Contenders in this year’s Kentucky Derby have all amassed impressive résumés leading up to this year’s run for the roses at Churchill Downs; but before they were stars on the racetrack, they were unnamed foals playing in fields.
Thanks to The Jockey Club, the breed registry for American Thoroughbreds that you see running at tracks every day, we’ve tracked down baby pictures of the probable runners in this year’s Kentucky Derby so you can see how far they’ve come. The signs in some of the images indicate the foal's dam (mother) and year of birth for identification, since the foals were unnamed at the time.
All photos of adult horses courtesy of Eclipse Sportswire unless otherwise indicated.
American Pharoah - Then
Now
Photo by Coady Photography
Bold Conquest - Then
Now
Bolo - Then
Now
Photo by Benoit Photo
Carpe Diem - Then
Now
Danzig Moon - Then
Now
Dortmund - Then
Now
El Kabeir - Then
Now
Far Right - Then
Now
Firespike - Then
Now
Photo by Melissa Bauer-Herzog
Firing Line - Then
Now
Photo by Coady Photography
Frammento - Then
Now
Photo by Coady Photography
Frosted - Then
Now
International Star - Then
Now
Itsaknockout - Then
Now
Keen Ice - Then
Now
Materiality - Then
Now
Metaboss - Then
Now
Photo by Vassar Photography
Mr. Z - Then
Now
Mubtahiij - Then
Since Mubtahiij was foaled and registered in Ireland, we were unable to track down a foal photo of him, but we're sure he was cute!
Now
Photo by Penelope P. Miller for America's Best Racing
Ocho Ocho Ocho - Then
Now
Stanford - Then
Now
Tencendur - Then
Now
Upstart - Then
Now
War Story - Then
Now