Kentucky Derby 2027: Mid American, Hughes lead early standings

Budding juvenile turf star Mid American leads the current leaderboard for Kentucky Derby 2027, though that is certain to change on Saturday after the Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs. The road to the Kentucky Derby points series begins with the Iroquois and continues through the Arkansas Derby (G1) and Lexington Stakes (G3) on April 10. The tiebreaker for points is earnings in unrestricted stakes races, which makes Mid American, winner of the $750,000 Kentucky Downs Juvenile Sprint Stakes, the clear leader of this group. Mid American is by the young Not This Time stallion Epicenter, a line strong with middle-distance dirt success. So a return to dirt not impossible for the Jimmy DiVito trainee, who lost his debut on the main track before breaking his maiden on turf at Ellis Park ahead of the Kentucky Downs triumph. There are fewer dirt clues on the female side of the pedigree, as Mid American is the lone winner out of the unraced Exchange Rate mare Wampum Girl. She has no other winners from four foals to race, though her third dam, the Exceller mare Excedent, is the grand dam of horse of the year Bricks And Mortar. A much more classic-minded-style 2-year-old is second on the current leaderboard in Hughes, the winner of the Del Mar Futurity (G10 who cost $675,000 and races for a partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stable and others and is trained by Bob Baffert. The Into Mischief colt's 123 Horse Racing Nation Speed rating is the highest of any 2-year-old's this year. Top 15 North American foals of 2024 by unrestricted stakes earnings Rank Horse Sex Sire Trainer Rec Earnings HRN Speed 1 Mid American C Epicenter James P. DiVito 1-1 $436,575 90 2 Hughes C Into Mischief Bob Baffert 2-2 $270,000 123 3 Waggley F Life Is Good Wesley A. Ward 2-2 $212,800 94 4 Booked C Yaupon Steven M. Asmussen 3-1 $209,750 102 5 The Good Life C Life Is Good Brad H. Cox 1-1 $165,000 111 6 Good to Be King C War Front George R. Arnold II 2-0 $162,650 91 7 Salahudin C Uncle Mo Bob Baffert 1-1 $150,950 99 8 Twinkle Town C Take Charge Indy Kenneth G. McPeek 1-1 $137,500 113 9 Blessed Flyer C Dialed In Michael A. Tomlinson 1-1 $135,245 100 10 Liam's Law C Colonel Liam Todd A. Pletcher 1-1 $123,750 112 11 Fanshell Beach F Corniche Wesley A. Ward 1-1 $118,280 94 12 Wood Island C Jackie's Warrior George Weaver 1-1 $110,000 80 13 Caps and Carnage G Dads Caps Dru S. Hall 5-5 $113,185 99 14 Dial It Down G Dialed In David D. McShane 2-1 $100,395 97 15 Phone Booth C Pavel Doug F. O'Neill 2-0 $90,000 115 C = Colt F = Filly G = Gelding Rec = Starts-Wins