Wimbledon Hawkeye head-to-head with Burnham Square. (Coady Media)
By Kentucky Downs Media Team
FRANKLIN, Ky. – With a name that invokes the technology used to determine close line calls in tennis, Wimbledon Hawkeye got the margin that counts to go his way as he fought off a determined run from Grade 1 winner and Kentucky Derby (G1) starter Burnham Square to earn a head victory in the 1 5/16-miles Nashville Derby, the highlight of a monster card at Kentucky Downs Saturday.
The questions that surrounded Wimbledon Hawkeye (GB) have had little to do with his mettle.
If there was a commonality in his 11 career outings leading up to his first trip to North America, it was that the son of Kameko was well-versed with holding his own in a fight. Having finished worse than third just twice while knocking heads with the likes of such European standouts as the 2000 Guineas (G1) winner Ruling Court, unfortunate luck, as much as form, had been a key reason why a seven-race losing skid has piled up on the 3-year-old colt’s past performance lines.
When he landed in the outside post of 12 for the $3.5 million DK Horse Nashville Derby Invitational (G3) at Kentucky Downs, it seemed that hardships may have been intent on following him across the Atlantic. But when he came face to face with another sophomore stalwart trying to deny him a trip to the winner’s circle yet again, The Gredley Family’s colt uncorked the full measure of his fortitude and, this time, had fortune swing in his favor.
The Nashville Derby purse for 3-year-olds ranks only behind the Kentucky Derby and the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) in America. Of the $3.5 million purse, $1.5 million is available only to registered Kentucky-bred horses, meaning Wimbledon Hawkeye raced for $2 million – still the richest turf purse offering in America outside the Breeders’ Cup.
The chance to chase such lucrative offerings is what prompted trainer James Owen to send his hard-trying charge to the United States for the first time to attempt to earn his first victory since taking the 2024 Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes (G2) at Newmarket last September. Among the colt’s losses since that victory were a pair of runner-up efforts in the 12-furlong Princess of Wales’s Stakes (G2) and Gordon Stakes (G3), the latter of which saw him bested by just a nose.
“The horse is improving,” said Owen, who was also starting a horse in America for the first time. “He’s not the biggest, but he’s getting stronger all the time, and he’s a very consistent horse. I’m privileged to train him. I haven’t been training long. It’s my third season training and to win this prize is unreal.”
Paired with the legendary Frankie Dettori for his stateside debut, Wimbledon Hawkeye faced a field that included several 3-year-olds with graded credentials on dirt, including the aforementioned Burnham Square, fellow Grade 1 winner Sandman, and Final Gambit, who closed from last to finish fourth in the Kentucky Derby. When he was sent to the front by Dettori in the lane and took command before being engaged by Burnham Square, his proven turf form against some of the top European runners ultimately won out as he reached the wire.
“He’s proven at the distance. He’s proven on the grass. The only thing I was afraid of was that he’s danced every dance,” said Dettori, who won last year’s Nashville Derby with another British invader in Bellum Justum. “He’s been going since April … then traveling across the pond. I was hoping that he would come here with his A game. But the team did a good job. He was in full form. He jumped decent. I managed to get him in a good spot. Half the field had only run on the dirt, so I knew I had a little bit of an advantage on them.”
Sent off as the 2-1 choice against his 11 rivals, Wimbledon Hawkeye had the challenge of his outside post rear itself when he was hung wide around the first turn as longshot King of Ashes led the pack with Tomasello tracking him in second through the opening quarter mile in :24.52. The eventual winner rated three deep down the backstretch alongside Simulate with Burnham Square just to the inside of those two as they reached the half mile in :48.04.
“When I got to the three-eighths, I said, ‘Come and catch me if you can.’ Because I knew I’d get the distance,” Dettori said. “And the only one to come out of the pack was Brian (Hernandez).”
After following along just behind Noble Confessor, Dettori let Wimbledon Hawkeye go approaching the quarter pole and got an ideal response as the colt exploded on the outside into the lead. Just when it appeared he was en route to a handy win, Burnham Square under Brian Hernandez Jr. answered with a massive surge of his own after being angled out into the clear. The two battled stride for stride to the wire with Wimbledon Hawkeye just getting the nod, earning his third career win from 12 starts.
“He came that fast, I thought he was going to pass me,” Dettori said of Burnham Square. “But Wimbledon Hawkeye showed great determination and he kept on fighting to the line. I wasn’t sure. When you get that close, you don’t know.”
Added Hernandez aboard Burnham Square, “When we started surging, I thought we were going to beat him for fun. But he kept coming. I wasn’t sure at the wire, because I was in front of him right before the wire. But then right at the wire, he ended up getting a really good bob. It kind of looked like he got his head right in front of us. You’re proud of the horse for running so well, but at the same time you want to win these kinds of races.”
Final time for the distance was 2:03.74. Wimbledon Hawkeye paid $6.54. Hill Road won a photo for third with Test Score fourth.
Sandman, who was trying turf for the first time, never threatened and came home ninth. Jockey Jose Ortiz said the question of whether he could handle turf was unanswered.
“It’s very hard to say on this course. Some horses like the turf, and they come here, and they like it,” Ortiz said. “I would like to see him on a normal track and give him a shot in the turf. But today he went out there, he was traveling good, but kind of stayed one-paced and didn’t give me any kick.”
Wimbledon Hawkeye improved his record to 3-4-2 in 12 starts, with the $1,109,800 paycheck ballooning his earnings to $1,479,762.
