A horse schooled in Utah is headed to the Kentucky Derby — and he’s a long shot

Utah claims a connection to a horse in the Run for the Roses at the Kentucky Derby. Photo: Mathew Schwartz

HURRICANE, Utah — The Kentucky Derby always falls on the first Saturday in May, and when Churchill Downs hosts the 152nd running of the race this weekend, a horse with Southern Utah ties will be in the field.

Pavlovian, a gray colt and one of 20 entries, is considered a long shot. He’ll be ridden by jockey Edwin Maldonado and trained by Doug O’Neill, who has won the Derby twice alongside owner J. Paul Reddam.

Before reaching O’Neill’s Southern California barn, Pavlovian got his start in Utah.

“Pavlovian went to school in Utah, where he learned his early lessons under the tutelage of John Brocklebank, a specialist in preparing youngsters for the racetrack,” reads a profile on the Kentucky Derby’s website. “The colt was precocious enough to graduate to O’Neill’s Southern California barn last spring.”

The colt’s name nods to both bloodlines and science. His sire, Pavel, was named after Detroit Red Wings star Pavel Datsyuk — Reddam is a devoted fan. The “Pavlovian” extension references Ivan Pavlov, the 19th-century Russian physiologist who won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his discovery of classical conditioning, the phenomenon in which a subject develops an automatic response to a specific stimulus.

Pavlovian earned his spot in the field with a photo-finish victory in the Sunland Derby in New Mexico earlier this year — a key prep race on the road to Louisville.

For many fans, attending the Derby is a bucket-list experience that blends sport, fashion and spectacle.

“Going to the Derby was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Jennefer Traeger, who was born and raised in Park City. She and her husband, Jason Ford, have attended the event. “The dresses and hats, the Mint Juleps, the betting, and most of all the adrenaline rush of watching the races all make it a day we won’t soon forget.”

The Derby is the first leg of the Triple Crown, a three-race series so difficult that it has produced only a handful of winners in its history.

For many fans, attending the Derby is a bucket-list experience that blends sport, fashion and spectacle.

“Going to the Derby was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Jennefer Traeger, who was born and raised in Park City. She and her husband, Jason Ford, have attended the event. “The dresses and hats, the Mint Juleps, the betting, and most of all the adrenaline rush of watching the races all make it a day we won’t soon forget.”

The Derby is the first leg of the Triple Crown, a three-race series so difficult that it has produced only a handful of winners in its history.