Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Thorpedo Anna's half McAfee wins; Speed King recalls Whitmore

One day before Thorpedo Anna won the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1), her two-year-old half-brother McAfee debuted with a victory at Churchill Downs, emerging as a possible 2025 Kentucky Derby (G1) contender.  

McAfee won a six-furlong maiden special weight on Friday for horses who brought a final bid of $50,000 or less at their most recent auction. The well-named son of Cloud Computing ran slower than the impressive first-timer Speed King, clocking 1:11.55, but nevertheless proved much the best. McAfee charged from ninth place behind a :21.52 opening quarter to score by 3 1/4 lengths. 

Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. conditions the half-brother to 2024 Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner and possible 2024 Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna.

Is Speed King the new Whitmore?

Speed King ranks as the week's top maiden winner, in circumstances recalling a past star for the same barn. 

On Nov. 6, 2015, trainer Ron Moquett sent out a talented two-year-old named Whitmore to win his debut sprinting six furlongs at Churchill Downs.

Whitmore would go on to compete in the 2016 Kentucky Derby (G1), and years later he won the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) on his way to being voted champion male sprinter at the Eclipse Awards.

Last Friday, almost exactly nine years after Whitmore’s successful first start, Moquett sent out the promising two-year-old Speed King to win his debut dashing six furlongs at Churchill. Only time will tell if Speed King can rise to the same heights as Whitmore, but he’s definitely taken an encouraging first step.

Overlooked at odds of 22-1 in a 12-horse field, Speed King outran all expectations. The gray colt didn’t get off to the quickest start, but recovered to lead by 1 1/2 lengths through fractions of :22.25 and :45.78. He was still full of run down the homestretch, getting his final two furlongs in :11.98 and :12.49 to score by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:10.25.

As a son of Grade 1-winning sprinter Volatile out of a mare by Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Corinthian, Speed King appears aptly named; speed may prove to be his strong suit more than stamina. But that didn’t preclude Whitmore from enjoying a productive Road to the Kentucky Derby campaign, so even if Speed King wins a Breeders’ Cup Sprint someday, he can still take a shot at the Derby trail in the interim. Some horses outrun their pedigrees, and there’s always a chance Speed King will actually be a stamina king.

Other notable maiden winners

The Friday card at Churchill Downs also featured a pair of seven-furlong maiden special weights. The faster of the two divisions went to Disco Time, a Juddmonte homebred trained by Brad Cox and ridden to victory by Florent Geroux, the same team behind 2021 Kentucky Derby winner Mandaloun.

Disco Time started as the favorite off an encouraging series of workouts and lived up to expectations. The son of Not This Time settled a length behind an opening quarter in :23.01, advanced to challenge through half a mile in :46.68, and then powered clear to triumph by 3 3/4 lengths in 1:23.88.

That was 0.32 better than the 1:24.20 clocking posted by Sonic Skidaddle earlier in the afternoon. Coming off a seventh-place finish in his debut sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs at Churchill, the Calumet Farm homebred improved significantly in his second start. Despite trailing the 10-horse field through early splits of :22.81 and :45.76, Sonic Skidaddle closed a 10 1/4-length deficit in the final three furlongs to crush his rivals by 4 3/4 lengths.

Sonic Skidaddle benefited from closing into a decelerating pace, but the Equibase GPS result chart reveals he ran his final three furlongs in :36.40, a solid fraction. This son of Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner City of Light may have long-term upside for trainer Brendan Walsh.

On Sunday at Churchill Downs, the third time was the charm for Whiskey Shot. Sixth and third in his first two starts running long on the Kentucky circuit, the son of 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner got the job done in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight, rating in fourth through fractions of :23.63, :47.68, and 1:12.28 before taking over to win by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:43.92. Rodolphe Brisset trains the improving colt.

We must also give a quick mention to Cyclone State, who won a one-mile maiden special weight at Aqueduct on Sunday. The son of McKinzie was beaten in his first four starts, but graduated with ease in his fifth attempt, setting fractions of :23.46, :47.03, and 1:11.68 before running his final quarter in :25.15 to score by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:36.83. He’s progressing in the right direction for trainer Chad Summers.

Top maiden winner of the week: Speed King

Honorable mention: Disco Time