LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- If you like underdog stories in the Derby, you need to take a look at Coal Battle.

He has won more races than any other horse in the field (five in eight starts) and his trainer is a veteran of the track who never dreamed of having a horse in this race. 

Not only had 72-year-old Lonnie Briley never trained a Derby horse, but the Louisiana native had also never even run a horse in a graded stakes race before Coal Battle. 

The son of Coal Front won four consecutive stakes races capped off by the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn in February.

He followed that up with a third-place finish in the Arkansas Derby and a trip to Kentucky where he will start from post 16 and is listed at 30-1 in the morning line. 

"It's shocking," said Briley. "Really, I'm at the end of my time and then to come across a horse like this."

Coal Battle has worked three times over the Churchill Downs surface since arriving, the most recent being Monday's three-furlong blowout. 

Briley said everything has gone as smoothly as he could have hoped to this point. 

"He's ready to go, at least I think he is," said Briley. 

As to whether he's ready to go, Briley said he doesn't know. 

"It seems like the closer the race gets, the tougher it gets."

The wait of a lifetime is almost over.

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