Kentucky
Kentucky Derby 2024: Yearling bargains are now contenders
West Saratoga fetched a meager $11,000 when he was one of the last horses sold at Keeneland’s September yearling sale. May foal Honor Marie and Society Man, both hurt by lack of size, brought $40,000 and $85,000 at the same sale.
Those prices do not suggest that any of the three would go on to do something special. In each case, they far outran the values placed on them. And they ran their way into the 150th Kentucky Derby.
“I think that’s part of what makes our game so romantic. It can happen to anybody if you take a bit of a chance,” said Conor Foley of Oracle Bloodstock, the top bidder for Society Man.
Harry Veruchi, who landed West Saratoga, was growing impatient with trainer Larry Demeritte as he rejected one prospect after another, leaving only a handful of yearlings still available.
“Larry, we need to buy something,” he told him.
Demeritte, who has a history of spotting bargains, stood his ground. “Harry, I’m not going to buy something just to buy something. It has to be the right horse.”
Shortly after that, Veruchi received a phone call from an excited Demeritte. He wished to bid on hip 4146, convinced that he was the “right horse.” The son of 2016 Preakness winner Exaggerator lacked size but he passed the eye test with a good shoulder and good hip. Above all, nothing rattled him during the hustle and bustle of the sale.
Veruchi, who once owned a used car dealership in Denver with his brother, likes to shop with Demeritte in the $5,000 to $25,000 range for yearlings. He authorized a top bid of $20,000 and was delighted to spend a little more than half of that.
“I was hoping for an allowance horse and, if he was good enough to win a stakes race on a smaller scale, yeah, we’d probably try that,” Veruchi said.
West Saratoga became the first horse to earn Derby qualifying points when he captured the Sept. 16 Iroquois (G3) at Churchill Downs, providing Veruchi with his first graded-stakes win. He locked up a Derby berth when he placed second in the March 23 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) on Turfway Park’s Tapeta surface, hiking his lifetime earnings to $460,140.
Honor Marie, runner-up to Catching Freedom in the March 23 Louisiana Derby (G2), will actually celebrate his birthday on Derby Day. While that may be a nice touch for onlookers, his standing as a May foal undoubtedly diminished his worth. But not in the eyes of Kyle Zorn of Legion Bloodstock. He saw nothing but value.
“Sometimes these May foals sneak in there because they haven’t done the physical change that people are looking for,” said Zorn.
He also was not discouraged by the pedigree, even though Honor Code had shown little as a sire to that point. The dam, Dame Marie, had done well on turf and he thought they would be sending a nice turf horse to trainer Whit Beckman.
“Everybody is looking at the same horses on pedigree, so we try to find some diamonds in the rough,” Zorn said. “He was a no-brainer. He had the walk. He looked like a horse that would mature.”
He and the other partners in Legion Bloodstock could not have been more correct. Honor Marie boast a 5: 2-2-0 record with earnings of $526,175 for majority owners Kerry and Alan Ribble. They bought out their initial partners and later added Michael Eiserman, Earl Silver and David and Kenneth Fishbein.
Then there is Society Man. He was not on the Derby radar until the April 6 Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct. Sent off at 106-1 in the Wood in his first start after breaking his maiden, he made trainer Danny Gargan’s decision to run him look like a stroke of genius when he rallied to snag second to Resilience.
Conor Foley of Oracle Bloodstock, bidding on behalf of West Paces Racing, said he was prepared to offer as much as $300,000 for the son of Good Magic. He was “shocked” when the hammer fell at $85,000.
“He was not a big horse but incredibly athletic,” Foley said. “I bought him with the hope that he would keep that athleticism and still grow some. And I think he did that.”
It appears to have helped the cause that Society Man underwent what Foley described as “the ultimate equipment change.” He made dramatic progress after he was gelded.
13 things more likely to happen than winning the Powerball jackpot
Hoping to win the Powerball jackpot? Here are 13 things more likely to happen than becoming an instant millionaire.
The Kentucky Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Thursday, June 25, 2026 winning numbers for each game.
Cash Ball
02-08-24-32, Cash Ball: 09
Check Cash Ball payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 3
Evening: 6-3-0
Midday: 9-6-0
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 4
Evening: 5-7-6-0
Midday: 5-2-6-6
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Millionaire for Life
03-13-14-34-45, Bonus: 01
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Courier Journal digital producer. You can send feedback using this form.
On Thursday, Kentucky’s home and away SEC opponents for the 2026-27 season were revealed and on top of learning the three opponents who they will play twice, there are some very intriguing matchups. In conference play, Kentucky will face six teams who are among the top 25 in many preseason rankings.
In SEC play, Kentucky will play Tennessee, Vandy and Ole Miss all both home and away. The home matchups include Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Vandy. As for the road tilts, the Wildcats will face Florida, Georgia, Mississippi State, Missouri, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee and Vandy. Let’s take a look at some interesting developments from the schedule release.
John Calipari returns to Rupp Arena (again)
In Calipari’s first year with Arkansas, he got the best of Kentucky when he came into Rupp Arena and left with a 10-point victory, a game where you could really feel the tension all game long in the building from Kentucky fans, which translated onto the court with the players. Last season, it was Kentucky who shocked everyone when they stole one on the road against a top 20 Arkansas team after a rough up-and-down season up to that point. Now, the two will face off again as Kentucky will look to get the win in Rupp and make sure Calipari doesn’t get two in a row in the building. It’ll be another highly-anticipated showdown.
Kentucky hits the road at Texas
This is shaping up to be a major challenge for Kentucky next season and may even end up being one of the biggest games of the season. Texas is seen by many as a clear top 10 team, with some even having them within the top five and when you combine that with the fact that the game is on the road, the Wildcats will have their hands full. The Wildcats fell to the longhorns in the 2024-25 season, and it’ll be a much stiffer challenge this time.
Which game could be a trap?
We don’t have the game-by-game dates yet, so it’s hard to say with a lot of confidence, but opponent-wise, Georgia could really give Kentucky fits. In Pope’s first year, his team struggled handling the physicality of the Bulldogs and now, they’ve retained one of their best guards for another year and have added physicality through the portal. Mike White’s teams love to make opponents uncomfortable and they could do that once again down in Athens. Another sneaky team to watch is Oklahoma, who will have very good guard play. Kentucky will face both teams on the road.
Overall, it’s a pretty fair SEC schedule for a Kentucky team who has the capability of a return to being atop the conference once again. Mark Pope has such a system-fit squad and he can do some damage in the SEC.
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Fourth of July festivities to celebrate in Louisville
See the Fourth of July festivities planned in Louisville for America’s 250th birthday celebration.
Fourth of July is almost here, and Kentuckians are getting ready to light up the sky.
Before you plan your fireworks celebrations, it’s important to know what is and isn’t allowed under Kentucky law. Here’s what to know about fireworks laws and safety tips in the Bluegrass State ahead of Independence Day.
Can you set off fireworks in Kentucky?
Yes. As long as you live in a place where local ordinances don’t prohibit it, according to the Kentucky State Fire Marshal’s website.
Are fireworks legal in Louisville?
In Louisville or Jefferson County, larger display fireworks are not legal due to a local law. Some consumer products that don’t leave the ground, such as sparklers, are allowed.
If the cautionary label on the firework has the words “explosive,” “emits flaming pellets,” “flaming balls,” “firecracker,” “report” or “rocket,” it is automatically a no-go, according to the Louisville-Jefferson County Code of Ordinances.
But, smaller ones like sparklers, cylindrical or cone fountains, wheels and ground spinners are legal. Still, don’t let the size fool you − they can burn up to 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
Learn more: Check out these 4th of July events taking place across Kentucky
How to use fireworks safely
The state fire marshal suggests following the following advice when using fireworks:
- Use fireworks outdoors.
- Obey local laws.
- Keep a bucket of water or a working water hose nearby.
- Use fireworks as intended and avoid altering them or combining them.
- Never relight “dud” fireworks. Wait 20 minutes and then soak it in a bucket of water.
- Spectators should keep a safe distance from the person lighting the firework (the individual lighting it should wear safety glasses).
- Alcohol and fireworks do not mix. Have a “designated adult operator.”
- Do not use homemade fireworks or illegal explosives.
- Report illegal explosives to the fire or police department in your community.
- Never allow children to play with or ignite fireworks.
- Read and follow all instructions on the label.
Former Courier Journal reporter Ana Rocío Álvarez Bríñez contributed. Reach Marina Johnson at Marina.Johnson@courier-journal.com.
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