State of Honor

STATE OF HONOR (c, To Honor and Serve—State Cup, by Elusive Quality)

O-Conrad Farms. B-Manfred & Penny Conrad (ON). T-Mark E. Casse. Lifetime Record: GISP, 10-1-4-2, $382,548.

Last Start: 2nd, GI Xpressbet Florida Derby, GP, Apr. 1

Thoro-Graph sheet, Equineline PPs

KY Derby Points: 62

State of Honor has had a little bit of everything thrown his way while building up a foundation of ten career tries. Early on he switched between a synthetic surface and turf, and also sprinting versus routing. Pace-wise, they've tried him on the lead and stalking. He's worn blinkers and then had them removed. Yet after all this experimentation, it's Derby time and State of Honor still has not elevated himself past the level of being a hard-trying horse who gets a little keyed up in his races; one who on his best days is capable of firing a Beyer somewhere around 90. That's been good enough to often land second or third (1-4-2 record from those 10 tries), and it's enabled State of Honor to rack up sufficient leaderboard points to enter the Derby. But you would have to optimistically project a tremendous upsurge in talent to envision this colt wearing a blanket of roses early Saturday evening. He's winless beyond the maiden ranks, is now past the six-month mark since that last win, and has never finished first in a route race. Jose Lezcano picks up the Derby mount, as Julien Leparoux, who rode State of Honor in all four of his 2017 starts, has opted to ride higher-ranked Classic Empire instead.

VIDEO PPS