Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Further Ado wins by 20 lengths

The roster of possible 2026 Kentucky Derby (G1) contenders saw a major shakeup last Friday when Further Ado obliterated a Keeneland maiden special weight.

Showing dramatic improvement in his first start around two turns, Further Ado won in the manner of a serious graded stakes horse. Unsurprisingly, a start on the 2025-26 Road to the Kentucky Derby is next on the agenda.

Further Ado

Further Ado performed unremarkably in his first two starts. The Brad Cox trainee debuted with a fifth-place finish in a six-furlong maiden special weight at Saratoga. He improved to third place when stretching out to seven furlongs over the same track and class level, but was beaten 6 1/4 lengths by future Champagne (G1) runner-up Talkin.

“We were scratching our heads after his first two starts,” Cox later told Keeneland. “He had been working too well, and he was working with older horses and putting them away.”

It turns out Further Ado was crying out for more distance. The son of 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner got his chance over 1 1/16 miles at Keeneland, and he left no doubt about his superiority. Showing improved early speed, Further Ado pressed fractions of :23.17 and :47.10 in second place before taking over through six furlongs in 1:11.63.

Then he powered away under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. to dominate by 20 lengths.

Visually, Further Ado’s performance was a sight to behold. He had the field strung out and conquered before the top of the stretch, and down the lane he ran straight and true, widening his advantage with every stride to reach the finish in the sharp time of 1:43.52.

Marcus Hersh of the Daily Racing Form reports that Further Ado will make his next start in the 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) on Nov. 29 at Churchill Downs, a Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifier worth 10-5-3-2-1 points to the top five finishers. If Further Ado’s maiden win is any indication, the Spendthrift Farm color-bearer will be mighty tough to beat.

No Bees

Two other maiden winners at Keeneland last week emerged as potential 2026 Kentucky Derby contenders. They starred in separate divisions of a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight for horses that brought a final bid of $65,000 or less at their most recent auction.

The slightly quicker division went to first-time starter No Bees. The son of Metropolitan H. (G1) winner Bee Jersey sold for only $34,000 at the Fasig-Tipton July 2025 Digital Sale, and bettors dismissed him as a 9-1 shot while facing 11 rivals.

Nevertheless, No Bees stayed within two lengths of :22.16 and :45.85 pace fractions before wearing down the leaders in the final furlong to prevail by three-quarters of a length in 1:18.11. John Ennis trains the chestnut colt.

Sleepingonfreedom

Second-time starter Sleepingonfreedom debuted back on June 1 in a five-furlong sprint at Churchill Downs, finishing second by half a length. More than four months later, the Kenny McPeek trainee returned to action at Keeneland and graduated in narrow fashion.

A son of 2019-20 Road to the Kentucky Derby alumnus Independence Hall, Sleepingonfreedom showed speed in his comeback, dueling with Non Conforming and then Patriot Moon through splits of :22.52 and :45.98. Non Conforming soon gave way, but Patriot Moon stayed with Sleepingonfreedom down the homestretch. The two rivals raced close together and even brushed each other while battling, but ultimately Sleepingonfreedom edged ahead by a neck, reaching the wire in 1:18.16.

Patriot Moon pulled 9 1/2 lengths clear of the rest, so it’s safe to say the top two finishers both ran well.

Having shrugged off a lengthy layoff to score his first win, Sleepingonfreedom has upside for future improvement.

Top Player

We’ll also highlight the maiden win of Top Player, a third-time starter who got the job done in a seven-furlong maiden special weight for New York-breds on Saturday at Aqueduct.

Coming off a third-place finish over the same track, distance, and class level, Top Player moved forward with a change in running style for his third start. For the first time, he set the pace, carving out splits of :22.98, :46.23, and 1:11.28 before edging away to triumph by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:24.85.

George Weaver trains the son of champion male sprinter Mitole.

Top maiden winner of the week: Further Ado

Honorable mention: Sleepingonfreedom