Universe

Universe delivered a dominant debut win Aug. 30, 2025, at Saratoga Race Course, where he proved much the best in a 4 ½-length runaway victory at seven-eighths of a mile.

The bay Global Campaign colt made his stakes debut for trainer Ken McPeek in the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes Oct. 4 at Belmont at the Big A and finished a distant third. He followed with a third-place finish in the Street Sense Stakes Oct. 26 at Churchill Downs. Universe's next start for trainer Kenny McPeek was a fast-finishing second at Churchill in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes Nov. 29, beaten by 1 3/4 length by highly regarded Further Ado.

Universe began his 3-year-old campaign in 2026 with a seventh-place finish in the $250,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn Park and then with a fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 $500,000 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds. The superfecta finish in the Risen Star was enough to earn him 10 more qualifying points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve. These points, in addition to the points he earned as a 2-year-old raised his point total to 23. 

Universe finished fourth in a nine-horse field in the Grade 2 $1 million Louisiana Derby going 1 3/16 miles at Fair Grounds on March 21. The race netted Universe another 15 qualifying points bringing his total to 38 in his hunt for a spot in the starting gate for the run for the roses.

From the second crop of Grade 1 winner Global Campaign, Universe was produced by the Quality Road mare Equalityforall.