Publisher profile: 2025 Kentucky Derby odds, post position, history and more to know
Get caught up with Publisher's past performances, jockey, trainer and full analysis heading into the Run for the Roses
Winless in seven career starts, Publisher is trying to become the first maiden to win the Kentucky Derby since Brokers Tip in 1933. If Publisher were to pull off the feat, trainer Steve Asmussen, the winningest all-time trainer in North American racing, and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., the five-time winner of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey, would also break their maidens in the Kentucky Derby with their first Derby wins. And this 29-1 longshot may have a better chance than you think.
13 Publisher (20-1 on morning line, now 29-1)
- Trainer Steve Asmussen
- Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.
- Last race Second in the Arkansas Derby by 2½ lengths
- Career record 7 starts: 2 seconds, 3 thirds
- Career earnings $407,756
- Best career Beyer Speed Figure 95 (2025 Arkansas Derby)
- Sire American Pharoah
Below, we'll dig further into Publisher as part of our series profiling all the horses competing in the 151st Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 3. We'll look back into his past performances, what questions need to be answered Saturday and analyze how the post draw affects his chances.
Kentucky Derby profiles 1 Citizen Bull | 2 Neoequos | 3 Final Gambit | 5 American Promise | 6 Admire Daytona | 7 Luxor Cafe | 8 Journalism | 9 Burnham Square | 11 Flying Mohawk | 12 East Avenue | 13 Publisher | 14 Tiztastic | 15 Render Judgment | 16 Coal Battle | 17 Sandman | 18 Sovereignty | 19 Chunk of Gold | 20 Owen Almighty | 21 Baeza
Kentucky Derby picks Michelle Yu | Gene Menez | Jody Demling | Jeff Hochman
Now that you know who's in the field, you'll want to know how to bet the Kentucky Derby on the top horse racing betting apps.
What to know about Publisher
A son of 2015 Triple Crown hero American Pharoah, Publisher is not your typical 0-for-7 maiden. He has certainly run well enough to win, but he has finished behind Sandman three times and American Promise once. He'll meet both of those rivals in the Kentucky Derby. He also has found some traffic trouble, in both the Rebel and Southwest Stakes, but that's always a possibility with his come-from-behind running style.
There are reasons to think he can break the maiden drought in the Kentucky Derby. First, he showed improvement in the Arkansas Derby, which was his first start in blinkers. The effort produced a career-high 95 Beyer Speed Figure, and he will race with blinkers again Saturday. Also, he is training well in the mornings leading up to the race. Last week, when paired with stablemate and Louisiana Derby winner Tiztastic, Publisher was clearly the better of the two, looking like he is coming into the Kentucky Derby sitting on a big race.
The pace of the Derby is projected to be hot, with several speed horses in the race. That should set up his late run. He also gets five-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey Ortiz Jr., who excels with off-the-pace horses and is desperate to win his first Kentucky Derby.
Finally, and maybe most importantly, he has shown a willingness to pass horses on the inside. With its big field, the Kentucky Derby rewards horses who avoid going wide around the turn, like Street Sense in 2007, Mine That Bird in '09, Super Saver in '10, Rich Strike in '22 and Mystik Dan last year, among others. There aren't many of those in this year's field, but Publisher is one of them.
Since 1937, the best finish by a maiden was eighth by On the Mark in 1950. A 20-1 longshot at FanDuel Racing, TwinSpires and 1/ST BET, Publisher will need a hot pace up front and a clean trip, but if he gets those—and save ground in the process—he has the chance to fill the Churchill Downs winner's circle with multiple first timers.
Post draw analysis
With his come-from-behind running style, the post draw didn't have much impact on Publisher's chances. Nonetheless he did draw well, with No. 13. At some point, Ortiz is likely to guide Publisher as close to the rail if possible and the longer they can stick to the rail, the better chance they have.
