Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Optical stuns by 14 lengths

Trainer Keith Desormeaux enjoyed a strong Triple Crown season in 2016, winning the Preakness (G1) and finishing second in the Kentucky Derby (G1) with Exaggerator.

Desormeaux has returned to the Kentucky Derby three times since then. Victory has proven elusive, but that may change in 2025. At Churchill Downs last Saturday, Desormeaux’s two-year-old Optical won a one-mile maiden special weight in a manner suggesting the Kentucky Derby is a viable goal.

A son of City of Light (the sire of 2024 Kentucky Derby favorite Fierceness) out of a mare by Medaglia d’Oro, Optical struggled in his first three starts. He debuted in a dirt sprint and finished fourth, then he ran eighth and fourth in a pair of turf routes.

No one would have picked out Optical as a Kentucky Derby threat off these efforts, but returning to dirt for a route race made a staggering difference. Sent off as the 6-1 fourth choice in an 11-horse field, Optical never gave his rivals a chance to factor. He led by half a length through an opening quarter-mile in :23.55 and extended his lead at every call thereafter, clocking splits of :46.84, 1:11.70, and 1:23.53 on his way to victory by 14 lengths in 1:35.65.

This eye-catching performance is all the more impressive when one reviews Optical’s finishing fractions. He ran his penultimate furlong in :11.83 and his final furlong in :12.12 for a final quarter-mile in :23.95. That’s an excellent fraction for a juvenile running long on dirt, so don’t be surprised if Optical joins the Road to the Kentucky Derby in the near future.

Optical may have been the flashiest maiden winner of the week, but he wasn’t the only juvenile to make a nice impression. A trio of weekend winners at Aqueduct could potentially make noise on the Derby trail.

Comes a Time, from the barn of Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Brad Cox, is perhaps the most notable. The $200,000 yearling acquisition debuted in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight on Saturday and rallied from a couple of lengths behind :23.05 and :46.81 fractions to beat pacesetting odds-on favorite Rookie Card by half a length in 1:18.42. Rookie Card, in turn, pulled 8 1/4 lengths clear of the third-place finisher, so it’s safe to say Comes a Time ran strongly. Look for this son of Not This Time to move forward with distance and experience.

Also on Saturday, Man in Finance proved much the best in a six-furlong maiden special weight for New York-breds. Owned and trained by Danny Gargan, who conditioned Dornoch to win the 2024 Belmont (G1), Man in Finance pressed splits of :22.99 and :46.64 before powering clear down the homestretch to score by 7 3/4 lengths in 1:11.16. The gelded son of Central Banker clearly has ability.

The same goes for Bold Fortune, who won a similar six-furlong maiden special weight for New York-breds by an even larger margin on Sunday. Like Man in Finance, Bold Fortune is a gelded son of Central Banker. And if anything, Bold Fortune showed even more talent, dashing to the front through splits of :22.94 and :46.87 before drawing clear to win eased-up by 10 1/2 lengths in 1:11.33. Bold Fortune’s pedigree is geared toward speed, but on raw talent this George Weaver trainee is worth watching.

We’ll also give a quick mention to Sarcastic Joke, who won his debut in a six-furlong maiden special weight on Saturday at Gulfstream Park. A son of top-tier sprinter/miler Practical Joke out of a mare by two-time Horse of the Year Curlin, Sarcastic Joke settled in eighth place through an opening quarter in :22.37, advanced to second through half a mile in :46.52, and then edged away to win by one length in 1:12.13.

Sarcastic Joke is trained by Gustavo Delgado, who saddled Gulfstream debut winner Mage to take the 2023 Kentucky Derby. Acquired for $240,000 as a yearling, Sarcastic Joke has a promising pedigree combining speed with stamina and is worth watching as the fall and winter unfold.

Top maiden winner of the week: Optical

Honorable mention: Comes a Time