LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Since the filly Regret did it in 1915, only two horses have won the Kentucky Derby having made just three previous starts. In 2018, Justify did it on his way to becoming the first undefeated Triple Crown winner since Seattle Slew in 1977. In 2008, Big Brown, also undefeated, won the Kentucky Derby from post 20, a spot the brash trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. picked on purpose. Among the 24 horses who have tried and failed to win the Derby off just three starts since Regret were Curlin, who finished third at 5-1 in 2007; Dunkirk, who stumbled at the break and finished 11th at 5-1 in 2009; Materiality, who finished sixth at 11-1 in 2015; and Rock Your World, a front-running type who was hampered by a poor break as the 9-2 second choice and finished 16th in 2021. :: KENTUCKY DERBY 2023: Derby Watch, point standings, prep schedule, news, and more This year, Kingsbarns and Mage come into the Derby having each made just three starts. Kingsbarns has won all three, including the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby. Mage is only 1 for 3 but he ran a bang-up second to expected Kentucky Derby favorite Forte in the Florida Derby five weeks ago at Gulfstream Park. The other horses pointing to the Derby have made from 5 to 8 starts. Forte is 6 for 7. Derma Sotogake is 4 for 8. Kingsbarns is trained by Todd Pletcher, who has started six 3-year-olds in the Derby off just three starts. Materiality had come into the race off a big win in the Grade 1 Florida Derby, but didn’t get away clean enough to make an impact in the Kentucky Derby. He also had the misfortune of facing American Pharoah, who would go on to win the Triple Crown. “The biggest issue with him is he didn’t break well, put himself in a tough spot,” Pletcher said. “I didn’t think he ran a bad race after that, he just didn’t get any sort of early position.” Pletcher said he had taken Materiality to the starting gate three times leading up to the Derby. “He was a little too quiet on race day,” Pletcher said. “I wondered if I overdid it.” Kingsbarns, a son of Uncle Mo, overcame traffic trouble to win his debut on Jan. 14 at Gulfstream. He shipped to Tampa where on Feb. 13 he won a two-turn allowance, the best part of which was the way he drew off at the end. He shipped to Fair Grounds, where on March 25 he won the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at 1 3/16 miles after being able to set a relatively soft pace. Kingsbarns will attempt to become the first Louisiana Derby winner since Grindstone (1996) to win the Kentucky Derby. “He got as much experience in his debut as you could hope for,” Pletcher said. “Tampa was kind of a weirdly run race. He showed his versatility in the Louisiana Derby going wire to wire. I think the mile-and-three sixteenths also gives you some encouragement as well, but of course your concern is it’s only his fourth start.” Kingsbarns was to have his final workout for the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. Jose Ortiz was scheduled to work him and is the leading candidate to ride him in the race. Mage, a son of Good Magic trained by Gustavo Delgado, won his debut going seven furlongs on Jan. 28 at Gulfstream. He came back in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth on March 4. He hit the side of the gate, had a wide trip, and finished fourth, beaten 6 3/4 lengths by Forte. In the Florida Derby, Mage again broke poorly, was last early and made an early move that put him in front of Forte turning for home, only to get beat one length by him. “He is coming each race,” Delgado said. “I think he’s best for this race.” :: DRF Kentucky Derby Package: Save on PPs, Clocker Reports, Betting Strategies, and more. Delgado believes jockey Luis Saez may have moved too soon on Mage in the Florida Derby. Delgado was encouraged by how well Mage took the kickback – his white blaze was caked in dirt after the race. “No problem with the dirt in his face,” Delgado said. With Saez committed to ride Tapit Trice in the Derby, Javier Castellano will be back aboard Mage. Castellano rode him in the Fountain of Youth. In an attempt to address Mage’s gate issue of leaning back on the stall doors behind him, the horse is expected to school in the Churchill gate early in the week with pads that attach to the gate behind him. “It takes up the space and keeps his rear-end still, keeps him from being able to move,” said Scott Jordan, the head starter at Churchill Downs. “We’re going to try it and make sure the horse is comfortable with it before we try it come race time.” :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.