Every year around this time, I pen an Unlocking Winners column highlighting up-and-coming juveniles worth following as the Road to the Kentucky Derby unfolds.
Sometimes, the horses I highlight turn into stakes stars. Others fall short of expectations. But I feel confident the following five horses have bright futures, and I expect at least a few of them to make headlines in the near future:
Courting
Courting is the second-most expensive yearling sold at a North American auction since 2008, bringing a price of $5 million at last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale. His pedigree is one of the main reasons why—the chestnut colt is a son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin out of three-time grade 1 winner Cavorting. This mating previously produced four-time grade 1 winner Clairiere.
Courting finished fourth in his debut and didn't run especially fast when breaking his maiden second time out in a one-mile maiden special weight at Aqueduct Racetrack. But I believe Courting has upside to run faster. In his maiden win, he set steady fractions of :24.11, :47.94, and 1:12.08 before dashing his final two furlongs in the sharp times of :11.90 and :12.05 to pull away and win by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:36.03. He earned an 80 Equibase Speed Figure.
Courting's homestretch acceleration and his pedigree suggest he'll improve with distance and maturity, so I'm looking forward to seeing him stretch out around two turns this winter. Don't be surprised to see him in the 1 1/8-mile Remsen Stakes (G2) Dec. 6 at Aqueduct.
Englishman
Englishman, a son of multiple Grade 1 winner Maxfield, was nothing less than sensational when debuting in a seven-furlong maiden special weight at Churchill Downs.
The bay colt broke sharply, sprinted to the lead through fractions of :22.27 and :44.74, extended his advantage to three lengths through six furlongs in 1:08.70, and simply cruised to the finish line 7 1/4 lengths in front. He reached the wire in 1:21.35, earning a flashy 97 Beyer Speed Figure and a 91 Equibase Speed Figures
The form of this blowout win was flattered when distant runner-up White Tiger returned to win his next start over the same track and class level. Englishman looks like a stakes horse in the making for trainer Cherie DeVaux.
Further Ado
It took Further Ado three tries to break his maiden. His first two efforts sprinting were modest, but when he stretched out around 1 1/16 miles for a Keeneland maiden special weight, he ran out of his skin.
Indeed, Further Ado proved miles the best in his two-turn debut. The son of 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner pressed splits of :23.17 and :47.10 in second place before taking over and powering away to beat 11 rivals by 20 lengths (yes, 20!) in 1:43.52.
Further Ado earned a 98 Beyer, tied for the second-highest number posted by any juvenile so far this year. He could be any sort of talent for two-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox.
Local Knowledge
Two-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Todd Pletcher has many talented two-year-olds in his barn. In addition to Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) winner Ted Noffey and the previously mentioned Courting, one of Pletcher's top prospects for the 2026 Run for the Roses is Local Knowledge.
Local Knowledge debuted in a deep six-furlong maiden special weight at Keeneland. At the break, he bumped the starting gate and got away slowly, ultimately settling midfield through an opening quarter-mile in :22.75. But he steadily advanced and blazed his final quarter-mile in :23.87 to wear down the pacesetters and prevail by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:10.23.
It turns out Local Knowledge beat a strong field. Several of his rivals have returned to win, including third-place finisher Gallivant, who took Keeneland's Bowman Mill Stakes in his next start.
Local Knowledge has since shipped to Pletcher's winter base of Palm Beach Downs in Florida. Chances are, we'll see him join the Road to the Kentucky Derby this winter.
Rebel Instinct
Rebel Instinct is a beautifully bred son of perennial leading sire Into Mischief out of Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic (G1) winner Unrivaled Belle. The latter has already achieved renown as a broodmare, foaling 2017 champion female sprinter and 2018 champion older dirt female Unique Bella.
Purchased for $700,000 as a yearling, Rebel Instinct made his debut in a one-mile maiden special weight at Aqueduct. He finished second against favored Igniter, but came home 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Courting.
Rebel Instinct's second start yielded a sharp win. The Chad Brown trainee started as an odds-on favorite in another one-mile maiden special weight at Aqueduct, and after pressing fractions of :23.49 and :46.59, he took over and kicked clear to win by three lengths in 1:35.98.
Rebel Instinct displayed a nice turn-of-foot down the homestretch, running his penultimate furlong in :11.91. He's progressing in the right direction and should handle two turns without difficulty, making him an intriguing Road to the Kentucky Derby contender.
Now it's your turn! Which up-and-coming juveniles have caught your eye?
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