Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Favorite Outlaw impresses at Oaklawn

The final weekend in January saw a bevy of talented three-year-olds score maiden victories and emerge as potential players on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Let’s look back on three of the flashiest winners:

Favorite Outlaw

The most impressive maiden winner of the weekend was surely Favorite Outlaw, a Steve Asmussen trainee owned by Alex and JoAnn Lieblong. The bay colt left no doubt about his superiority in a six-furlong maiden special weight on Saturday.

Coming off a nose defeat in his Dec. 31 debut at Oaklawn, Favorite Outlaw stepped forward nicely in his second run. After settling a length behind a rapid opening quarter mile in :21.81, Favorite Outlaw raced up to challenge through a half mile in :45.50, then drew away to win by 3 1/2 lengths in 1:10.68.

Only time will tell if Favorite Outlaw can stretch his speed over longer trips; his pedigree is generally geared toward speed, although sire Maclean’s Music is responsible for 2017 Preakness S. (G1) winner Cloud Computing. But you won’t find many handicappers questioning Favorite Outlaw’s raw ability, and the Kentucky Derby could well prove to be a viable target.

Happy Boy Rocket

Third in his debut sprinting at Gulfstream Park, Happy Boy Rocket appreciated the chance to stretch out over 1 1/16 miles on Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

Under a patient ride from Junior Alvarado, Happy Boy Rocket was content to race wide behind slow early fractions of :24.38, :49.26, and 1:14.25. But Happy Boy Rocket was full of running down the homestretch, driving clear to score by 2 3/4 lengths in 1:45.76.

Hailing from the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, Happy Boy Rocket is a son of champion sprinter Runhappy, whose progeny have shown more stamina than handicappers might expect. Don’t be surprised if Happy Boy Rocket turns up in a Road to the Kentucky Derby prep race this winter.

Swing Shift

Another week, another flashy Florida maiden winner from the barn of ultra-hot trainer Todd Pletcher. The latest to strike was Swing Shift, the tenacious winner of a seven-furlong maiden special weight on Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

With Irad Ortiz in the saddle, Swing Shift flashed speed in his debut, carving out fractions of :22.92 and :46.73 while closely pursued by Congressman. The latter stuck his head in front passing the eighth pole, but Swing Shift ultimately repelled the challenge and held off a late bid from Iroquois S. (G3) fourth-place finisher Bourbon Heist to win by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:24.53.

A son of Midnight Storm, Swing Shift races for the partnership of WinStar Farm, Woodford Thoroughbreds, CMNWLTH, and Siena Farm. Sold for $550,000 as a juvenile, Swing Shift has the appearance of a promising colt in the making.