Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Handsome Pants wins for McPeek

Trainer Kenny McPeek made headlines in the spring of 2024 when he swept the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Kentucky Oaks (G1) with Mystik Dan and Thorpedo Anna.

Can McPeek follow up that rare double with a similarly uncommon one — namely, back-to-back Kentucky Derby wins? Only time will tell, but McPeek took a step in that direction when unveiling Handsome Pants in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight at Churchill Downs last Saturday.

McPeek isn’t known for saddling ready-to-win first-time starters, and his runners often improve from their first start to their second. When a McPeek trainee does win on debut, it’s wise to pay attention, because they often develop into stakes-caliber horses. Examples since 2021 include the above-mentioned Thorpedo Anna, Alysheba (G2) and Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) winner Smile Happy, the Grade 1-placed Pocahontas (G3) heroine V V’s Dream, Debutante S. winner Behave Virginia, Smarty Jones S. conqueror Dash Attack, Martha Washington S. winner Band of Gold, and Iroquois (G3) runner-up Honed.

That’s a pretty impressive roster, and it won’t be surprising if Handsome Pants follows a similar path. The son of Champagne (G1) winner Daredevil was overlooked at 10-1 while facing 10 experienced rivals in his debut, but despite being the only first-time starter in the field, Handsome Pants rallied nicely from sixth place (behind fractions of :23.36, :47.74, and 1:13.70) to prevail by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:45.11. He finished up nicely, running his final sixteenth of a mile in :06.33, and was guided to victory by Brian Hernandez Jr., the jockey of Mystik Dan and Thorpedo Anna. A foray on the Road to the Kentucky Derby — perhaps in the Oct. 5 Breeders’ Futurity (G1) or Oct. 27 Street Sense (G3) — could conceivably be in the cards.

Handsome Pants wasn’t the only noteworthy debut winner on Saturday. At Aqueduct, Vekoma Rides romped in a six-furlong maiden special weight, tracking and pressing splits of :23.33 and :47.74 in third place before taking over to win eased up by five lengths in 1:12.81. A son of Metropolitan H. (G1) winner and Kentucky Derby starter Vekoma, Vekoma Rides has a speed-oriented pedigree and may prove best as a sprinter/miler, but at the very least we know this John Kimmel trainee has some talent.

Two days prior at Churchill Downs, Big Boat likewise impressed on debut. The son of 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist started at 7-1 odds in a six-furlong maiden special weight and outran expectations as the fifth choice in an 11-horse field. The James DiVito trainee rated about three lengths behind fractions of :21.77 and :45.10 before sweeping past the pacesetter in the homestretch to score by 3 1/2 lengths in 1:09.98.

That was marginally quicker than the time of 1:10.06 posted by first-time starter Mitty’s Griddy in an identical six-furlong maiden special weight on the same card. Hailing from the high-percentage Brad Cox barn, Mitty’s Griddy broke slowest of all in a 12-horse field and trailed by a dozen lengths through a stiff opening quarter-mile in :21.35. He was still 10 lengths back after half a mile in :44.48, but as the pace decelerated down the homestretch, Mitty’s Griddy gobbled up ground (6 3/4 lengths in the final furlong alone) to win by one length.

According to the Equibase GPS result chart, Mitty’s Griddy ran his final quarter-mile in :23.58, an excellent fraction. As a son of champion sprinter Mitole out of a mare by Songandaprayer, Mitty’s Griddy is bred for speed and isn’t guaranteed to develop into a route racer. But his fast-finishing debut suggests this bay colt has serious upside.

Cox also sent out Classic Example to win his debut in a one-mile maiden special weight at Horseshoe Indianapolis last Tuesday. The son of 2019 Kentucky Derby favorite Improbable got away with an easy trip, setting modest fractions of :25.45, :50.27, and 1:15.08 before turning back a pace-pressing rival to win by half a length in 1:40.67. But Cox has been known to debut good horses at Horseshoe Indianapolis, including Arkansas Derby (G1) winner and 2023 Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Angel of Empire, so keep an eye on Classic Example.

Top maiden winner of the week: Handsome Pants

Honorable mention: Mitty’s Griddy