Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Ottinho aims for the Withers

The final days of 2025—and the first days of 2026—yielded a bevy of notable maiden winners with possible 2026 Kentucky Derby (G1) aspirations.

One such horse is Ottinho. The beautifully bred son of Quality Road broke his maiden at Aqueduct on New Year’s Eve and is already targeting a start on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. As a result, he tops this week’s edition of Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch.

Ottinho

A son of four-time Grade 1 winner and successful sire Quality Road, Ottinho was produced by the Giant’s Causeway mare Quiet Giant, who previously foaled 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner.

Ottinho finished third by two lengths when debuting on Nov. 23 in a one-mile maiden special weight at Aqueduct. For his second start, he stretched out over 1 1/8 miles around two turns, and that made the difference. Under Eclipse Award-winning jockey Flavien Prat, Ottinho set fractions of :24.02, :49.79, and 1:14.87, then battled back after being headed by stablemate Hadrian’s Wall to win by a head in 1:54.07.

Trainer Chad Brown later told the New York Racing Association that Ottinho will aim for the Jan. 31 Withers S., a Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifier held over 1 1/8 miles at Aqueduct. Sticking to the same track and distance as his maiden win should make Ottinho a major player in the Withers.

Crossingthechannel

Another notable maiden winner at Aqueduct was Crossingthechannel on Sunday. Runner-up in his first two starts, including one against the promising Iron Honor, Crossingthechannel graduated third-time out in a six-furlong maiden special weight.

His triumph was not without drama. Despite stumbling at the start, the Michael Trombetta-trained son of Omaha Beach set fractions of :22.96 and :46.28 and opened up a six-length lead in midstretch. But he grew leg-weary through the final furlong and was all-out to hold off first-time starter White Smoke Rising by a neck in 1:12.20.

Crossingthechannel may prove best as a sprinter, but he clearly has talent and is worth watching as winter unfolds.

Combat Mission

New York-bred Combat Mission lost his first four starts on the New York Racing Association circuit, but one of those was a solid runner-up effort in a seven-furlong division of the New York Stallion Series S. at Aqueduct.

For his fifth start, Combat Mission dropped in class for a one-mile maiden special weight for New York-breds on New Year’s Day at Aqueduct. This time, he tracked fractions of :23.18 and :46.84 in third place, took over through six furlongs in 1:13.45, and powered clear to dominate by 5 3/4 lengths in 1:39.85. It was a promising step in the right direction for the son of 2018 Kentucky Derby starter Combatant, who hails from the barn of John Kimmel.

Southeastern

Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Brad Cox saddled Southeastern to an easy win in a one-mile maiden optional claimer on Friday at Aqueduct.

The son of Charlatan left no doubt about his superiority. He dashed to the front, set fractions of :23.75, :47.55, and 1:13.46, and pulled away in the final furlong to score by 7 1/4 lengths in 1:41.32.

S S Radio

A decelerating pace helped S S Radio, a gelded son of Audible, graduate on debut in a six-furlong maiden optional claimer on Sunday at Fair Grounds.

Nevertheless, S S Radio deserves credit for a resilient performance. After dropping back to trail an eight-horse field by as many as nine lengths, the Al Stall Jr. trainee blazed his final quarter-mile in :23.62 to get up and win by three-quarters of a length. S S Radio gained four lengths through the final furlong alone and hit the wire in the respectable time of 1:10.38, suggesting he has a promising future.

Reclamation

Lastly, we’ll give a shout-out to Reclamation, who got the job done with ease in a six-furlong maiden special weight on Saturday at Oaklawn Park. The Christopher Davis trainee dueled through splits of :22.22 and :46.08 before drawing off down the lane to win by four lengths in 1:11.14.

Reclamation’s win flattered D’code, one of the most impressive two-year-old maiden winners of 2025. When D’code dominated his Dec. 14 debut sprinting six furlongs at Oaklawn, winning by 8 1/4 lengths, Reclamation finished a distant fourth.

Top maiden winner of the week: Ottinho

Honorable mention: S S Radio