding: In Kentucky by John D. Gunther.

Earnings to date: $214,650.

Last time out: Third in Grade 1 Florida Derby (won by Fierceness) on March 30.

Other graded stakes results: Third in Tampa Bay Derby (won by Domestic Product) at Tampa Bay Downs on March 9. … Third in Grade 3 Zuma Beach Stakes (won by Endlessly) at Santa Anita on Oct. 8, 2023.

Churchill Downs results: None.

About the owner: Granpollo Stable, active since 2015, has yet to win a graded stakes race. Its horses’ names typically start with “Gran” or “Grand.”

17. Fierceness

Owner: Repole Stable.

Trainer: Todd Pletcher.

Breeding: In Kentucky by Repole Stable.

Earnings to date: $1,703,850.

Last time out: Won Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park on March 30.

Other graded stakes results: Third in Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes (won by Hades) at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 3. … First in Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita on Nov. 3, 2023. … Seventh in Grade 1 Champagne Stakes at Belmont at the Big A (won by Timberlake) on Oct. 7, 2023.

Churchill Downs results: None.

About the owners: Repole Stable is owned by Mike Repole, who is known for co-founding Glacéau (maker of Vitaminwater), which sold to Coca-Cola for $4.1 billion, and BodyArmor SuperDrink, a sports drink manufacturer now partially owned by Coca-Cola. He was the owner for Uncle Mo, who was the 2010 Eclipse Award winner for 2-year old colts and has gone on to be a top stallion. In 2022, Repole Stable teamed with Donegal Racing as owners of fifth-place Derby finisher Mo Donegal. Forte, the 2023 Kentucky Derby favorite, was scratched the morning of the race. Repole Stable’s best Derby finish among seven other prior starters was ninth in 2018 with Vino Rosso, who went on to win the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Classic.

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18. Stronghold

Owners: Eric “Rick” Waller and Sharon Waller.

Trainer: Phil D’Amato.

Breeding: In Kentucky by Eric Waller and Sharon Waller.

Earnings to date: $827,200.

Last time out: Won Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita on April 6.

Other graded stakes results: Won Grade 3 Sunland Park Derby at Sunland Park on Feb. 18. … Second in Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity at Los Alamitos (won by Wynstock) on Dec. 16, 2023. … Second in Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes (won by Nysos) at Del Mar on Nov. 19, 2023.

Churchill Downs results: Won maiden special weight race on Oct. 1, 2023.

About the owners: The Wallers run a small operation that focuses on homebreds near Del Mar in California, according to America’s Best Racing. “When I got into breeding and this racing business, I thought to myself, ‘I want to breed a stakes winner,’” Rick Waller told America’s Best Racing. “And then when I got a stakes winner, I said, ‘I want to breed a graded-stakes winner.’ Once I got that, I said, ‘I need to breed a Grade 1 winner.’ I’ve been doing this for more than 25 years now. It’s taken me that long to do it. A lot of people do it a lot sooner, but I’m a small breeder.”

19. Resilience

Owners: Emily Bushnell and Ric Waldman.

Trainer: Bill Mott.

Breeding: In Kentucky by Pam Wygod and Martin Wygod.

Earnings to date: $494,630.

Last time out: Won Grade 2 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 6.

Other graded stakes results: Fourth in Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes (won by Sierra Leone) on Feb. 17.

Churchill Downs results: Third in maiden special weight race (won by Nash) on Nov. 12, 2023. … Second in maiden special weight race (won by Stronghold) on Oct. 1, 2023.

About the owners: Emily Bushnell is the executive director of Endeavor Therapeutic Horsemanship in Bedford, New York. The company’s website says its “vision is to empower individuals through the healing potential of the horse.” Bushnell’s parents, Marty and Pamela Wygod, bred Resilience. According to a report by Trainer Magazine, Marty Wygod — who died in April just days after Reslience’s Wood Memorial victory — was in the healthcare industry, ultimately establishing Medco Containment Services Inc., a large mail order pharmacy. In 1993, he sold Medco to Merck & Co. for more than $6 billion. The family’s breeding operation is located in Rancho Santa Fe, California. … Ric Waldman, a Louisville native, began his horse racing career at Fasig-Tipton in 1973 and advanced to general manager in 1981, Trainer Magazine reported. He now runs Ric Waldman Thoroughbred Consulting Inc.

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20. Society Man

Owners: West Paces Racing LLC, Danny Gargan and GMP Stables LLC.

Trainer: Danny Gargan.

Breeding: In Kentucky by SF Bloodstock LLC.

Earnings to date: $196,705.

Last time out: Second in Grade 2 Wood Memorial (won by Resilence) at Aqueduct on April 6.

Other graded stakes results: Eighth in Grade 3 Withers Stakes (won by Uncle Heavy) at Aqueduct on Feb. 3.

Churchill Downs results: None.

About the owners: West Paces Racing is an ownership group co-founded by Larry Connolly, Keith Mason and others and includes more than 20 investors. Mason served as Georgia Gov. Zell Miller’s chief of staff and in President Bill Clinton’s administration. Connolly retired after selling Connolly LLC, a large global-recovery auditing firm, BloodHorse reported. … Danny Gargan is an owner and trainer who grew up in Louisville. He is the son of the late jockey of the same name, who won the 1973 Kentucky Oaks, America’s Best Racing reported. … GMP Stables, with former trainer Gary P. Gullo as stable manager, is owned by Anthony Melfi and involves trainers Todd Pletcher, Robertino Diodoro and Gary Sciacca. Melfi sold his environmental hazardous waste company, Environmental Products & Services of Vermont, in 2019, BloodHorse reported. That company was responsible for the cleanup after disasters.