Finding Kentucky Derby Horses in Hidden Places

The path to the First Saturday in May at Churchill Downs goes through the Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series. There are 36 domestic qualifying races to help determine the 20 three-year-olds that will make the starting gate for the Run for the Roses. But, there are also multiple non-qualifying contests that can produce future Derby players before they even partake in the series, as well. Below are a quartet of races that have given us a glimpse of future superstars. 

1. Stars of Tomorrow

Every year in late November, Churchill Downs plays host to the Stars of Tomorrow card which features a full day of racing consisting solely of juvenile runners. The Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2) is one of the features on that day, and a bevy of horses have used the exciting afternoon of action as a stepping stone en route to sensational careers (Gun Runner, Rachel Alexandra, et al.). 

In 2020, eventual Kentucky Derby star Mandaloun captured a first-level race allowance race to cap his 2-for-2 juvenile season on the card, while 2024 Derby hero Mystik Dan also competed on the Stars of Tomorrow undercard as a juvenile. 2011 Preakness S. (G1) winner Shackelford broke his maiden on the day, too. 

2. Best Pal Stakes

A sprint at Del Mar in the summer doesn’t seem like an obvious race on the Derby road, but it has churned out some important horses in recent seasons. 2011 Derby and Preakness S. (G1) winner I’ll Have Another and 2015 hero Nyquist are just two of the multiple youngsters that have had an impact on the Triple Crown after contesting the Best Pal at two. 

3. Hopeful Stakes

The traditional closing-day feature at The Spa has been captured by the likes of Secretariat, Affirmed, Chief’s Crown, Summer Squall, et al. in the past. Although it has not been especially impactful on the following season’s Triple Crown in recent years, I can’t expect this trend to continue for much longer. Perhaps one of the top-three finishers of the race this campaign, Chancer McPatrick, Ferocious, or Incentive Pay, will be playing a leading role beneath the Twin Spires on the First Saturday in May. 

4. Gulfstream Allowance Races

The winter racing at Gulfstream Park is excellent in general, and it’s always a venue that unveils numerous top sophomores with classic aspirations. And while the Florida Derby (G1) and Fountain of Youth (G2) are the main objectives, there have been multiple Kentucky Derby winners who have first competed in allowance tilts in South Florida prior to going on to make history. Monarchos (2001), Big Brown (2008), Orb (2013), and Always Dreaming (2017), each parlayed winter allowance victories at Gulfstream Park into Derby riches.