The state of Alabama will be well represented in Saturday’s Kentucky Derby. In addition to Publisher, who is owned by Gus King of Guntersville, in conjunction with the estate of late Kentucky governor Brereton Jones, the Yellowhammer State can fully claim Coal Battle, owned by Thomasville grocery store owner Robbie Norman.
Coal Battle, trained by Lonnie Briley, is a huge longshot on the morning line at 30-1 odds. However, in a race that Rich Strike won at 80-1 in 2022, nobody can be counted out.
The colt enters the race with four stakes wins on his record, including the Grade 2 Rebel at Oaklawn. Byron King, news editor at BloodHorse, when asked how Coal Battle could win the Kentucky Derby, pointed to the experience level…