The Kentucky Derby has come around so fast, and now we are all super excited to find out more about the horses that will be FanDuel's Kentucky Derby contenders and who will be the highest ranking of all.
Of course, the most exciting aspect is who will end up winning, and whether we will see a Triple Crown winner this year! We are seeing some old favorites, some new legends, and some unique talent this year, so the races are highly anticipated, and everything is incredibly exciting!
However, there are eyes on one horse in particular, and if you are only just catching up with the horse profiles for this year's Kentucky Derby, we are happy to introduce you to this horse! Arabian Lion Career Statistics
Arabian Lion is a 3-year-old colt foaled by May 2020 to Justify and Unbound. As of the last start he was ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr, and trained by Bob Baffert. Much like Arabian Knight, Arabian Lion was sold to Zedan Racing Stables.
However, Arabian Lion has quite a lot to boast about so far, having made 2 starts in 2023 so far, with 1 second, making his earnings this year, $87,000 already. Over his career, he has made 5 starts with 1 first and 2 seconds totaling $157,600 in earnings overall.
Career Earnings
In 2022, Arabian Lion won 1 race and came second in another over 3 starts making $70,600 that year, and making $23,533 per start. His success has seen quite a decent amount of earnings. However, it is expected that this year he will perform better than last.
Why? Well, those who track horse racing will have a good idea as to why!
HRN Speed & Race History
He has fluctuated in his HRN speeds. However, he is a hopeful choice due to his lineage as well. He is 3 years old and was sired by Justify, trained by Bob Baffert, and racing for Zedan Racing Stables, things already look good.
In the fall of last year, his HRN Speed was at 100, but in November it dropped to 98, and then in December to 79, however, in February 2023 it shot up to 93, and now projections anticipate an incredible increase, expecting 105 or so by the Kentucky Derby!
So, what is there to know about his race history?
| Date | Finish | Track | Distance | Surface | Race | 1st | 2nd | Time |
| 10/9/22 | 1st | SA | 6F | Dirt | MSW | Arabian Lion | Elwood Blues | 1:09:78 |
| 11/4/22 | 2nd | KEE | 7F | Dirt | Alwoc | Giant Mischief | Arabian Lion | 1:22:3 |
| 12/17/22 | 5th | LRC | 1 1/16 M | Dirt | 2022 Los Alamitos Futurity | Practical Move | Carmel Road | 1:41:65 |
| 2/4/23 | 4th | SA | 1 1/16 M | Dirt | 2023 Robert B/Lewis | Newgate | Hard To Figure | 1:43:11 |
| 4/15/23 | 2nd | KEE | 1 1/16 M | Dirt | 2023 Lexington | First Mission | Arabian Lion | 1:43:74 |
While Arabian Lion does not have an incredible amount of wins in his racing history, he has never fallen below 5th and has managed to be in the top 2 horses on more than one occasion. He is also showing improvement as the 2023 year has gone on
We have to simply hope that his decline over the winter months was due to the cold, and perhaps that we will see 1st and 2nd place achievements from him in the warmth of summer. However unlikely this may sound.
Arabian Lion Biography
So, who is Arabian Lion?
Well, he won his career debut in a 2-year-old maiden race in October 2022, he won at first asking for the trainer in a typical wire-to-wire fashion as he won by a margin of 3 lengths in a 7-horse field.
Fresh off of this win, he ended up sent to Keeneland for his second start with a $160,000 allowance race on the Breeder’s Cup undercard in November. He was sent off as the 3-5 favorite in a field of 10 horses, but he had to settle for 2nd place, beaten by a measly ¾ of a length by Giant Mischief.
He attempted to do better in his next start, which was in California in the 2nd Grade Los Alamitos Futurity for $200,000. He was favored again, however, it was not his day and he ended up 5th. He had pressed the pace into the second turn, but he emptied too fast and fell back.
After this, he raced on February 4th, at the Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita on the 4th of February in 2023. Arabian Lion was sent off with great offs, but he finished last in the 4 horse race.
Finally, he made it to Keeneland again on April 15th of 2023 and managed to pass in 2nd. It was a close call, but he made it.
Overall
While he has slacked quite significantly in the past few races, he has a lot of potential to be seen at Kentucky, and we are certain he will show his true power when the race begins. Every horse has their down days, we are certain that for Arabian Lion, the Derby won’t be one of them.
There are more interesting articles in our section on Racing & Wagering.
