Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Hypnus wins debut for McPeek

When trainer Kenny McPeek saddles a horse to win on debut, there’s a good chance that horse will go on to achieve success at the stakes level.

McPeek isn’t a trainer who cranks young horses to win first time out, and his runners often improve when racing for the second time. So when a McPeek trainee wins their first race, it can be taken as a sign of above-average talent.

Case in point? A sampling of McPeek’s winning first-time starters since 2021 includes the following horses:

• Thorpedo Anna, winner of the Kentucky Oaks (G1), Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1), and a bevy of other Grade 1 prizes.
• Smile Happy, a Kentucky Derby (G1) starter who won the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) and Alysheba (G2).
• V V’s Dream, winner of the Pocahontas (G3) and runner-up in the Alcibiades (G1).
• Behave Virginia, winner of the Debutante S.
• Dash Attack, winner of the Smarty Jones S.
• Band of Gold, winner of the Martha Washington S.
• Honed, runner-up in the Iroquois (G3).

This is relevant because at Fair Grounds last Saturday, McPeek sent out a beautifully bred three-year-old named Hypnus to win his debut in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight. It was an impressive performance, and when one considers the possibility of Hypnus improving in his second start and beyond… the 2025 Kentucky Derby (G1) has to be considered a viable goal.

Hypnus is a son of perennial leading North American sire Into Mischief (the sire of Kentucky Derby winners Authentic and Mandaloun) out of Dream Tree, a daughter of Uncle Mo who won the Starlet (G1), Las Virgenes (G2), and Prioress (G2) during her decorated career.

Despite this stellar pedigree, Hypnus started as a 16-1 longshot while facing eight experienced rivals in his debut. None of his pre-race workouts were especially fast, but a quartet of five-furlong exercises at Fair Grounds had him fit enough to deliver a resounding victory.

Indeed, after rating in sixth place—as many as seven lengths behind fractions of :23.30, :47.76, and 1:13.33 over a sloppy track—Hypnus unleashed a big rally. He gobbled up ground under jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. to defeat favored Cromwell by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:46.33. Later in the afternoon, Disco Time required 1:47.07 to complete the Lecomte (G3) on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Last year, McPeek and Hernandez teamed up to win the Kentucky Derby with Mystik Dan. Perhaps they can return to the Derby winner’s circle this spring with Hypnus 

Another notable maiden winner last week was Caldera, from the barn of four-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

Acquired for $500,000 as a two-year-old in training, Caldera started twice last year. He finished sixth behind future Remington Springboard Mile S. runner-up Speed King in his debut sprinting six furlongs at Churchill Downs, then improved to second place in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight at Oaklawn Park.

Caldera made his three-year-old debut on Friday in another 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight at Oaklawn, and his second try over the configuration yielded a runaway win. Setting fractions of :24.00, :48.73, and 1:13.95 left the son of Liam’s Map with plenty in the tank to draw clear and dominate by 5 1/2 lengths in 1:45.63, a solid time over Oaklawn’s slow-playing surface.

Back at Fair Grounds, second-time starter Joejoe Go got the job done in a 5 1/2-furlong off-the-turf maiden special weight on Thursday. Coming off a runner-up finish in his debut dashing 5 1/2 furlongs on grass, the son of Tiz the Law handled the surface switch just fine, rating fourth behind an opening quarter in :22.03 before advancing through sharp closing splits to romp by 6 1/4 lengths in 1:04.71. Brendan Walsh trains the chestnut gelding.

We’ll wrap with a mention of Statesman. Following an 0-for-3 juvenile season, the Shug McGaughey trainee graduated in a one-mile and 40-yard maiden special weight on Friday at Tampa Bay Downs. The son of Constitution rated about three lengths behind fractions of :24.31 and :48.10 before wearing down the pacesetter to score by a neck in 1:39.00.

Top maiden winner of the week: Hypnus

Honorable mention: Caldera