Coal Battle trainer, jockey, owner and more to know about 2025 Kentucky Derby horse

USA Today

03-05-2025

Coal Battle trainer, jockey, owner and more to know about 2025 Kentucky Derby horse
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Meet Kentucky Derby contender Coal Battle's trainer Lonnie Briley
At the age of 72, Louisiana trainer Lonnie Briley talks about Kentucky Derby contender Coal Battle ahead of the 151st Run for the Roses.
Coal Battle will enter the Kentucky Derby off a third-place finish in the Arkansas Derby on March 29
Lonnie Briley, the 72-year-old trainer of Coal Battle, is in the Kentucky Derby for the first time
Coal Battle is one of 20 horses expected to enter the 2025 Kentucky Derby on May 3 at Churchill Downs.
Spots for the Run for the Roses are earned by gaining points through a series of Kentucky Derby prep races that began last September.
The post-position draw for the Kentucky Derby is set for Saturday, April 26. Post time for the Kentucky Derby is set for 6:57 p.m. on Saturday, May 3.
Coal Battle will enter the Kentucky Derby off a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on March 29 at Oaklawn Park. He currently ranks eighth on the Kentucky Derby points leaderboard with 95.
Color: Dark bay.
Bred in: Kentucky.
Sire: Coal Front.
Dam: Wolfblade, by Midshipman.
Price tag: $70,000 at 2023 Texas Thoroughbred Association Yearling Sale.
Owner: Norman Stables (Robbie Norman). First Derby.
Trainer: Lonnie Briley. First Derby.
Jockey: Juan Vargas. First Derby.
Record: 5-0-1 in eight starts.
Career earnings: $1,188,875.
Road to the Kentucky Derby points: 95 (No. 8).
Last race: Third in Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on March 29 at Oaklawn Park.
Running style: Versatile colt has won on the lead and coming from behind.
Notes: He's won five races at four different tracks — Evangeline, Delta Downs, Remington Park and Oaklawn Park (twice). He won the Grade 2 Rebel on Feb. 23 at 11-1 odds to put himself in contention for a Kentucky Derby spot. … The 72-year-old Briley has been training on the Louisiana circuit for more than 30 years. He had never even entered a horse in a graded stake — much less won one — until Coal Battle's score in the Rebel. … Coal Battle's two worst finishes have come in his two Kentucky races – fourth in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile on Sept. 8 and seventh in an allowance race at Keeneland on Oct. 12. ... The third-place finisher in last year's Arkansas Derby, Mystik Dan, went on to win the Kentucky Derby.
What they're saying: 'It was a long drive getting to Churchill (from Oaklawn Park), but we're getting settled in,' Briley said. 'He's a pretty laid-back horse. If he's not lying down, he's usually at the back of his stall just relaxing. He knows when it's game time.'
Last May, NBC Sports announced a partnership with Churchill Downs to present the Kentucky Derby on NBC and Peacock through 2032.
The extension includes multiplatform rights to the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks and Derby and Oaks Day programming, which will be presented on NBC, Peacock, USA Network and additional NBCU platforms.
You can stream the 2025 Kentucky Derby on Fubo and Peacock.
Post time for the 151st Kentucky Derby is set for 6:57 p.m. on Saturday, May 3.
Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; [e-mail]. Follow on X @KentuckyDerbyCJ.
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This story was updated to add a gallery.