Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Guns Loaded wins for D’Angelo

Trainer Jose D’Angelo won his first U.S. horse race in 2019 and has saddled some fine runners since then, including 2020 Preakness (G1) third-place finisher Jesus’ Team.

D’Angelo has yet to saddle a Kentucky Derby (G1) starter, but that may change in 2025. Guns Loaded, a two-year-old D’Angelo trainee, looks like the type who can factor on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Guns Loaded is a son of 2016 Kentucky Derby third-place finisher and 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner, the sire of 2024 Kentucky Derby runner-up and Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner Sierra Leone. Guns Loaded’s dam is Sky My Sky, a daughter of champion and Preakness winner Bernardini.

This is a pedigree geared toward success over classic distances, so it’s been notable to see Guns Loaded show promise sprinting. He debuted in a seven-furlong maiden special weight during the summer at Saratoga, and despite stumbling at the start he managed to press the pace on his way to second place.

Last Saturday, 2 1/2 months after his debut, Guns Loaded made his second start in a six-furlong maiden special weight at Churchill Downs. This time he got off to a clean start and crushed his competition. He led by two lengths through an opening quarter-mile in :21.42, expanded his lead to 3 1/2 lengths through half a mile in :44.73, and stayed on nicely down the homestretch (final two furlongs in :12.32 and :12.85) to prevail by 2 3/4 lengths in 1:09.90.

Clearly Guns Loaded is a capable sprinter, but again, his pedigree suggests running long will be his true strong suit. The Gun Runner/Bernardini cross has already produced 1 1/8-mile Demoiselle (G2) winner Life Talk, who hit the board in the Frizette (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). The 2025 Kentucky Derby surely beckons for Guns Loaded.

Another notable maiden winner from last week is Calling Card, who absolutely obliterated a one-mile maiden special weight for New York-breds over the Aqueduct main track on Sunday.

After finishing fifth and second in his first two starts on turf, Calling Card relished switching surfaces for trainer Mike Maker. The son of Champagne (G1) hero Complexity dropped 9 3/4 lengths behind an opening quarter-mile in :22.59, but advanced steadily and led by 1 1/2 lengths with a quarter-mile remaining.

From there, the race was over. Calling Card blazed his final two furlongs in :12.17 and :12.63 to dominate by 17 1/4 lengths in the snappy time of 1:36.36. Off this powerful dirt debut, could next month’s Remsen (G2) at Aqueduct be in the cards? Perhaps Calling Card can pick up a few Road to the Kentucky Derby qualification points before the year is over.

Down south at Gulfstream Park, Grayscale caught eyes when debuting in a six-furlong maiden special weight on Saturday. The son of Metropolitan H. (G1) winner and Belmont (G1) runner-up Frosted led all the way through splits of :22.28 and :46.68 to win by 4 1/2 lengths in 1:11.42. Saffie Joseph Jr. trains the gray colt.

At Del Mar, the stoutly bred Journalism thrived in his two-turn debut on Sunday. Coming off a rallying third-place finish in his debut over six furlongs at Santa Anita, the Michael McCarthy trainee gradually gained ground from fifth place to win a one-mile maiden special weight by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:36.49.

As a son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin out of the multiple Grade 1-placed La Canada (G2) winner Mopotism, Journalism is bred to shine over classic distances. This $825,000 yearling acquisition should make some noise on the Kentucky Derby trail this winter.

Back at Churchill Downs, we have to give a shout-out to Donut God, who led all the way to win a five-furlong maiden special weight on Thursday by 2 1/4 lengths. The son of perennial leading North American sire Into Mischief reached the finish line in :57.91 for trainer Brian Lynch.

Top maiden winner of the week: Guns Loaded

Honorable mention: Calling Card