Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Built, C K Wonder win at Keeneland

Did you know five of the last 15 Kentucky Derby (G1) winners raced as juveniles during the Keeneland fall meet?

That’s right. It’s common for talented two-year-olds to take part in Keeneland’s prestigious autumn action. Examples include Derby winners Animal Kingdom (2011), Nyquist (2016), Mandaloun (2021), Rich Strike (2022), and Mystik Dan (2024). Animal Kingdom and Mandaloun both scored their maiden victories at Keeneland.

The 2024 Keeneland fall meet began last week, and already a couple of maiden special weights for two-year-olds have tossed up possible contenders for the 2025 Kentucky Derby.

The first we’ll highlight is Built, a son of 2007 Kentucky Derby runner-up Hard Spun out of a mare by two-time Horse of the Year Curlin. The Wayne Catalano trainee debut on Aug. 24 in a six-furlong maiden special weight at Ellis Park, where he crossed the wire fourth by 9 3/4 lengths before getting upgraded to third via disqualification of the runner-up.

Built’s margin of defeat was initially disappointing, but it looks better in retrospect. The runaway winner, East Avenue, returned to dominate the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) on the Road to the Kentucky Derby by 5 1/4 lengths, so it’s safe to say Built ran up against an above-average rival on debut.

Keeneland beckoned for Built’s second start, which came last Sunday in a seven-furlong maiden special weight. After pressing quick fractions of :21.93 and :45.26 in second place, Built took over and stayed on down the homestretch to prevail by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:23.96. It wasn’t the fastest clocking you’ll ever see, but it was a step in the right direction for Built, who is bred to shine while stretching out beyond sprint distances.

The second maiden winner worth mentioning is C K Wonder. He started his career against tough competition at Saratoga, finishing fourth and sixth in a pair of six-furlong maiden special weights. The winner of his second start, Tip Top Thomas, came back to finish second in the Champagne (G1) on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.  

C K Wonder traveled to Keeneland for his third start, a seven-furlong maiden special weight on Sunday. Running about an hour and a half before Built, C K Wonder settled in third place behind fractions of :22.10 and :45.70, then chased down the pacesetter to dominate by 4 1/4 lengths in 1:24.81. His final time was slower than Built’s, but C K Wonder finished similarly fast per the Equibase GPS result chart, clocking his final three furlongs in :38.62 compared to :38.59 for Built.

C K Wonder is trained by Dale Romans, whose 10 top-three finishes in Triple Crown races include Kentucky Derby thirds from Paddy O’Prado (2010) and Dullahan (2012). C K Wonder will need improvement to match the exploits of those two, who were both proven graded stakes performers by this point in their juvenile careers, but such improvement isn’t impossible. As a son of elite sprinter/miler Vekoma out of a mare by long-winded stamina influence Giant’s Causeway, the pedigree of C K Wonder combines speed with stamina, and that’s often a recipe for success in the Kentucky Derby.

Turning our attention away from Keeneland, we’ll also give a quick mention to Blameitonbourbon, who debuted with victory in a one-mile maiden special weight at Horseshoe Indianapolis last Tuesday.

Blameitonbourbon wasn’t in any hurry to get started, trailing a seven-horse field by as many as 7 3/4 lengths through fractions of :24.07 and :48.99. But he began to advance through six furlongs in 1:14.85 and finished up nicely down the homestretch, running his final furlong in :12.82 per the Equibase GPS chart to win by a nose.

Blameitonbourbon’s final time of 1:40.36 was slow, but as a beautifully bred son of 2020 Horse of the Year and Kentucky Derby winner Authentic out of Beyond Blame — a graded stakes-winning daughter of Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner Blame — Blameitonbourbon is bred to improve with maturity. He may yet develop into a Road to the Kentucky Derby player for Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Brad Cox.