The Kentucky Derby prep season, which is six months long, can take a significant turn when horses are in the year leading up to the first Saturday in May. The Florida Derby and Arkansas Derby saw several contenders emerge, but the race remains a long road until the Kentucky Derby. Since the Breeders’ Cup came into existence in 1984, only two winners of the Juvenile have gone on to win the Derby the following spring. Early Kentucky Derby favorite, Paladin, had a non-displaced fracture in his right front ankle, which will prevent him from participating in the Triple Crown races. The best horse in the Florida Derby was Nearly, the race favorite from the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, who was purchased for $975,000 a year as a two-year-old horse. However, the Arkansas Derby field was less strong, with Renegade's horse being purchased as a horse who had previously been a second-place finish in Tampa Bay.