Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Emancipate strikes for Baffert
Racing at Churchill Downs (Photo by Coady Photography)
September 3rd, 2026
Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch is back for a seventh straight season on TwinSpires Edge.
Each week, we’ll highlight notable two-year-old maiden winners with the potential to develop into 2027 Kentucky Derby (G1) contenders.
Last year’s series praised the debut performance of eventual 2026 Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo, who won a six-furlong maiden special weight at Fair Grounds with a huge late rally:
“On Saturday at Fair Grounds, unraced two-year-old Golden Tempo debuted with an eye-catching performance, suggesting he could be any sort of talent.
“True, his winning time was ordinary. But it was the manner in which Golden Tempo prevailed—in complete defiance of his pedigree, no less—that immediately stamped the colt as a 2026 Kentucky Derby (G1) contender.”
Maiden winners as eye-catching as Golden Tempo don’t come along every day. But we’ll diligently seek out the most impressive winners each week of the 2026-27 season, beginning with a quartet of recent winners at Del Mar, Saratoga, and Horseshoe Indianapolis:
Emancipate
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has won the Kentucky Derby six times, including with Triple Crown winners American Pharoah (2015) and Justify (2018).
Baffert typically saddles a bevy of two-year-old maiden winners each year. Last Saturday at Del Mar, he struck with Emancipate, a Cicero Farms homebred with a fantastic pedigree.
Emancipate is a son of 2010 champion two-year-old male Uncle Mo, the sire of 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist. Emancipate’s dam is Marley’s Freedom, winner of the Ballerina (G1) and a daughter of 2010 champion older male and Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner Blame. Marley’s Freedom has previously foaled Ballerina winner and Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) third-place finisher Hope Road.
Emancipate was offered for sale at the 2025 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, but the final bid of $800,000 failed to meet his reserve.
Baffert debuted Emancipate in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight on Aug. 15 at Del Mar. Sent off as the 7-2 second choice in an eight-horse field, the bay colt was bumped in the early going and dropped back to seventh place. Despite this obstacle, Emancipate rallied with interest down the homestretch to finish fourth, beaten 5 3/4 lengths while missing third place by only a head.
Just two weeks later, Emancipate graduated despite encountering traffic trouble of a different sort. After dueling for the lead through an opening quarter-mile in :23.00, Emancipate was confronted around the turn by Ala Sawab, who was running riderless after losing his jockey shortly after the start. Ala Sawab placed Emancipate in tight quarters along the rail, forcing the Baffert runner to check. But after Ala Sawab pulled clear, Emancipate carried on to win the actual race by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:11.37.
Emancipate finished up nicely down the homestretch, running his final furlong in :12.34. He’s bred to relish racing one mile or farther, so look for Emancipate to make some noise as he stretches out in distance down the road.
Club Reign
On the same day Emancipate scored at Del Mar, Club Reign posted a flashy victory in a six-furlong maiden special weight at Saratoga.
A first-time starter from the barn of Whit Beckman, Club Reign started as an 8-1 longshot, but ran like an odds-on favorite. He dueled for the lead through fractions of :22.53 and :45.82 before kicking away from the pack to win by 6 1/2 lengths in 1:11.27.
Purchased for $475,000 as a two-year-old in training, Club Reign is a son of Core Beliefs, winner of the New Orleans H. (G2) and Ohio Derby (G3), and runner-up in the Santa Anita Derby (G1). The New York Racing Association has reported the Oct. 3 Champagne (G1), a Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifier at Belmont Park, could be next on the agenda for Club Reign.
Hammerin Henry
On Friday at Saratoga, Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Brad Cox sent out Hammerin Henry to win a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight for New York-breds.
Hammerin Henry is a son of Cyberknife, an accomplished Cox trainee who won the Haskell (G1) and Arkansas Derby (G1) in addition to competing in the 2018 Kentucky Derby.
Hammerin Henry began his career in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight for New York-breds on July 12 at Saratoga. He raced in third place at every call and was beaten 2 3/4 lengths at the finish.
In his second start, Hammerin Henry stepped forward nicely. He pressed fractions of :22.43 and :45.44 in second place before drawing off to dominate by 4 3/4 lengths in 1:18.03.
With earnings of $77,050, Hammerin Henry has narrowly earned back the $77,000 price tag he cost as a yearling. He’s progressing in the right direction and figures to add to his earnings in the near future.
Maker of Mischief
The last runner we’ll highlight is Maker of Mischief, a son of accomplished sprinter/miler Practical Joke.
Maker of Mischief debuted in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight on Aug. 26 at Horseshoe Indianapolis. The $100,000 yearling acquisition led all the way through splits of :22.51 and :46.00. He opened up a large lead in midstretch, then cruised home to beat a late runner by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:04.68.
Ethan West trains Maker of Mischief.
