Cypress Creek's Keepmeinmind is still considered one of the top Thoroughbred racehorses currently running.

He was a leading name on the 2021 Road to the Kentucky Derby, but faded as the campaign went on. Despite this, due to a number of scratches, Keepmeinmind did qualify for the Kentucky Derby and finished a respectable seventh in the big race at Churchill Downs.

He then went on to finish in fourth place at the Preakness Stakes on May 15.

The three-year-old Laoban colt is trained by Robertino Diodoro, and his record stands at one win, two seconds and one third from eight career starts. The horse has total purse earnings of more than $480,000.

Keepmeinmind was one of the top contenders on this year's Road to the Kentucky Derby, finishing in 19th place with 18 points.

He scored 10 points in a late-running victory that came in the November 28 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs. That win meant the colt broke his maiden in his fourth career race, registering a 91 Speed Figure and 1:44.52 at one-and-one-sixteenth miles on the fast main surface. He was joined by jockey David Cohen in the event.

In the race, Keepmeinmind managed to run from last to first after surging past the field in a late push. With half a furlong remaining, he moved ahead of the front-running Smiley Sobotka.

He was slow breaking from the gate, which appears to be a theme for the runner, and was not able to catch the pace. Smiley Sobotka set fractions of 24.11, 48.24 and 1:12.81, which meant the field was tight with few spaces to catch the leaders. As they approached the stretch, Cohen angled him out to the centre of the track, which is all he needed to push forward for a three-quarter-length victory.

The next three finishers, earning qualifying points on a 4-2-1 basis, were Smiley Sobotka, Arabian Prince and Swill.

Four more of Keepmeinmind's qualifying Derby points came in the November 6 TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Keeneland, where the colt finished third. He managed to register a 98 Speed Figure in the race which was won by Godolphin's Essential Quality, who ended up finishing top of the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Keepmeinmind was bumped at the start of the race and trailed going around the first turn. He rallied around the far turn but was not able to get ahead of the leader and second-place finisher Hot Rod Charlie, another name on the Road to the Derby. Keepmeinmind was guided by jockey Luis Saez in the race. The race awarded points on a 20-8-4-2 scale to the top four finishers.

Keepmeinmind took his first four qualifying points of this year's Road to the Kentucky Derby with a runner-up effort in the October 3 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) at Keeneland. In just his second career race, the runner was faced with top-level racing company, making his finish even more impressive.

The colt faced traffic on the turn but was guided by David Cohen to the outside. The pair overcame the trip to finish second behind Essential Quality, who Keepmeinmind has struggled to overcome.

Things were looking positive for Keepmeinmind going into the new year, but two disappointing performances in the Rebel Stakes and Blue Grass Stakes looked like they had ended his bid for a place in the Kentucky Derby. However, due to a number of withdrawals, he just sneaked in.

Keepmeinmind's debut performance was on September 2, 2020, in a maiden special weight race at Churchill Downs. The runner registered a 71 Speed Figure as he finished second behind Arabian Prince. He was joined by regular rider David Cohen.

In the race, Keepmeinmind tracked from midpack five wide, which became two wide at the five-furlong mark. He chased the pace as he moved around the turn to the inside before moving up along the rail. He sat behind the leader in the upper stretch before crossing the line in second.

The three-year-old colt was bred in Kentucky by Southern Equine Stables. He is the first stakes winner from the Victory Gallop mare Inclination, who is unraced. Inclination is a half-sister to Mellow Fellow, a Grade 3 victor, and Zawzooth, a stakes winner.

Keepmeinmind's sire Laoban is owned by McCormick Racing and Southern Equine Stable. The eight-year-old son of Uncle Mo was trained by Eric Guillot during his racing days. The runner retired with a career record of 1-2-1 from nine starts and purse earnings of $526,250.

Some of his notable performances prior to retirement included a victory in the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at Saratoga on July 30, 2016, sixth in the Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico on May 21, 2016, and third in the January 9 Sham Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita. The last race of his career was a disappointing 12th-place run on August 27, 2016, in the Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga.