Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Barnes, Patch Adams impress

During closing week of the Churchill Downs fall meet, a bevy of promising maiden winners stamped their credentials as 2025 Kentucky Derby (G1) threats.

Two colts in particular drew accolades, as well as abundant betting support in Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 2. Barnes and Patch Adams are widely expected to factor in upcoming Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifiers after winning maiden special weights at short prices.

Barnes arrived for his Wednesday debut with a lofty reputation in tow. The $3.2 million yearling acquisition entered off sharp workouts for six-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert and started as an odds-on favorite against nine rivals in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden dash.

Barnes had to work harder than expected to take home top honors. Innovator, an experienced rival from the Hall of Fame barn of D. Wayne Lukas, got out in front through fractions of :21.90 and :44.73 and wasn’t stopping down the homestretch. But despite racing in a pocket along the rail early on, Barnes mounted an outside rally down the homestretch and overcame racing greenly (drifting out, switching leads) to beat the pacesetter by a head.

The winning time was a solid 1:02.97 (only 0.82 off the track record), and Innovator pulled 10 1/2 lengths clear of the rest, so Barnes’ performance was better than it first appears. It was enough to establish him as the 13-1 individual favorite in Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 2. If Barnes grows more professional with experience and maturity, he can develop into a force to reckon with on the Kentucky Derby trail.

Patch Adams is farther along from an experience standpoint, and it showed when he started as an odds-on favorite in a seven-furlong maiden sprint on Saturday. Exiting a respectable third-place finish in his debut at Keeneland, Patch Adams fired off a massive effort in his second start, pressing fractions of :22.51 and :45.14 before roaring clear to win geared down by 10 1/2 lengths.

Patch Adams was simply full of run around the turn and down the homestretch, dashing his final three furlongs in about :35 3/5 to reach the finish line in the blazing time of 1:20.77, just shy of the 1:20.44 track record set 12 years ago by two-time Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) winner Groupie Doll. Even accounting for the fact the Churchill Downs main track played fast on Saturday, this was a stellar performance from Patch Adams, and it prompted him to close at 22-1 in Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 2.

Both Barnes and Patch Adams are sons of Into Mischief, who has topped the North American sire rankings every year since 2019. Into Mischief has already sired two Kentucky Derby winners—Authentic (2020) and Mandaloun (2021)—and a third would place him in rarified air as the first stallion to sire a record-equaling three Kentucky Derby winners since Bull Lea sired Citation (1948), Hill Gail (1952), and Iron Liege (1957).

In addition to Barnes and Patch Adams, Into Mischief is the sire of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) winner Citizen Bull and Street Sense (G3) conqueror Sovereignty. It’s no wonder why Into Mischief closed as the 5-1 individual favorite in the Kentucky Derby Sire Future Wager.

Three other Churchill maiden winners warrant mentioning, starting with yet another son of Into Mischief, Burning Glory. The third time was the charm for the Juddmonte homebred. Fifth and second in his first two starts running long at Churchill, Burning Glory got the job done in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight on Sunday. The Bill Mott-trained son of Into Mischief rallied from behind quick fractions of :22.64, :45.10, and 1:09.89 to get up and win by a neck in 1:35.40. The runner-up pulled 11 lengths clear of the rest, so Burning Glory did well to secure first prize.

On Friday, Gunner Glacken delivered victory on debut in a six-furlong maiden special weight for horses who brought a final bid of $50,000 or less at their most recent auction. The son of Gunnevera carved out splits of :21.75 and :45.22 before opening up to win by 2 3/4 lengths in 1:10.48. Eddie Kenneally trains the Florida-bred gray colt.

Lastly, Monet’s Magic found the winning formula in his fifth start for trainer Ben Colebrook. The son of Good Magic has improved with every try, finishing 11th, fourth, fourth, and third before graduating in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight on Saturday. Monet’s Magic rated in midfield through fractions of :23.81 and :47.72 before launching a rally to take command and prevail by a hard-fought neck in 1:43.52.

Top maiden winner of the week: Patch Adams

Honorable mention: Barnes