The Street to the 2027 Kentucky Derby Introduced by Woodford Reserve is underway, and each Monday by means of the top of December, Rookie Rankings will analyze potential contenders for the primary Saturday in Could and rank them in a High 10 checklist.
Figuring out a Kentucky Derby winner this far upfront isn’t straightforward. Subsequent 12 months’s Kentucky Derby starters are solely 2 years outdated proper now. Seven of the final 10 Derby winners have been unraced at this level of their juvenile or “rookie” 12 months, and two others have been winless.
In consequence, the Rookie Rankings isn’t a listing of essentially the most achieved 2-year-old Thoroughbreds in coaching. Winners of main stakes races will seem within the rankings, however provided that they appear to own the best mixture of expertise, pedigree, and long-term potential to excel at age 3 racing 1 1/4 miles within the Kentucky Derby.
The Rookie Rankings is a subjective mix of information evaluation and instinct. It is going to change week by week because the Street to the Kentucky Derby unfolds. Final 12 months’s collection ended with future Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo ranked No. 10, a notable inclusion contemplating he’d solely raced as soon as in a maiden particular weight race at Honest Grounds.
Our first Rookie Rankings for the 2027 Kentucky Derby is, understandably, stacked primarily with evenly raced maiden winners who’ve but to compete on the stakes degree. They embrace U. S. S. Valor and Coach Pope, two eye-catching winners conditioned by trainers who’ve already received the Kentucky Derby.
The opposite three ranked rookies are graded stakes winners, together with Hughes, winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity. The Del Mar Futurity produced three Kentucky Derby winners in a row from 2014-’16.
Right here’s how the Rookie Rankings stack up:
1. U. S. S. Valor: Rallied for third place in his debut, then obliterated the opposition in a Saratoga maiden particular weight race by 13 1/4 lengths within the blazing time of 1:22.04 for seven-eighths of a mile.
Proprietor: Workforce Valor Worldwide
Coach: Shug McGaughey
Final Race: 1st, Maiden Particular Weight, Sept. 5
2. Hughes: Presently essentially the most achieved juvenile in coaching, Hughes is unbeaten and unchallenged in three begins, together with two graded stakes victories.
Proprietor: Entrance Row Membership, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Bashor Racing, Albaugh Household Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Golconda Secure, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan
Coach: Bob Baffert
Final Race: 1st, Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity, Sept. 6
3. Coach Pope: Completed second in his debut sprinting, then stretched out to 1 mile and effortlessly trounced the sector in a Churchill Downs maiden particular weight by 12 1/2 lengths.
Proprietor: Gainesway Secure, Shamrock Stables, and Michael J. Mackin
Coach: Kenny McPeek
Final Race: 1st, Maiden Particular Weight, Sept. 12
4. Gaudreau: Debuted in a maiden particular weight race sprinting at Saratoga and battled to victory by half a size over Coach Pope and U. S. S. Valor.
Proprietor: Tanglewood Thoroughbreds, Thirty Yr Racing, Bradley Thoroughbreds, Rodeo Creek Racing, Laura Leigh Secure, and Swift Thoroughbreds
Coach: Chad Brown
Final Race: 1st, Maiden Particular Weight, Aug. 8
5. The Good Life: Received his first two begins, together with the Grade 1 Spendthrift Farm Hopeful Stakes, by decisive margins.
Proprietor: WinStar Farm, First Go Racing, and CHC Inc.
Coach: Brad Cox
Final Race: 1st, Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes, Sept. 6
6. Endrush: Son of Curlin is bred to relish the Kentucky Derby’s 1 1/4-mile distance, however he managed to win his debut sprinting at Churchill Downs with a robust late rally.
Proprietor: Inexperienced Lantern Stables
Coach: Eddie Kenneally
Final Race: 1st, Maiden Particular Weight, Sept. 10
7. Q B Rocket: Used early pace to win a maiden particular weight race at Saratoga in gate-to-wire vogue over a subject that included next-out winners Vukota and Card Man.
Proprietor: Spendthrift Farm and Frank Fletcher Racing Operations
Coach: Brad Cox
Final Race: 1st, Maiden Particular Weight, Aug. 15
8. Inshallah: Superbly bred son of 2022 Horse of the Yr Flightline set a quick tempo on his option to successful a Del Mar maiden particular weight race.
Proprietor: KAS Stables
Coach: John Sadler
Final Race: 1st, Maiden Particular Weight, Aug. 15
9. Salahudin: Unbeaten colt picked up his third straight win when overcoming a nasty begin within the Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes, the primary leg of the Street to the Kentucky Derby.
Proprietor: Zedan Racing Stables
Coach: Bob Baffert
Final Race: 1st, Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes, Sept. 12
10. Imperial Honor: Dueled for the lead, then powered away to dominate a Del Mar maiden particular weight race by 5 1/4 lengths.
Proprietor: Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman
Coach: Bob Baffert
Final Race: 1st, Maiden Particular Weight, Sept. 7
