Austin won a free breeding session to the stallion Tale of Ekati, a grandson of both Storm Cat and Sunday Silence, by throwing a dart in a party game hosted by Darby Dan Farm.

[6] Grady, the owner of a company that leases equipment for the oil and gas industry, is a relative newcomer to horse racing.

[7] Grady originally intended to re-sell the then-unnamed colt as a two-year-old-in-training but the horse suffered a minor setback that kept him from the sale.

Largely overlooked at odds of 8-1, he was bumped at the start, swapped leads multiple times in the homestretch but still won by two lengths.

Smith's agent had contacted Sharp, stating, "I had been following [Girvin] and his consistency is very attractive...Mastery was our Derby horse and as soon as he was injured, Joe was the first person I called.

"[16] Girvin also was noticed by the pundits because his morning exercise rider was retired jockey and two-time Kentucky Oaks winner Rosie Napravnik, who was also Sharp's wife and assistant trainer.

[18] The colt's tendency to switch leads more than he needed to was viewed as a potential concern, but he was praised for his long stride and toughness.

[19] In late April, Girvin's training for the Kentucky Derby was disrupted when he developed a quarter crack on his right front hoof.

Rather than jogging on the racetrack, Sharp maintained the horse's fitness by using a hyperbaric chamber and equine swimming facilities and remained hopeful that the colt would be able to run.