Kentucky Derby Maiden Watch: Spun D M C outruns his odds

The highlight during the opening week of the Churchill Downs September meet was the Iroquois (G3), the first stop on the 2025-26 Road to the Kentucky Derby.

However, a handful of two-year-old maiden winners at Churchill Downs may prove just as likely as the Iroquois alumni to factor in the 2026 Kentucky Derby. Among the most impressive was an inexpensive but eye-catching colt named Spun D M C.

Spun D M C

Spun D M C wasn’t an in-demand horse at auction. He sold three times as a weanling, yearling, and two-year-old in training, bringing modest prices of $37,000, $35,000, and $95,000.

It’s safe to say Spun D M C would bring a higher price if sold following his flashy debut win at Churchill Downs last Friday.

The son of Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) winner Spun to Run entered off sharp workouts for trainer Randy Morse, including a bullet half-mile in :47 and a bullet five furlongs in 1:00 3/5. Bettors underestimated these fast exercises, sending Spun D M C to post at 12-1 odds, and that proved to be a mistake.

Spun D M C showed speed while racing third through an opening quarter-mile in :22.13. He advanced to lead through half a mile in :45.09, then finished up strongly (running his final quarter-mile in :24.67) to win by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:09.76.

The future looks bright for Spun D M C, whose dam sire—Smart Strike—has already seen his daughters produce Kentucky Derby winners Mine That Bird and Rich Strike.

Cabourg

A second six-furlong maiden special weight on Churchill’s Friday card went to Cabourg. The son of talented sprinter/miler Munnings didn’t run as fast as Spun D M C, completing his race in 1:10.90, but he nevertheless showed potential and is worth watching.

Sold for $75,000 as a yearling, Cabourg started as a 10-1 longshot despite shipping in off a series of fast workouts in Florida for trainer Jose D’Angelo, including half a mile from the Palm Meadows starting gate in :47.25.

Cabourg definitely ran to his workouts. After pressing an opening quarter in :23.05, he seized a daylight lead through half a mile in :46.42 and maintained his advantage through a strong :24.48 final quarter to prevail by 2 3/4 lengths.

I Did I Did

On Sunday at Churchill, the third time was the charm for I Did I Did, a son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin trained by Mike Maker.

Purchased for $300,000 as a two-year-old in training, I Did I Did finished fifth and second in his first two starts while beaten by wide margins. He stepped forward while stretching out over 1 1/16 miles for his third start, comfortably winning a maiden special weight at just over even-money odds.

I Did I Did settled in second place as longshot Go Jack Go opened up a clear early lead through splits of :23.00 and :46.82. I Did I Did then took over through six furlongs in 1:12.64, opened up a four-length lead in midstretch, and dug down late to hold off a deep closer by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:46.04.

Route racing appears to be a strong suit for I Did I Did, which isn’t surprising since Curlin tends to sire long-winded classic types like Belmont (G1) hero Palace Malice and Preakness (G1) winners Journalism and Exaggerator. Look for I Did I Did to improve with more distance and maturity.

Day One Starter

A pair of maiden special weight winners on Saturday at Aqueduct may have Kentucky Derby aspirations as well.

Day One Starter failed to factor in his debut at Saratoga two months ago, finishing sixth. But he improved dramatically when making his second start for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey. The $160,000 yearling acquisition dashed to the front, set splits of :22.34 and :45.55, and then drew clear to win by 4 1/2 lengths in 1:16.72.

A son of 2015 Kentucky Derby participant Upstart, Day One Starter is progressing quickly in the right direction and may have upside for further improvement.

Froutien

Second-time starter Froutien, who sold for $700,000 as a two-year-old in training, proved best in a seven-furlong maiden sprint for New York-breds.

Coming off a rallying third-place finish in his debut over the same class level at Saratoga, Froutien changed tactics for his second try and reaped dividends. The Todd Pletcher trainee led narrowly through fractions of :22.84 and :46.43 before edging away from his rivals to win by 1 3/4 lengths in 1:24.84.

Conditioned by two-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Todd Pletcher, Froutien is a son of Galilean, a six-time stakes winner in California. Froutien’s dam is It’s Timeless, a daughter of 2003 Horse of the Year Mineshaft. There’s plenty of classic stamina in Froutien’s pedigree, so there’s a good chance he’ll improve when stretching out in distance down the road.

Top maiden winner of the week: Spun D M C

Honorable mention: Day One Starter