Ranking the Coolest Names in Kentucky Derby History: From Render Judgment to Flying Mohawk

The 2025 Kentucky Derby is set for Saturday, May 3rd and stands as one of the most distinctive occasions in athletics. The event boasts grand ceremonies and celebrations, where attendees often sport extravagant attire complete with stylish headpieces. Substantial sums are bet on the racing horses, yet the actual contest runs for just two to three minutes.

Crammed within the tales of the derby, particularly due to its brief duration, lie memorable broadcasts from commentators. Their task is challenging during live commentary since horse standings often shift rapidly, compounded by the fact that these animals do not possess conventional monikers. When it comes to naming conventions, horses fare even poorer compared to vessels. Unlike vehicles in NASCAR, which use numeric designations or start positions for identification, horses are seldom addressed via numerical means. Owners wield complete freedom regarding nomenclature choices for their equine charges, leaving us spectators to navigate this whimsical array of titles.

Considering this, here is our list of the top Kentucky Derby horse names.

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Ranking the top Kentucky Derby contenders based on their names

21. Neoequos

At the base level, we find Neoequos. The pronunciation eludes me, which might mean our interpretations differ. Initially, I hoped that searching online for more information would reveal an intriguing tale like “Neoequos is the ancient deity from Egypt responsible for ___,” allowing us to get invested in it. However, nothing came up. It’s challenging to articulate and lacks a compelling backstory—hence, it lands at the bottom spot.

20. Baeza

Neoequos isn’t alone at the bottom of the list. While saying Baeza is amusing, that’s as exciting as it gets.

19. Tiztastic

I like the effort, but it’s not doing much for me. It avoids the bottom of the barrel because “Tiztastic wins the Kentucky Derby” would be a great sound clip, but short of that? Meh.

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18. East Avenue

This is the initial submission for this year’s entries that merely lists a location. There might be some backstory involving the owners meeting on East Avenue or similar details, yet this one seems rather uninteresting.

17. Burnham Square

Once more, considering the location. Burnham Square has a better ring to it compared to East Avenue, giving it an advantage in the rankings.

16. Sovereignty

Names with tricky spellings can be challenging for typical viewers at the Kentucky Derby when it comes to pronunciation. Many of you might relate to having to read a horse’s name several times, phonetically decoding it like someone using Hooked on Phonics, attempting to articulate it correctly. It may be an impressive title, yet saying it repeatedly could prove difficult, not to mention spelling it out every time you message your pals about it.

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15. Publisher

The following pair goes together seamlessly, almost as if they were hoof-in-hoof. This is a conflict I am eager to follow: Publishers versus Journalists; Companies against Writers. Speaking of horse races, the names sound exciting, yet I can’t help feeling the owners might have chosen something more fitting.

14. Journalism

A snazzier term than Publisher, yet in the same situation. Imagining “Journalism clinched the Kentucky Derby” would grow tiresome quickly.

13. Rodriguez

I. require. some. background. information. Can you tell me what this refers to? Were you particularly fond of Alex Rodríguez’s performances in baseball? Do you consider yourself the greatest admirer of actor Freddy Rodríguez? Or perhaps did Michelle Rodríguez capture your heart through her roles in “Lost” or “The Fast and the Furious”?

Sadly, Rodriguez did not play on Thursday and has been substituted with Baeza. Nonetheless, Rodriguez retains a respectable position in this ranking.

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12. Luxor Cafe

When it comes to location names, Luxor stands out above all others. It surpasses both Burnham and East effortlessly. Although it might not have any connection with the Luxor casino in Las Vegas, perhaps their café was where they chose to purchase a horse. Nonetheless, despite being quite amusing as a place name, it falls short of making the top ten list.

11. Owen Almighty

This title deserves a more prominent spot, but we’ve got several strong entries ahead. It reminds me of “Bruce Almighty” and “Evan Almighty,” and personally, I never felt the desire for this franchise to extend beyond two movies.

10. Grande

Brief, clear, and catchy. A great choice for the number one spot on the list of top 10.

Sadly, Grande was scratched on Friday. The
The race field for the Derby has been narrowed down to 19 contestants.
, but at the very least, he made it into the top 10 for best names.

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9. Sandman

Makes me think of Mariano Rivera. When the Sandman comes in, the competition will go to sleep. It’s a cool name, but you’ve got to win to keep its meaning. Anything short of that, and it kind of busts. The high-risk, high-reward of the name docks it a few spots.

8. Coal Battle

I might be exaggerating the significance of this name and reading too much into it. I thought it was a blend of “colt” and “foal,” combining equine-related terms. Should my interpretation be incorrect, then this name should rank lower. However, as things stand, it holds a reasonable position at number eight.

7. Admire Daytona

This is the highest-ranking name that incorporates a place. Occasionally, you simply must take a moment to appreciate Daytona. The blend of spectators at the Daytona 500 alongside the splendor of the sea creates a breathtaking scene.

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6. Final Gambit

The definition of a cool name. Additionally, I appreciate it since a gambit in chess refers to your initial move or tactic. Thus, calling something the “final gambit” is akin to referring to it as the ultimate opening move, creating somewhat of a contradiction.

5. American Promise

Securing a spot within the top five this year is truly commendable. It’s one of those iconic names often associated with the Kentucky Derby, and having “American Promise wins the Kentucky Derby” sound so fitting.

4. Citizen Bull

You could likely swap the first five entries on this list without drawing too much criticism. As for how I ranked them, things got quite meticulous beyond this point since all of these names are pretty neat, yet not quite as impressive as the top three.

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3. Chunk of Gold

This is fantastic! It’s perfect for horse owners looking to choose precise names for their horses. While entering the world of horse breeding, training, and racing requires significant financial investment, hitting it big with a top-performing horse could yield substantial earnings even from just a few victories.

2. Flying Mohawk

I really appreciate this name. During horse races, their manes are usually fastened into small bows. While I assume this aids in streamlining their movement, I prefer to imagine it’s purely for showmanship. With the mane neatly plaited, it resembles a mohawk. As these magnificent creatures gallop around the racetrack, the moniker seems both fitting and stylish.

1. Render Judgment

I mean, seriously. This name is fantastic. While it might not fit perfectly with horse racing, on its own, it’s excellent. At first, I ranked it behind Flying Mohawk, but now I think this name is truly amazing.

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Recent Kentucky Derby winners

There are multiple approaches you can use to predict which horse might win the Kentucky Derby. Many individuals opt for choosing based on the most appealing names; however, these picks do not necessarily lead to victory. Below are the past ten champions of the Kentucky Derby.

*Medina Spirit secured the win but was subsequently disqualified after failing drug tests.