The summer meeting of 2026 in Del Mar yielded an impressive schedule of 2-year-olds who appear as serious contenders for the 2025 Breeders’ Cup and 2026 Triple Crown.
Fillies such as Grade 1 del Mar Debutante Stakes winner Bottle rouge and grass runners such as Grade 3 del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes Conqueror Hey no no showed promising, but the strongest versions came demonstrably from dirty men like Brant” Desert gateAnd Boyd.
Do you want to catch up with the leading 2-year-olds from Del Mar? Here is our ranking of the top five “Rookies” of the meeting:
5. Fearless
Intrepido struggled a bit when debuting in a first special weight that ended 5 ½ furlongs (11/16th of a mile) sprint and fourth. But the caliber of the competition was strong; The top two finishers were the first and third in the degree of 1 del Mar Futurity.
The distance may have been a bit short for Intrepido. When he stretched for a special weight of a mile, he improved considerably, dueling by splits of: 23.14 and: 47.34 before he was mile in: 24.58 to score with 3 ¼ lengths.
Intrepido’s winning time of 1: 35.71 was respectable for a summer youth races around two turns, which suggests that this trainee of Jeff Mullins has a bright future.
4. Kristofferson
Kristofferson is a son of 2016 Grade 1 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist from a mare of Quality Road, who won four degrees 1 races about distances from one miles to 1 1/8 miles. This is a pedigree focused on success that runs at least one mile, but Kristofferson managed to win his debut that sprinted three -quarters of a mile.
Kristofferson did not win alone, he showed an impressive speed. For the command, he dueled by fractions from: 22.01 and: 44.89 before he left to score with three -quarters of a length in the excellent time of 1: 08.83.
Kristofferson was purchased for a good $ 1.15 million as a yearling and is conditioned by six times Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert. Expect Kristofferson to see the road from 2025-26 to the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve.
3. Boyd
Boyd was not as expensive as Kristofferson, with a definitive offer of $ 1.05 million when it is sold as a 2-year-old in training. But the foal-trained foal was just as impressive when it led to dominate a 5 ½-Furlong Maiden special weight with 5 ¾ lengths.
The way Boyd achieved his debut victory was striking. He put burning fractions from: 21.32 and: 43.91 and then clocked his last three-sixte of a mile in a solid: 18.88 to cruise across the finish line in 1: 02.79.
The Boyd pedigree is demonstrably a bit more focused on speed than endurance with two durking, but whether he turns into a triple crown candidate from 2026 or a top sprinter, it is clear that Boyd has talent.
2. Desert Gate
In comparison with some of his Stablemates trained by Bob Baffert, Desert Gate was a bargain and sold for $ 260,000 as a 2-year-old in training. But the son of three times grade 1 winner Omaha Beach has already achieved more than most horses ever do.
After winning his debut during the spring meeting in Santa Anita Park, Desert Gate stepped up in the classroom for Del Mar’s Grade 3 Best Pal Stakes. Winning could not have been easier for the leadership and drove away to score with 8 ¾ lengths, with three-quarters of a miles in 1: 10.37 completed.
Unfortunately, Desert Gate did not like a clean journey when making his degree 1 debut in the Del Mar Futurity. He stumbled at the beginning and was pressed between rivals and left to fifth place. Despite the unexpected change in tactics, Desert did not give up and came up to finish second with one length to our upper rookie below.
With a trouble -free journey, Desert Gate might have won the future. He remains one of the best young people of the Del Mar -Meeting.
1. Brant
On the basis of his 2-Uit-2 record and Triumph in the Del Mar Futurity, Baffert’s Brant arranges as the best two-year-old from the Del Mar Summer Measures. It is appropriate for a foal that has made a definitive offer of $ 3 million when it was sold as a 2-year-old in training to Amr Zedan, who also owns Boyd.
Brant won the headlines with his running away victory in a 5 ½ Furlong Maiden special weight early in the meeting. He followed rapid fractions of: 21.56 and: 44.78 in third place before he took over to beat a strong field (including Intrepido) with 5 ¼ lengths in 1: 02.63. At the moment it is 101 Beyer speed figure that Brant received the highest song posted in 2025 by every youth posted.
Brant succeeded with a strong effort in the Zeven-Furlong del Mar Futurity. This time he ran forward through splits of: 21.88 and: 44.53 before he reversed the desert gate to prevail with one length in the spicy time of 1: 21.92.
As the son of 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner, Brant has the potential to excel in two-dorks races. The Triple Crown 2026 is a viable long -term goal.
#Rookie #Rankings #Top #fiveyearolds #watch #summer #meeting #Del #Mar