Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Paladin wins via DQ

Trainer Chad Brown has won four Eclipse Awards for outstanding trainer, but a Kentucky Derby (G1) triumph has proven elusive. That may change in 2026.

Brown has come close to winning the Derby on a few occasions. He’s saddled Good Magic and Sierra Leone to runner-up finishes, and Zandon to a close third. Now, with the promising Paladin, Brown as a contender for the 2026 Kentucky Derby.

Paladin is the first of several exciting juveniles we’ll highlight in this week’s Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch.

Paladin

Paladin is a beautifully bred son of 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner out of a mare by Tapit, who has sired four winners of the Belmont (G1). This is a pedigree geared toward success in Triple Crown races, and it’s one reason why Paladin sold for a hefty $1.9 million as a yearling.

A lengthy series of half-mile workouts prepped Paladin for his debut on Friday in a one-mile maiden special weight at Aqueduct. Debuting over one mile isn’t easy, but Paladin was up to the task. He was always close to the pace through fractions of :23.20, :46.48, and 1:11.93, and down the homestretch he took the lead.

Unfortunately, Paladin was bumped close to the finish by the rallying Renegade, who crossed the finish line a head in front of Paladin. But a stewards’ inquiry resulted in Renegade being disqualified to second place, awarding Paladin the win.

In any case, the top two finishers both ran well. The final quarter-mile elapsed in :24.18, and the final furlong in a strong :11.92, producing a quick final time of 1:36.11. Furthermore, Paladin pulled 5 1/4 lengths clear of the third-place finisher.

Brown often targets Aqueduct’s 1 1/8-mile Remsen (G2) with his promising Derby-type juveniles, so don’t be surprised if Paladin turns up in that Dec. 6 contest, which awards Road to the Kentucky Derby qualification points to the top five finishers on a 10-5-3-2-1 basis.

Confessional

Confessional wasn’t nearly as expensive as Paladin, bringing a final bid of $160,000 when sold as a yearling. But the son of two-time champion Essential Quality made an excellent impression when debuting on Thursday in a seven-furlong maiden special weight at Keeneland.

Confessional started as a 12-1 longshot despite hailing from the high-profile barn of Brad Cox, who won the 2021 Kentucky Derby with Mandaloun. Those double-digit odds proved misplaced, as Confessional settled 1 1/2 lengths behind splits of :22.31 and :45.50 before taking over to score by three lengths in 1:23.84.

There’s a lot to like about Confessional from a pedigree standpoint. Essential Quality was an early-maturing Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) conqueror who trained on to win the Belmont and finish third in the Kentucky Derby. Meanwhile, Confessional’s dam is Speedy Vanessa, a daughter of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. There’s a good chance classic distances will be a strong suit for Confessional.

Dr. Kapur

Although Confessional ran well on debut, Dr. Kapur ran even faster when winning a second seven-furlong maiden special weight on Keeneland’s Thursday’s card.

Coming off a close runner-up finish to Big Dom in his debut sprinting six furlongs at Saratoga, Dr. Kapur moved forward as an odds-on favorite in his second start. The Saffie Joseph Jr. trainee dashed to the lead, set fractions of :22.47 and :45.70, and kicked on down the lane to dominate by 2 3/4 lengths in 1:23.71.

As a son of multiple Grade 1 winner McKinzie out of a mare by champion and two-time North American leading sire Kitten’s Joy, Dr. Kapur has a pedigree packed with class. He’s eligible to improve with maturity and develop into a graded stakes horse.

Mr. A. P.

At Santa Anita, the third time was the charm for Mr. A. P., who graduated on Oct. 13 in a one-mile maiden special weight.

Runner-up in his first two starts (including a fast six-furlong sprint won by Kristofferson), Mr. A. P. appreciated stretching out around two turns for his third try. Favored at 3-5, the son of American Pharoah rated a close fifth through fractions of :22.83 and :46.94 before advancing to challenge through six furlongs in 1:11.84. Then, after a long homestretch battle with pacesetter Cherokee Nation, Mr. A. P. hit the wire in front by a nose in 1:38.01.

Cherokee Nation pulled 12 3/4 lengths clear of the rest, so the top two finishers both ran well. Mr. A. P. is progressing in the right direction for trainer Vladimir Cerin and appears likely to join the Road to the Kentucky Derby sometime soon.

Top maiden winner of the week: Paladin

Honorable mention: Confessional