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Everyone in Kentucky is getting ready for the biggest event of the year, the Derby.
This year's Run for the Roses will feature 20 of the world's top three-year-old thoroughbreds. Most of the horses competing were purchased from anywhere between $600,000 and $1.2 million—except for one.
There is a Cinderella story in this year's race that makes you want to put all of your money on him. His name is "Chunk of Gold."
The thoroughbred's owner purchased the stunning gray colt for $2,500, significantly less than all the horses competing in this year's race.
His bargain price tag doesn't mean he shouldn't get good odds in the field.
Chunk of Gold has some impressive pedigree in its blood. He's the son of "Preservationalist," a Grade 1 winner who's won six races and has more than $1 million in career earnings.
The Kentucky Derby hopeful has already run a few impressive races before the Kentucky Derby. He finished in second place in the Louisiana Derby and Rising Star.
His earnings to date are $348,818, making him a successful investment for his owners.
'Chunk of Gold's breeder saw toughness in the colt shortly after he was born
The Kentucky Breeder said they knew Chunk of Gold had some fight in him shortly after he was born.
"He was a May 11 colt so we kept him back for October (sale) to give him some time to mature," said Bret Jones, president of Airdrie Stud, according to BloodHorse.com.
"This probably shouldn't be discussed but I'll honestly never forget him as a yearling because he tried multiple times to climb out of his stall over at Fasig! He would get up on his hind legs and actually got his front feet over the barrier a few times to the point of it being a serious worry."
He continued, "In hindsight, I'm choosing to attribute that behavior to him being a tough dude that wanted to show us he was the boss. Here's hoping that toughness comes through on Saturday."
Chunk of Gold's owner, Chris Melton, knew he got a steal when he bought the yearling.
"I was going to go up to $20,000," said Melton. "When I got him for $2,500 I thought, uh oh, I've missed something. He was a little immature, but you could tell he was going to grow up and be good-looking horse, and he has."
Chunk of Gold will have a bit of an uphill battle when he races in the Derby on Saturday night, as he will start from the 19th post.
It's a long shot, as only one other horse has won the Derby from that post, "I'll Have Another" in 2012.
We're rooting for this Cinderella story anyway.
Breaking down the price tag for the horses in the Kentucky Derby
While Chunk of Gold was a great bargain, many of the 2025 Kentucky Derby hopefuls were acquired for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Neoquos, who has a great starting position in the #2 hole on Saturday, is the second-cheapest horse in the race. He was purchased for $22,000.
Only two other horses competing this year were purchased for under $100,000: Coal Battle, who was bought for $70,000, and Flying Mohawk, purchased for $72,000.
Sandman and Baeza are the two most expensive horses in this year's race, with both being purchased for $1.2 million.
Predicted lead contender, Journalism, is the third most expensive horse in the race with an $825,000 pricetag.
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