“I was looking for a racehorse, you know, not a ‘Derby horse,’” Coal Battle‘s trainer shared with Paulick Report. “Then this guy just showed potential and more and more and more, and like I said he just kept climbing the point ladder, so we decided to give him a chance.” And now, less than a week away from the 2025 Kentucky Derby, Coal Battle gets ready to take his rightful place at the starting gates of Churchill Downs, with greatness within reach. Such a special horse needs a proper introduction, and the 3-year-old has quite a story to tell. So, let’s get to know this Kentucky Derby contender.
Who is Kentucky Derby’s Horse Coal Battle?
This thoroughbred is a dark bay or brown colt, based out of Louisiana. A dirt track specialist, Coal Battle was foaled on April 5, 2022. This 3-year-old started as a runner whose style was to go full throttle from start to finish. But with age, his pattern of running has changed, and he is mostly known to be a mid-pack colt who accelerates during the final stretches. Generally, this kind of thoroughbred is called a closer, and Coal Battle is the perfect example of it.
Having won multiple races, the thoroughbred has shown tactical versatility to adapt to different scenarios, and those exact skills helped him earn 95 points to be in the top 10 of the Kentucky Derby leaderboards. But can he challenge the likes of Sandman and Journalism, and Burnham Square, come May 3rd? Well, a thoroughbred is only as good as it is taken care of. And Coal Battle has quite a dignified support system, starting from passionate trainers to capable jockeys.
But foremost, Coal Battle comes from a stable that has raised multiple graded Stakes winners.
Who Owns Coal Battle?
In an age when a quality thoroughbred can cost up to a million dollars at least, and very easily go for hundreds of thousands of dollars, Coal Battle cost his owners just $70,000. Getting him as a yearling at the 2023 Texas Thoroughbred Association sale, Norman Stables LLC has raised the colt at the Alabama farm. Robert Norman, the owner of Norman Stables LLC, took interest in horse racing after watching a feature on 2012 Belmont Stakes winner Union Rags.
And soon, he was deep in his Racing operation, besides the grocery stores he owned with his brother. Over the years, Normal Stables LLC has earned $11,629,75, with 328 wins in 2341 participations. In 2025 itself, the win ratio stands at 8 in 72, helping them rake in $1,266,509. Besides Coal Battle, Robert Norman also owned Silent Bird, the 2017 Midnight Lute Stakes winner. He also had Silent Power, a multiple race winner, and Secret Faith. Incidentally, both Secret Faith and Coal Battle are 3-year-old, and they are both Louisiana-bred.
The story of foaling Coal Battle is quite a roller-coaster, and the reason Norman Stables ended up being the owner of the Kentucky Derby racer is because of Robert Norman’s long-standing friendship with Coal Battle’s trainer.
Who Is the Trainer of Coal Battle?
Lonnie Briley is a native of Louisiana whose interest in the horse business led him to become the farm manager for the late John Franks, the 4-time Eclipse Award-winning owner. Starting in 1991, Briley would work for Franks till 2003. Lonnie Briley’s job was to help Franks in overseeing the breeding, rehab, sales, and other operations of the farm.
Not only that, but Briley also helped in raising Stakes winners such as the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile champion, Answer Lively. After Franks sold his farm, Briley decided to become a full-time trainer, and after a long period of struggle, he would meet Robert Norman around 2015. Yes, the 72-year-old trainer has since been helping Norman Stables in purchasing the best thoroughbreds in the business.
As you have probably guessed, it was Briley who supervised the purchase of Coal Battle. In fact, his expertise as a horse trainer and working with John Franks apparently make him really good in all this. Speaking to Paulick Report, Briley shared, “Robbie (Robert Norman) couldn’t make it to the Texas sale, so I called him and told him that this is the one we wanted.”
As for what makes him such a great trainer. His passion for the industry: “You know, the horse business is eight days a week, 30 hours a day, but I love it”. And he always wants to know as much as possible about the thoroughbreds. “I was a fanatic on pedigrees and conformation; I had a skeleton put together in my office at the stud farm, because a horse has 216 bones in his body and I always tried to memorize them all.”
Continuing, the trainer added, “I just always studied it, and pedigrees and anatomy. If I didn’t know, I was gonna call somebody who did.” So far, Lonnie Briley’s career earnings stand at $8,379,580. With 339 wins from 3090 starts, he has been a veteran in Thoroughbred Racing. In 2025 itself, he has earned $1,087,993 from races, while finishing 1st in 6 out of 35 outings.
Learning inside out about thoroughbreds is his business. And the initial few races of Coal Battle were enough to make him realize the Kentucky Derby horse has a second gear. In the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile Stakes, Coal finished 4th in the race. But Briley saw something special. “He (Coal Battle) was flying at the end. He was probably 18 lengths out of it, and [on the gallop out] he went by the winners like they was stopped. Right then and there I knew there was more to this horse.”
And with the help of a firm Jockey, the hard work they have put in has come to fruition.
Who Is Coal Battle’s Jockey?
Time and again, Juan Vargas has shown he has a great chemistry with the colt. The expertise of Vargas shows up in his longevity – 4390 starts throughout his career, with 551 wins, 590 2nd-place finishes, and 614 3rd-place finishes. And this has helped him amass a wealth of $12,196,928 in total.
Even in 2025, he has already earned $1,409,145 with 74 podium place finishes in 2025. Being from Peru, his Racing journey in America started in 2008. And in the 2013-14, he got 3 Graded Stakes wins. But with the Coal Battle now, such wins have become a routine occurrence, haven’t they?
And that means more prize money earnings in Coal Battle’s name. But how much exactly?
What Are Coal Battle’s Career Earnings?
The Kentucky Derby official website shows the total prize money earned as $1,169,500. However, some sources also give the figure is $1,188,875. In 2025 itself, the thoroughbred has raced 3 times, winning twice and coming 3rd once. The result? $881,250 earned in race participations.
Overall, the 3-year-old colt has raced 8 times in his career, getting 5 wins and one 3rd place. But the result of the next one is going to be the biggest. Both in terms of prize money and also in terms of legacy.
When and Where Is Coal Battle’s Next Race?
Well, it’s probably not a big spoiler by now. The next time Coal Battle is scheduled to get on the dirt track is on May 3, 2025. The 151st edition of the Run to the Roses is set at 6:57 pm ET post time. And we will see the #8 colt get his one shot at destiny. That is, unless something terrible happens, like Tappan Street being snatched the only chance he would ever get to win the Kentucky Derby.
The Louisiana-bred colt earned his spot on the leaderboard by winning the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes race on February 23, 2025. The win at Oaklawn earned him 50 points. Besides this, Coal Battle also won the Smarty Jones Stakes (January 4) and the Remington Park Springboard Mile Stakes on December 13, 2024, to earn 10 more points for each. In the G1 Arkansas Derby, he came 3rd. In total, he earned 95 points to be eligible for the 2025 Kentucky Derby.
When it comes to the Derby, Coal Battle’s performance has to be given a closer look because of the dirt track connection.
What Are Coal Battle’s Racing Stats and Past Performances?
On 6 occasions that Coal Battle has raced on dirt, he has come out on top on 5 occasions. That’s good news, right? His connections would actually be anticipating a real possibility of winning the Derby. But what if the last time he raced on a dirt track turned out to be not so good? In the Arkansas Derby on March 29, Coal Battle came 3rd, finishing 7 lengths behind Sandman and Publisher.
However, on the other 5 occasions, Coal Battle has earned the win. Starting with Evangeline in July 2024, the thoroughbred got his maiden win on his debut too, winning by 3 ½ lengths. Next dirt outing in the Jean Lafitte Stakes in November 2024, same result again. Win by 2 ½ lengths. The biggest win of his career so far, the Rebel Stakes win came by a margin of 1 ¼ lengths. Substantial enough.
The only doubt that the experts have raised about Coal Battle’s chances is his tenacity for the 1 ¼ Mile distance. He still hasn’t proved he can last over that entire stretch with equal ferocity and speed, which will be needed if he wants to take down the likes of Sandman and Journalism, and the others.
So, that’s what will be the burning question in everyone’s minds. Maybe his pedigree can shed some light on his chances.
What Is Coal Battle’s Pedigree and Bloodline?
Coal Battle was bred by sire Coal Front out of mare Wolfblade, not notable names per se in the world of thoroughbred racing. But they do have a Champion Bloodline. Chosen by breeders Hume Wornall and Jay Adcock, Wolfblade herself had 9 wins as a warhorse from 39 starts, earning $143,465. And her sire, Midshipman, is known to foal successful thoroughbreds. But more importantly, Coal Battle has the 1977 Triple Crown legend Seattle Slew in his Bloodline. Hey, maybe after all this time, the winning genes are manifesting through Coal Battle. Who knows?
This thoroughbred has winning in his blood, but is the Kentucky Derby in his destiny?
The post Coal Battle Horse, Kentucky Derby: Stats, Owner, Trainer, Jockey, Earnings, Next Race and More appeared first on EssentiallySports.
