Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Bletchely, Barrel Roll impress
Barrel Roll breaks his maiden at Churchill Downs. (Photo by Coady Media)
In past years, autumn has been when trainer Chad Brown has debuted some of his best Kentucky Derby (G1) contenders. Sierra Leone, second in the 2024 Derby, debuted on Nov. 4. Zandon, third in 2022, kicked off his career on Oct. 9.
Perhaps Bletchley will develop into the latest example of a top-tier, Brown-trained Kentucky Derby contender debuting in the fall. He certainly looked the part when crushing a one-mile maiden special weight on Friday at Belmont Park, earning the top ranking in this week’s Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch.
Bletchley
Purchased for $1.55 million as a yearling, Bletchley is a son of 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner, the third-place finisher from the 2016 Kentucky Derby. Bletchley’s dam is Twenty Carat, a Grade 3-winning daughter of Into Mischief, who has sired a record-equaling three winners of the Kentucky Derby.
Bletchley started as the 9-5 second choice in his debut, but it soon became apparent he should have been favored. With Flavien Prat in the saddle, Bletchley rated in fifth place through sharp early fractions of :23.14 and :45.72 over a sloppy track, then advanced to second place through six furlongs in 1:09.92. He took command in the final quarter-mile and powered clear with authority to triumph by 7 3/4 lengths in 1:35.12.
The future looks bright for Bletchley. The fact he won his debut over one mile bodes well for his long-term potential as a route racer. Perhaps we’ll see him wheel back in about four weeks for the Dec. 5 Remsen (G2), a 1 1/8-mile Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifier at Belmont Park.
Barrel Roll
Bletchley wasn’t the only eye-catching maiden winner Brown sent out to victory last week. Barrel Roll was tons the best in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight on Wednesday at Churchill Downs, winning by 7 3/4 lengths.
Fifth and third in his first two starts against talented rivals like American History, Powerline, and Damavand, Barrel Roll took a big step forward in his third run. He rated four lengths behind splits of :23.47 and :47.71, then launched a strong bid to seize command and dominate in 1:44.52 over a sloppy track.
A son of Gun Runner, Barrel Roll sold for $1.2 million as a yearling and is starting to deliver on his lofty purchase price. If all goes well, a start on the Road to the Kentucky Derby is likely ahead.
National Forest
We don’t often highlight maiden claiming winners in Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch, but we’ll give a shout-out to National Forest, who impressed in a six-furlong $150,000 maiden claimer on Friday at Churchill Downs.
After all, National Forest knocked heads with some quality foes when finishing second and sixth in his first two starts against maiden special weight competition. In his runner-up finish, he came home 1 1/2 lengths in front of Staunch, who has since finished second by a neck in the Street Sense (G3) on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.
Unsurprisingly, National Forest easily conquered maiden claiming competition. The Brad Cox trainee started as an odds-on favorite and led by daylight at every call, setting fractions of :22.76 and :46.18 on his way to victory by four lengths in 1:17.46.
As a son of Constitution out of a mare by Medaglia d’Oro, National Forest has the pedigree to improve while stretching out in distance. If he develops into the 2027 Kentucky Derby winner, he’ll emulate Rich Strike, who broke his maiden in a $30,000 maiden claimer at Churchill Downs before going upsetting the 2022 Kentucky Derby at odds of 80-1.
Noble Scepter
Halfway around the world in Japan, Noble Scepter delivered a huge upset in an 1,800-meter (about 1 1/8-mile) maiden race on Saturday at Kyoto.
Sent off at 91-1 off a 14th-place debut at Kyoto two weeks prior, Noble Scepter improved dramatically in his second start. Showing newfound early speed, he set much of the pace, but still finished as fast as anyone through the final 600 meters (about three furlongs), getting the distance in :38.2 to reach the finish line two lengths clear in 1:52.7.
Later on the card, a contest for unraced two-year-olds saw Yokohama Blues clock 1,800 meters in the much slower time of 1:55.0. The juvenile track record for 1,800 meters at Kyoto is 1:51.00, so Noble Scepter’s winning time appears solid. Perhaps we’ll see this Tatsuya Yoshioka trainee embark on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby.
