Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Smoovin Saturday wins debut

Trainer Michael McCarthy nearly nabbed his first Kentucky Derby (G1) win in 2025, saddling Journalism to finish second as the favorite.

McCarthy may return to the Kentucky Derby in 2026. On Sunday at Del Mar, McCarthy sent out a previously unheralded two-year-old named Smoovin Saturday to win his debut in promising fashion.

Reddam Racing bred and owns the chestnut colt, who could seek to become the third Reddam Racing representative to win the Kentucky Derby following I’ll Have Another (2012) and Nyquist (2016).

With this possibility in mind, Smoovin Saturday leads the roster in this week’s Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch.

Smoovin Saturday

Smoovin Saturday is a Reddam Racing homebred through and through. He’s a son of I’ll Have Another out of Smoove It, a Reddam Racing homebred daughter of J. Paul Reddam’s Breeders’ Futurity (G1) winner Square Eddie.

After compiling a long series of workouts at Santa Anita and Del Mar, Smoovin Saturday proved plenty fit to win his debut in a one-mile maiden special weight for California-breds. Bettors dismissed him as a 9-1 longshot, but after rating in midfield through splits of :22.20, :46.26, and 1:11.87, he surged in the final furlong to pass three rivals and prevail by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:39.12.

Smoovin Saturday’s winning time was unremarkable, but it’s important to note that McCarthy trainees often improve with experience. Indeed, that was the case with Journalism, who lost his debut before going on to win six of his next eight starts, including the Preakness (G1), Haskell (G1), and Santa Anita Derby (G1). Smoovin Saturday is eligible to follow suit and develop in a positive direction through the winter.

Project Ace

At Churchill Downs, the host track of the Kentucky Derby, the third time was the charm for Project Ace.

Project Ace closed from far back to finish third in his sprint debut. He stretched out over 1 1/16 miles for his second start and nearly got the job done, closing almost a dozen lengths to finish second by a nose.

Project Ace’s third start came in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight on Saturday. This time, the photo finish went his way. After trailing by as many as 9 1/4 lengths through splits of :24.18 and :47.62, Project Ace gobbled up ground down the homestretch, gaining four lengths through the final furlong alone to prevail by a head in 1:45.28.

A decelerating pace helped Project Ace catch up, as the fourth quarter-mile went in a slow :26.59, and the final sixteenth in :06.96. But after closing meaningful ground in each of his first three starts, it’s clear Project Ace owns a consistent late kick. The son of War of Will could possibly develop into a Road to the Kentucky Derby type for trainer Dale Romans.

Sure to Appeal

Sure to Appeal never factored in his debut, dashing seven furlongs at Keeneland—he broke slowly and raced off the pace on his way to finishing last out of eight.

However, Sure to Appeal looked like a different horse when making his second start in a six-furlong maiden special weight on Friday at Churchill Downs. The Brian Lynch trainee showed improved tactical speed rating in midfield (no more than 3 1/2 lengths behind fractions of :22.35 and :45.70) before launching a big finish to score by two lengths.

Sure to Appeal’s winning time of 1:11.27 was unremarkable, but the way he went from 2 3/4 lengths behind at the eighth pole to two lengths in front at the finish line was impressive. The son of Tapiture won rather easily in the end and may have upside for further improvement.

Blame Yasself

As a son of 1 1/4-mile Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) winner Blame out of a mare by 2003 Horse of the Year Mineshaft, Blame Yasself is bred top and bottom to thrive running long. Yet he displayed abundant speed (and somewhat questionable stamina) when winning his debut in a seven-furlong maiden special weight on Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

Blame Yasself ran hard from the start, dueling with Ramajay through splits of :22.52 and :45.54. The two rivals pulled eight lengths clear of the rest with three furlongs remaining, and even though they tired dramatically thereafter (running the third quarter-mile in :25.68 and the final furlong in :14.18), they stayed on to run 1-2 at the wire, with Blame Yasself holding Ramajay safe by one length in 1:25.40.

If Blame Yasself grows into his pedigree and shows more stamina with time, the Victor Barboza Jr. trainee could yet turn into a Road to the Kentucky Derby contender.

Top maiden winner of the week: Smoovin Saturday

Honorable mention: Sure to Appeal