Chunk of Gold profile: 2025 Kentucky Derby odds, post position, history and more to know

Bought at auction for the relatively paltry sum of $2,500 two years ago, Chunk of Gold already has shattered expectations in his short career. On Saturday, this horse from humble beginnings will attempt to cap off the ultimate underdog story when he leaves the starting gate in the 2025 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

19 Chunk of Gold (30-1)

• Trainer Ethan West
• Jockey Jareth Loveberry
• Last race Second in the Louisiana Derby by 2¼ lengths
• Career record 4 starts: 1 win, 3 seconds
• Career earnings $348,818
• Best career Beyer Speed Figure 92 (twice)
• Sire Preservationist

Below, we’ll dig further into Chunk of Gold 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 Chunk of Gold

On Oct. 25, 2023, a gray/roan son of unheralded sire Preservationist walked into the sales ring at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Yearling Sale in Lexington, Ky. He wasn’t in the ring for long. The bidding topped out at a meager $2,500, a far cry from the sales-topper at the auction, who sold for $725,000.

But that $2,500 purchase has turned into a gem. Eventually named Chunk of Gold, the horse already has earned almost $350,000 and has never finished worse than second in four career starts.

Despite that record, he enters the Kentucky Derby as a big longshot at TwinSpires and 1/ST BET. He made his first two starts on the synthetic surface at Turfway Park, winning his debut race before running second in the Leonatus Stakes. His connections then shipped him to the Fair Grounds in New Orleans for his next two starts and he ran second in the Risen Star Stakes and Louisiana Derby.

There are qualities to like about Chunk of Gold. He has gotten faster as he has moved to the dirt and gone longer distances, and he is coming off the two fastest races of his career. With just four starts, he is a lightly raced horse who may still have some upside. He also is a versatile runner who can close from well off the pace or use tactical speed, but trainer Ethan West has said he expects Chunk of Gold to rally from off the pace in the Derby. 

Best of all, he has an ability to race inside horses—a quality that few horses in the 2025 Kentucky Derby field have shown. This is especially valuable in the 20-horse Derby, which often rewards runners who can skim the rail 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. 

However, speed figures say Chunk of Gold is among the slowest horses in the field; just five horses in the field own a career Beyer Speed Figure worse than his career high of 92. He will need to improve dramatically to get into the ballpark of the major contenders. Also, his slow final furlong in the Louisiana Derby does not suggest the Kentucky Derby distance of 1¼ miles will suit him.

Post draw analysis

Chunk of Gold has benefited from inside posts and ground-saving trips in his four races, and West said in the lead-up to the Derby that he wanted Chunk of Gold to draw inside. The trainer did not get his wish. The horse drew post No. 19 for the Derby, which makes an inside, ground-saving trip highly unlikely. Chunk of Gold is almost certain to lose ground around at least one turn, something that may cost him any chance of hitting the board considering he already is slower than most of the field.