Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: 10 new names to follow

The final weekend in January yielded a bevy of three-year-old maiden winners with possible 2025 Kentucky Derby (G1) aspirations.

Let’s recount the winning performances of 10 notable sophomores from coast to coast:

Dreaminblue

Dreaminblue went 0-for-3 as a juvenile, but he ended the year on a strong note, finishing second by a head in a six-furlong Oaklawn Park maiden special weight won by Innovator. The latter returned to finish a close third in the Lecomte (G3) on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Sticking to the same track, distance, and class level for his three-year-old debut last Saturday allowed Dreaminblue to graduate. He closed from 4 1/2 lengths behind splits of :22.00 and :46.55 to win by 3 1/2 lengths in 1:11.11. The son of Street Boss is progressing in the right direction for trainer Randy Morse.

Furio

Second-time starter Furio improved nicely when returning from a four-month layoff at Fair Grounds on Jan. 20. The Joe Sharp trainee started as the 4-5 favorite and led every step of the way through fractions of :22.19 and :45.79 to win by four lengths in 1:11.08.

A son of hot young stallion McKinzie, who has already sired Grade 1 winners Chancer McPatrick and Scottish Lassie, Furio was acquired for $400,000 as a yearling and looks ready to deliver on his purchase price.

Garamond

Juddmonte homebred Garamond delivered on debut for trainer Chad Brown. Favored at 4-5 to win a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs, the son of Uncle Mo tracked an opening quarter-mile in :22.46, took over through half a mile in :45.61, and forged on to win by 1 3/4 lengths in 1:17.04.

Produced by the Tapit mare Blue Watch, Garamond is bred to relish racing classic distances. Expect this bay colt to improve when stretching out around two turns in the future.

Givememythememusic

Givememythememusic proved clearly best when debuting in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight on Saturday at Aqueduct. After settling off the pace through splits of :23.36 and :47.33, he unleashed a late charge to score by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:27.06. Christophe Clement trains the son of champion juvenile Game Winner.

Jimmy’s Dailys

The third time was the charm for Jimmy’s Dailys, a Donald R. Dizney homebred trained by Brian Lynch. Third and fourth in two starts as a juvenile, the son of Vekoma graduated when making his three-year-old debut in a seven-furlong Saturday maiden special weight at Gulfstream Park. Tracking fractions of :22.44 and :45.69 left Jimmy’s Dailys with enough in the tank to take command and win by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:23.49. 

Legitimate

Although Legitimate went 0-for-5 as a juvenile, four of his defeats came on turf and the other was a dirt sprint. When Legitimate tackled a dirt route for the first time in a one-mile maiden special weight rained off the turf on Sunday at Santa Anita, he ran out of his skin.

The son of 2020 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Authentic led by a minimum of 3 1/2 lengths through quick fractions of :22.62, :46.48, and 1:10.95, then powered clear down the homestretch to win by 12 3/4 lengths. Legitimate stopped the clock over a wet-fast track in 1:37.41, suggesting this Michael McCarthy trainee is living up to his name and developing into a legitimate Kentucky Derby contender.

Rapture

Rapture nearly won his Dec. 14 debut in a one-mile maiden special weight at Gulfstream Park, finishing second by one length while pulling 12 3/4 lengths clear of the third-place finisher.

This set the stage for a winning performance at Oaklawn last Saturday. Favored at 9-10 to win a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight, Rapture tracked fractions of :23.56, :48.26, and 1:13.52 before seizing command to dominate by 6 1/2 lengths in 1:46.17. Sired by Uncle Mo, Rapture is yet another talented sophomore from the deep barn of Brad Cox.

San Saba

Purchased for $725,000 as a yearling, San Saba hails from the barn of six-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert. A son of Baffert’s 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify, San Saba debuted on Dec. 26 in a six-furlong maiden special weight at Santa Anita, finishing third by four lengths against his graded stakes-placed stablemate Madaket Road.

San Saba had better luck in his second start, which came last Saturday in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight at Santa Anita. After dueling through intense fractions of :21.57 and :44.14, San Saba battled his way to a half-length victory in 1:17.35.

Solid Left

Solid Left showed little in his debut sprinting seven furlongs at Gulfstream Park, finishing eighth by 18 1/2 lengths. Suffice to say, the Brian Lynch trainee improved dramatically when stretching out over 1 1/16 miles at Gulfstream for his second start.

Sent off at 5-1 in a Sunday maiden special weight, Solid Left rated a couple lengths behind fractions of :22.86, ;46.63, and 1:12.29, then took over at the top of the stretch and pulled clear to win by 2 1/2 lengths. His improvement while stretching out around two turns isn’t surprising since he’s a son of long-winded champion and Travers (G1) winner West Coast.

Superpower

Superpower finished last by a wide margin when debuting in a one-mile maiden special weight on Dec. 7 at Aqueduct. But that didn’t stop him from winning an identical contest last Saturday at odds of 37-1.

Improving by a tremendous amount from his first start, Superpower dashed to the front through splits of :23.36, :47.20, and 1:13.92 before turning back deep closer Radauti (who forged to the lead at one point in the stretch) to win by 1 1/4 lengths. The son of Frosted showed great determination for trainer Christophe Clement and reached the finish line in 1:40.27.

Top maiden winner of the week: Legitimate

Honorable mention: Rapture