Pavlovian

Pavlovian, a J. Paul Reddam homebred son of his Grade 1 winner Pavel, finished second in his debut during May 2025 and then won his second start in a five-furlong sprint at Santa Anita Park by a rallying half-length. The colt then finished a distant second to Desert Gate in start number three and his stakes debut, the Grade 3 Best Pal Stakes at Del Mar, before moving back into restricted company and starting in five consecutive stakes for California-breds, where he finished second once and third once. His final start from that five-race string came in his 3-year-old debut, where Pavlovian made up some ground late to check in third in the California Chrome Cal Cup Derby Jan. 17, 2026, at Santa Anita Park.

Trainer Doug O’Neill entered Pavlovian in the Feb. 15 Sunland Park Derby, which was a Kentucky Derby qualifying points race. O’Neill added blinkers on Pavlovian and the colt stayed closer to the early pace than in his prior races, sitting just behind frontrunning favorite and Remington Springboard Mile Stakes winner Express Kid. Entering the stretch of the 1 1/16-mile Sunland Park Derby, Pavlovian moved up under jockey Edwin Maldonado and battled gamely with Express Kid to the finish, prevailing by a nose. He earned 20 qualifying points to the May 2 Kentucky Derby with the victory.

Pavlovian's next start came in another Kentucky Derby prep race in the Grade 2 $1 million Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby going 1 3/16 miles at Fair Grounds on March 21, 2026. In the Louisiana Derby, Pavlovian set a pressured pace throughout and gamely battled through the stretch run only to get caught by a head by Emerging Market when outrunning 21.70-1 odds for second in the nine-horse field. Pavlovian earned another 50 Derby qualifying points for his runner-up finish for a total of 70 which gets him into the field for the run for the roses.

Pavlovian is out of the winning Bellamy Road mare Mandy’s Grace, and his second dam is multiple Grade 2 winner Magicalmysterycat, by Storm Cat.