Late-Starting Maidens of Note Make Their Mark

This column highlights the performances of maidens who have made no more than five starts and who either sold for more than $500,000 at public auction, have siblings that are grade/group winners, or have dams that are grade/group winners. BloodHorse research shows maiden winners in particular who meet these criteria are more likely to go on to be graded stakes winners.

Churchill Downs

Maiden special weight results from the past two weeks have brought forth a larger than usual number of winners that meet the Maiden Watch criteria. During Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) week, three won at Churchill Downs, starting with the April 29 victory of Will E Sutton , a $1 million yearling purchase.

Robert LaPenta, Stonestreet Stables, and Bridlewood Farm's Will E Sutton earned a one-length win in his third start for trainer Jonathan Thomas, taking a 1 1/8-mile test for 3-year-olds and up.

Jockey Javier Castellano settled the colt in a stalking position in third before moving three wide in the far turn and overtaking the leaders in the stretch to finish in a final time of 1:52.18 on a sealed, sloppy track. The race was originally scheduled for the turf.

The son of Curlin   was purchased by Whitehorse and Bridlewood Farm at The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's select yearling sale in New York, where he was consigned by Denali Stud. Will E Sutton was bred by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings out of the stakes-placed Yes It's True mare Yes Liz.

The following day, Distorted Verve  also won her third start by one-length at Churchill in similar fashion while racing a mile for trainer Dallas Stewart. The Charles Fipke homebred by Distorted Humor   was second through a half-mile and then fourth in the stretch as the field closed in on the leaders. The filly edged clear under Luis Saez to finish in a final time of 1:36.51 on a fast track.

Distorted Verve is out of the Unbridled mare Verve, who also produced grade 3 winner Verve's Tale , third in the 2018 Beldame Stakes (G1), and 2015 Xpressbet.com Preakness Stakes (G1) runner-up Tale of Verve  . Verve is a half sister to grade 1 winner Zoftig .

Lastly, on Derby day Koolhaus  won his third start for owner OXO Equine and trainer Brad Cox, returning a small portion of his $600,000 price tag. OXO Equine bought the son of Nyquist   as a weanling during the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, where he was consigned by Lane's End.

After finishing third in his prior two starts at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, the move to Kentucky proved to Koolhaus' liking when he rallied to a 1 1/4-length win under Florent Geroux. Koolhaus completed the mile in 1:34.84 on a fast track.

Bred by Tony Holmes and Dr. and Mrs. Walter Zent, Koolhaus is out of the Pulpit mare Holy Place, a half sister to champion Lady Eli .

High-Priced 3-Year-Olds Find the Winner's Circle

The third week in April proved fruitful for 10 late-starting 3-year-olds, and of those, three were purchased for $1 million or more.

First Captain , a $1.5 million yearling purchase, won on debut April 24 at Belmont Park, taking a seven-furlong test over six others 3 years old and up. The Curlin colt, trained by Shug McGaughey and ridden by Jose Ortiz, sat just behind the pace through the early fractions and moved closer on the turn for home but was caught behind a wall of horses. He reengaged when Ortiz asked and won in the final strides by three-quarters of a length in a final time of 1:23.56 on a fast track.

Bred by B. Flay Thoroughbreds, First Captain is the first foal out of the grade 3-winning A.P. Indy mare America , who placed third in the 2015 Delaware Handicap (G1). First Captain was consigned by Stone Farm to The Saratoga Sale, where he was purchased by West Point Thoroughbreds and six other partners.

That same day at Santa Anita Park, Flightline , another West Point purchase, stormed home to a 13 1/4-length romp in his debut.

Flightline was bred by Summer Wind Equine and purchased from the Lane's End consignment at The Saratoga Sale. West Point went to $1 million for the son of Tapit   and grade 3 winner Feathered , who descends from the female family of the blue hen mare Blitey and grade 1 winner Finder's Fee.

Trained by John Sadler, Flightline was bumped at the start of the six-furlong maiden test for 3-year-olds and up but took over the lead under Flavien Prat. The pair set fractions of :21.59, :44.42, and :56.28, before galloping out to finish in 1:08.75 on a fast track.

Stillchargingmaria , a daughter of none other than grade 1 winner Stopchargingmaria , earned her maiden score in her fourth start for trainer Steve Asmussen. The Pioneerof the Nile filly was a $1.9 million weanling purchase by Whisper Hill Farm from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment to The November Sale, Fasig-Tipton's fall breeding stock sale in Lexington. Whisper Hill bought her dam at the same sale for $4.4 million.

Stillchargingmaria finished second in her Nov. 27 debut as a 2-year-old at Fair Grounds, fifth in her second start Feb. 25 at Oaklawn Park, and second again March 27 at Sam Houston Race Park. Ridden by Stewart Elliott, Stillchargingmaria earned her first victory when she led all the way in a one-mile turf race at Lone Star Park and won by 3 1/2 lengths April 25, stopping the clock in 1:37.20 on a firm course.

She was bred by Three Chimneys Farm, which later partnered with Whisper Hill for her racing career.

2-Year-Old Winners Begin to Trickle In

Closing weekend at Keeneland resulted in three 2-year-old winners that met Maiden Watch criteria for trainer Wesley Ward.

On April 22, Ruthin  won first time out, taking a 5 1/2-furlong turf test for 2-year-old fillies by six lengths.

Ridden by Joel Rosario, Ruthin popped out of the gate and moved up to set the pace, getting a quarter-mile in :21.91 and a half in :45.65. She finished up in 1:04.95 on a course labeled good.

The Ribchester  filly was bred by Highclere Stud and Jake Warren in Great Britain. Agent Ben McElroy purchased her at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale for US$474,776. She is out of the stakes-winning Selkirk mare Selinka , who also produced a group 3 winner in Ireland.

The following day Ward had another first-out winner in Napa Spirit , who took the first race at Keeneland. The Invincible Spirit  colt was also purchased by McElroy at the Goffs Orby Yearling Sale for US$539,926.

Campaigned by Stonestreet Stables, Napa Spirit was ridden by Rosario and came from fourth to finish 1 1/2 lengths ahead and complete the 5 1/2 furlongs in a final time of 1:04.17 on good turf.

Napa Spirit was bred by the Irish National Stud and is out of the Pivotal  mare Aimhirgin Lass.

The third 2-year-old for Ward, Breeze Easy's Headline Report , also won on debut in the very next race, a 4 1/2-furlong contest on the dirt.

The Gormley   ridgling was second as a quarter-mile went in :22.72, but took over shortly after under John Velazquez. He opened a 2 1/4-length lead to win in a final time of :51.75 on the fast track.

Bred by Ledgelands and Andrew Ritter, Headline Report was bought for $550,000 at the Ocala Breeders' Sale March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale where he was consigned by Eddie Woods. He is out of Green Eyed Cat, a daughter of Tale of the Cat and grade 1 winner Critical Eye.