Burnham Square profile: 2025 Kentucky Derby odds, post position, history and more to know

Ian Wilkes was an exercise rider for trainer Carl Nafzger when the barn won the 1990 Kentucky Derby with Unbridled. Wilkes then was an assistant trainer for Nafzger when the barn took home the 2007 Derby with Street Sense. Today, Wilkes is running his own barn, and he has a big shot to win the Kentucky Derby as a trainer with Blue Grass Stakes champion Burnham Square.

9 Burnham Square (12-1)

• Trainer Ian Wilkes
• Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr.
• Last race First in the Blue Grass Stakes by a nose
• Career record 6 starts: 3 wins, 1 second, 1 third
• Career earnings $977,755
• Best career Beyer Speed Figure 96 (2025 Blue Grass Stakes)
• Sire Liam’s Map

Below, we’ll dig further into Burnham Square 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 | 4 Rodriguez | 5 American Promise | 6 Admire Daytona | 7 Luxor Cafe | 8 Journalism | 9 Burnham Square | 10 Grande | 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 | Jeff Hochman | Jody Demling

What to know about Burnham Square

Last year, jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. won the Kentucky Derby aboard an undersized but nimble longshot with a rail-skimming trip in Mystik Dan, sending bettors who wagered on Mystik Dan at 18-1 on TwinSpires and 1/ST BET into euphoria. This year, Hernandez could repeat that trip aboard another undersized but nimble longshot in Burnham Square.

This gelding emerged as one of the top contenders for the Kentucky Derby after he rallied to win the Holy Bull Stakes on the notoriously speed-favoring Gulfstream Park track in February. He followed that effort with a fourth-place finish in the Fountain of Youth Stakes, but speed figures say that effort was just as good as his Holy Bull win. In his last start, the Blue Grass Stakes, Burnham Square returned to his winning form, rallying to beat the pace-setting East Avenue and earning his best career speed figure (96).

There’s a long list of reasons to like Burnham Square. His speed figures are improving. He also has been one of the most impressive horses during morning workouts over the past week at Churchill Downs, according to trackside observers, which suggests he’s sitting on a big race.

Of all of the late-running closers, Burnham Square has the best tactical speed, which could give him the jump on the others. And most importantly, he has shown a willingness to pass horses on the inside which, in the 20-horse Derby field, can be the difference between winning and losing. Just ask Hernandez.

Post draw analysis

Burnham Square drew perfectly with post No. 9. Not only is he in the middle of the field, but several of the horses inside him are either speed horses or deep closers. That should allow Hernandez Jr. to guide Burnham Square over to the rail and save ground, assuming Burnham Square can take the kickback. Hernandez said after the Blue Grass win that he took Burnham Square to the outside in that race because the gelding did not like the dirt in his face. That had never been a problem before. If Burnham Square handles the kickback, expect Hernandez to stick to the rail like he did last year.