Filly My Generation Wins Irish Kentucky Derby Prep

While the HollywoodBets Patton Stakes is contested in Ireland, My Generation, a Kentucky-bred filly owned by a native Nebraskan, came charging late to win the one-mile test that awards European Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifying points March 5 at Dundalk.

With the victory My Generation, a daughter of Speightstown , gained a share of the lead in the European Road to the Derby.

A homebred for the Heider Family, My Generation entered the Patton a maiden after finishing third in her career debut at the same trip Feb. 19 for trainer Joseph Patrick O'Brien. She obviously benefitted from that experience.

After chasing the early lead Friday, My Generation advanced out toward the middle of the Polytrack strip midway down the stretch and shifted to another gear to win by five lengths. Rocky Sky gained late to edge the favorite, Messidor, another Joseph Patrick O'Brien-trained filly, for third.

Donnacha O'Brien, Joseph Patrick's brother, sent out Zozimus, a Footprintsinthesand colt who finished last of seven.

My Generation earned 20 points on Churchill Downs' European Road to move into a tie for the lead with Godolphin's Highland Avenue, who won the Road to the Kentucky Derby Conditions Stakes at Kempton Park in England two days earlier. The European series saw three earlier races run last fall on the turf and are less likely to impact any plans to send contenders to Louisville. The series concludes with the Cardinal Condition Stakes at Chelmsford City April 1. That race awards 30 points to the winner.

Out of the Maria's Mon mare Louvakhova, My Generation was bred by Cindy and Courtney Heider and races for Scott C. Heider, a native Nebraskan who has been active in bloodstock and racing on both sides of the Atlantic for decades.

At this point, any contribution from the "European Road" leaders to the actual field for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) would require further commitment—and cash. Neither filly My Generation nor Highland Avenue are among the early nominees to the Triple Crown.

Original nominations, with a $600 price tag, closed Jan. 23. Late nominations, at $6,000 each, close March 29. After that, supplemental nominations are available to the individual races. For the Kentucky Derby, that supplemental nomination fee is $200,000.