Hoops Meets Horsepower in Breeders' Futurity

More than one Coach Pope could be in Keeneland's Saddling Paddock for the $650,000 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) on Saturday.

The sure participant in the race—a "Win and You're In" event for the $2 million FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Keeneland on Oct. 30—is the 2-year-old colt Coach Pope. His namesake, Mark Pope, head coach of the University of Kentucky's men's basketball team, is a probable onlooker.

The equine athlete, who comes to the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity off a 12 1/2-length score on Sept. 12 at Churchill Downs, campaigns for Gainesway Stable, Shamrock Stables and Michael Mackin. Kenny McPeek, a UK graduate who grew up in Lexington, trains him.

"It's fun to have horses named for people and in the in the case of Coach Pope, he's a friend of mine," McPeek said. "He lets me come to practices and as everybody probably knows, I'm a huge Kentucky fan."

The colt's moniker is both serendipitous and strategic.

"Every spring our stable gets a group of young horses come in from Florida that typically I had bought out of the yearling sales the previous fall," McPeek said. "I want them all named before they get to me but there was a long list that hadn't been named yet, and I kept telling all the owners, 'Would somebody please name these horses?' And then I ran out of patience, and I said, 'I'm just going to name them myself.' I came up with some names, and I called my office to submit them (to The Jockey Club registry)."

An extra step was needed to secure Coach Pope.

"We had to send the coach a letter for him to approve the name in writing," McPeek said.

At the time of the submission, McPeek had only an inkling the colt was worthy but reasoned a son of breeding-shaping stallion Tapit had great potential

"But you don't really know until they race," he said.

In his career debut, Coach Pope hinted at better days ahead with a game effort on Aug. 8 at Saratoga. He raced just behind the leaders when he matched strides with the eventual winner Gaudreau late in the stretch before settling for second while beaten a half-length. The Claiborne Breeders' Futurity will be his third race.

McPeek, who won the 2024 Kentucky Derby (G1) Presented by Woodford Reserve with Mystic Dan, has conditioned a multiple of exceptional runners, including Claiborne Breeders' Futurity winners Tejano Run (1995), Noble's Promise (2009) and Rattle N Roll (2021).

"This is probably the most talented horse I've ever brought to the Futurity," McPeek said. "He's got that next-level presence. You could tell after his first start that this one's going to take us places. We're hopelessly optimistic that he is a really good one here. He is certainly acting special."

The McPeek team has christened other names nodding to local sports figures. They include Malachi Miracle, named for Malachi Moreno's buzzer-beater basket against Louisiana State University in January and Kelz for University of Louisville men's basketball coach Pat Kelsey.