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While handicapping the Kentucky Derby, it can be useful to know the true birthdates of each horse in the race. Although all Thoroughbreds officially celebrate their birthdays on January 1st, some are actually born much earlier in the year than others, meaning that they can have a maturity advantage over their younger rivals.
The oldest horse expected to run in the 2016 Kentucky Derby is the Arkansas Derby (gr. I) third-place finisher Whitmore, who was born on January 23rd, 2013. The youngest horse targeting the Derby is the LeComte Stakes (gr. III) winner Mo Tom, who won’t truly turn three years old until May 6th, the day before the Derby.
Surprisingly, of the current top 25 Kentucky Derby contenders ranked by qualification points, ten of them share a birthdate with one of their rivals. Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) winner Exaggerator and Gotham Stakes (gr. III) winner Shagaf were born on February 5th; Louisiana Derby (gr. II) winner Gun Runner and Wood Memorial (gr. I) winner Outwork were born on March 8th; Wood Memorial third-place finish Adventist and the unbeaten Florida Derby (gr. I) winner Nyquist were born on March 10th; Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) winner Brody’s Cause and Wood Memorial runner-up Trojan Nation were born on March 17th, and Fountain of Youth Stakes (gr. II) winner Mohaymen and Arkansas Derby runner-up Suddenbreakingnews were born on May 2nd.
Of the 25 Derby contenders, 11 were born in the month of March, along with five in February and four in April. Only three Derby contenders were born in May, and just two in January.
The complete list of 2016 Kentucky Derby contenders and their birthdates is as follows:
Whitmore: January 23rd
Laoban: January 31st
Tom’s Ready: February 1st
Exaggerator: February 5th
Shagaf: February 5th
Cherry Wine: February 13th
Lani: February 22nd
My Man Sam: March 3rd
Gun Runner: March 8th
Outwork: March 8th
Adventist: March 10th
Nyquist: March 10th
Dazzling Gem: March 15th
Fellowship: March 16th
Brody’s Cause: March 17th
Trojan Nation: March 17th
Oscar Nominated: March 26th
Creator: March 30th
Mor Spirit: April 1st
Danzing Candy: April 6th
Destin: April 16th
Majesto: April 28th
Mohaymen: May 2nd
Suddenbreakingnews: May 2nd
Mo Tom: May 6th
Even if you don’t incorporate birthdates into your official Derby handicapping arsenal, you can always play them as a hunch angle: If you share a birthdate with one of the contenders, they might be worth a $2 win bet!
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