Chad Brown is Highly Motivated to Win Kentucky Derby

The Run for the Roses is this Saturday at Churchill Downs and Mechanicville's own Chad Brown has a horse that is morning line 10-1 to win. Many in the horseracing community believe that Chad Brown will win the Kentucky Derby one day but is that this year with Highly Motivated? We asked Tim Wilkin, who is in Kentucky, that question and what other tidbits he has for us in preparing for the 147th running of the Derby. Listen above and see some of those nuggets below:

• If you like Essential Quality, who is the favorite in the race, you have to like Chad Brown's horse because Highly Motivated gave Essential Quality everything you wanted in the Blue Grass Stakes.
• Chad likens his confidence with Highly Motivated  to Good Magic in 2018 when that horse finished in second. Don't expect the horse to set the pace in this race, Chad wants him to be able to stalk and be able to pounce in the stretch.
• Is the fact that no horse has won from post position 17 a big deal? Wilkin says no and the most dreaded position is the 1 because a lot of horses come over to get position and the 1 hole takes the brunt of all the jostling. Therefore, 17 really is not a problem position to be in for Highly Motivated.
• A horse to lookout for is King Fury who is a 20-1 shot in this one but named after heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury who is actually going to be at the race.

For a little bonus listening, below is our conversation with Chad Brown himself from a week ago.