​Two new names joined the competition for glory among three-year-olds, scoring victories in Saturday’s Indiana and Iowa derbies, while a number of promising two-year-olds took their early steps in the sport. On the international scene, a busy weekend in England and France continues on Bastille Day Tuesday with the Grade Prix de Paris.
In the Classic spotlight, Leading Change is a name to circle. The Gun Runner colt was just making his second career start in Saturday’s $300,000 Grade III Indiana Derby at Horseshoe Indianapolis, yet he wasn’t a well-kept secret. Sent away as the odds-on favorite, the Brad Cox-trained runner pressed the tempo set by Out of the Woods and then dueled with the more seasoned Our Moneyman down the stretch, ultimately prevailing by a neck.
Uncle Dodo captured Sunday’s Victoria Stakes for two-year-olds at Woodbine. Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. for Wathnan Racing, the colt covered 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:41.36, just 0.21 seconds shy of the track record. Wathnan purchased the colt for $800,000 as a yearling and briefly set him aside as a two-year-old due to minor issues, only to see him roll to victory by 6 1/2 lengths in his June 7 debut at Churchill Downs.
Movin’ On Up added a win to his resume in Saturday’s Grade II Caress Stakes at Saratoga. The race showcased another rising contender, J J Grey, who kept improving with a hard-fought triumph in the $250,000 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows. With Emmanuel Esquivel aboard, J J Grey pressed the pace, opened a daylight lead, and withstood a late bid from The Hell We Did to win by 1 3/4 lengths. Maximum Effort took third, while the favorite Desert Gate ran an even race to finish fourth.
In the older division, Navajo Warrior kept up a relentless pace in Saturday’s $300,000 Grade III Prairie Meadows Cornhusker at Prairie Meadows, no one able to catch him. Coming from the second-widest starting gate, No. 7, jockey Micah Husbands pushed the 5-year-old Candy Ride gelding to the front, opened a commanding advantage on the backstretch, and held off the challenge late to win by 3 1/2 lengths over Bullard.
Bendoog, a 6-year-old Gun Runner progeny trained by Bill Mott, pulled away in deep stretch to win Saturday’s $100,000 Michael G. Schaefer Memorial at Horseshoe Indiana by 2 1/2 lengths over Gould’s Gold.
In the Iowa Distaff at Prairie Meadows, Distaff trainer Cox appeared to be shaping a comeback plan for 2025 Kentucky Oaks winner Good Cheer. After allowing Queen Azteca to set the early tempo, jockey Luis Saez asked for a bit more turning for home, and Good Cheer answered decisively, pulling clear to win by five lengths.
At Horseshoe Indiana, Kapoor led gate-to-wire in Saturday’s $100,000 Mari Hulman George Memorial, defeating the favorite Yes It Tiz by a neck. The day’s action offered a panorama of emerging stars and seasoned runners alike, underscoring how quickly form can shift as the calendar moves through summer.