The first two races in the 2024-25 "European/Middle East Road to the Kentucky Derby" went to colts who could be legitimate candidates for the 2025 Derby on the Epsom Downs turf but are unlikely contenders for the first Saturday in May in Louisville.
The series, designed by Churchill Downs to boost international interest in the Run for the Roses, started Sept. 28, as usual, on the turf in England and Ireland. The "Road" races featured winners in Wimbledon Hawkeye and Hotazhell who are nice colts with fine turf pedigrees.
Wimbledon Hawkeye pressed the pace in the Royal Lodge Stakes (G2) at Newmarket, gradually worked to the lead in the final furlong and ran on to win by 1 1/2 lengths. Royal Playwright was up for second and Angelo Buonatti pipped Coolmore's Puppet Master for third.
Wimbledon Hawkeye, a James Owen trainee, won his career debut on the Kempton Park all-weather course in May and has been slugging it out in high-level turf races ever since. He finished third, behind Godolpin's undefeated winner Ancient Truth, in the Superlative Stakes (G2) in July, then was second to Coolmore's undefeated The Lion in Winter in the Acomb Stakes (G3) at York Aug. 21.
Wimbledon Hawkeye is by Kameko, out of the Sea The Stars mare Eva Maria. He was bred by Stetchworth & Middle Park Studs and races for the Gredley Family, masters of Stetchworth.
Kameko, bred in Kentucky by Calumet Farm, is by the late multiple leading turf sire Kitten's Joy. Kameko finished second in the 2019 Royal Lodge, then won the prestigious Futurity Trophy (G1) at Newcastle. He went on to win the 2020 Two Thousand Guineas (G1) and reported fourth in the Derby at Epsom Downs, missing second by a half-length behind breakaway leader Serpentine.
Video
A few hours after the Royal Lodge and across the Irish Channel at the Curragh, Hotazhell ground out a hard-earned, three-quarters length victory over Tennessee Stud in the Beresford Stakes (G2). The Too Darn Hot colt got his third win from five starts, following a second to Coolmore's Henri Matisse in the Futurity Stakes (G2) a month earlier.
Too Darn Hot was a multiple group 1 winner at seven furlongs and a mile. He was second in the 2019 Irish Two Thousand Guineas (G1) and wrapped up his brief racing career with wins in the Prix Jean Prat (G1) at Deauville and the Sussex Stakes (G1) at Goodwood.
Hotazhell stuck close to the pace in the Beresford, got a prompt from jockey Shane Foley inside the three furlongs marker and gradually worked to the front and on to the win. Windlord, joint favorite with Hotazhell, finished third, a half a length back of Tennessee Stud. The two Aidan O'Brien runners, Trinity College and Lambourn, completed the order of finish.
Video
The "Road" races, both at a mile, were each worth 10 points.
The "European/Middle East Road to the Kentucky Derby" next crosses the English Channel for the Oct. 6 Jean-Luc Lagardere (G1) on the ParisLongchamp turf and returns for the Futurity at Doncaster Oct. 26.
After the winter break, the series resumes Feb. 26 at Kempton Park with the Road to the Kentucky Derby Conditions Stakes and the Patton Stakes at Dundalk in Ireland two days later, both on all-weather tracks. It wraps up with the UAE Derby (G2) on the Meydan Racecourse dirt April 5.
In the unlikely event one horse won the first six races in the series, he would accumulate 80 points—10 for each of the four turf races and 20 for each of the all-weather events. The winner of the UAE Derby gets 100 points with the runner-up and show horse awarded 50 and 25 points, respectively.
