Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Easy win for Schoolyardsuperman
Schoolyardsuperman breaking his maiden at Aqueduct (Photo by Coglianese Photos)
December 8th, 2025
Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown is bringing a loaded stable in search of his first Kentucky Derby (G1) triumph.
Brown is winless with nine starters in the Run for the Roses, but he’s saddled two runners-up: Good Magic (2018) and Sierra Leone (2024). His growing roster of contenders for the 2026 Kentucky Derby includes Paladin, winner of the Remsen (G2) at Aqueduct on Saturday, and Schoolyardsuperman, who broke his maiden on the same card.
Paladin is drawing all the headlines, but the dominant manner Schoolyardsuperman’s triumph suggests he’s a budding Road to the Kentucky Derby contender in his own right. He leads this week’s edition of Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch.
Schoolyardsuperman
Schoolyardsuperman has come a long way since his Sept. 13 debut in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight at Aqueduct, when he clipped heels and fell while trying to squeeze through an opening along the rail. Fortunately, he was none the worse for wear and returned to action on Oct. 26, finishing second over the same track, distance, and class level.
For his third start, Schoolyardsuperman stretched out for a one-mile maiden special weight, and the longer distance made a big difference. He vied for command through splits of :23.48 and :47.15, seized a two-length lead through six furlongs in 1:12.06, and then blazed his final two furlongs in :11.99 and :12.63 to draw clear and dominate by 5 3/4 lengths in the snappy time of 1:36.68.
Schoolyardsuperman is a son of Brown’s 2017 Kentucky Derby fifth-place finisher, Practical Joke. Practical Joke was best as a sprinter/miler, winning the Champagne (G1), Hopeful (G1), and H. Allen Jerkens (G1), and it’s possible Schoolyardsuperman will develop in a similar manner. But then again, Schoolyardsuperman’s dam is by two-time 1 1/4-mile Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner Tiznow, and Schoolyardsuperman’s fast finish while stretching out over one mile suggests even longer distances may be within reach.
Carson Street
Another eye-catching maiden win came courtesy of Carson Street, a Brendan Walsh trainee who broke through in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight on Thursday at Fair Grounds.
Carson Street ran well without winning in each of his first three starts on the Kentucky circuit, finishing third, second, and third. His runner-up finish came at Churchill Downs in a one-mile maiden special weight, where he was beaten only two lengths by next-out Street Sense (G3) winner Incredibolt.
At Fair Grounds, Carson Street faced only five rivals in an off-the-turf maiden special weight, and he found the competition much more manageable. Racing over a sloppy track, the son of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense pressed fractions of :23.92, :47.87, and 1:13.50 before taking over and roaring away through the final furlong to score by 11 1/4 lengths in 1:47.45.
Having broken his maiden with ease, a Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifier may be in Carson Street’s future.
Greenwich Village
At Los Alamitos on Saturday, six-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert sent out Greenwich Village to win his debut in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight.
Purchased for $350,000 as a yearling, the son of Quality Road had to work hard to beat seven rivals. He led all the way through splits of :22.54 and :44.73, but his lead at each call was never more than half a length, the margin by which he prevailed in 1:15.70.
Bob Baffert and Juan Hernandez team up to win race 7 with the Quality Road colt Greenwich Village. pic.twitter.com/ClNeK0kdZW
— Los Alamitos Race Course (@losalracing) December 7, 2025
On the bright side, the runner-up pulled seven lengths clear of the third-place finisher, suggesting the top two both ran well.
Tallmar
Tallmar brought a modest price of $130,000 when purchased as a two-year-old in training. The son of hot young sire Yaupon looks considerably more valuable after smashing his debut in a six-furlong maiden special weight on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs.
Tallmar was much the best for trainer Juan Avila. He battled to the front through stiff fractions of :21.81 and :44.77, then put away his pace rivals to power clear and score by 4 3/4 lengths in 1:10.49.
Yaupon was best as a sprinter, but Tallmar’s dam is by champion and Preakness (G1) winner Bernardini, suggesting Tallmar has some potential for stretching out in distance.
Freddie B
Freddie B cost only half as much as Tallmar, selling for $65,000 as a yearling. But that didn’t stop the son of Kantharos from graduating on debut in a one-mile maiden special weight on Friday at Gulfstream Park.
Overlooked at 19-1 in a five-horse field, Freddie B outran all expectations from trainer Kenny McPeek. He trailed for much of the way through splits of :24.90, :48.16, and 1:11.85, but launched a determined rally down the homestretch to get up and win by half a length in 1:37.64.
McPeek trainees often improve with experience, so look for Freddie B to move forward this winter.
Fourth and One
The last maiden winner we’ll highlight this week is Fourth and One, who graduated fourth-time out in a one-mile maiden special weight for New York-breds on Friday at Aqueduct.
A trifecta finisher in each of his first three starts—including the Funny Cide S. and Sleepy Hollow S.—Fourth and One graduated while dropping back down to the maiden special weight level. The Jeremiah Englehart trainee dueled through splits of :23.00, :46.67, and 1:11.39 before leaving his pace rival far behind. Indeed, Fourth and One surged away to win by 7 1/4 lengths in 1:37.46.
As a son of multiple Grade 1 winner Maxfield out of a mare by Medaglia d’Oro, Fourth and One has the pedigree to improve while stretching out around two turns. Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifiers like the Jan. 3 Jerome S. and Jan. 31 Withers S., both at Aqueduct, could be viable targets for Fourth and One.
