Not every talented racehorse winds up competing in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve at Churchill Downs. There are many reasons why. Some horses mature too soon, or too late, to compete on the first Saturday in May. Others prefer to race at a different distance or surface than the Kentucky Derby’s 1 1/4 miles on dirt.

Only time will tell if Hullabaloo Ray Ray is cut out for success in the Kentucky Derby. He’s a son of 2021 champion male sprinter Jackie’s Warrior out of the Congrats mare Applauding, which is a pedigree arguably geared toward sprints and mile races rather than 1 1/4 miles.

But the first requisite for competing in the Kentucky Derby is talent. You don’t qualify to compete in the run for the roses if you lack racing ability. And based on the performance Hullabaloo Ray Ray delivered in a maiden special weight at Belmont Park on Saturday, he has talent in spades.

Coming off a runner-up finish in his Sept. 7 debut at Saratoga, Hullabaloo Ray Ray started as the heavy favorite at Belmont and ran to expectations. With jockey Jose Lezcano in the saddle for trainer Tom Proctor, Hullabaloo Ray Ray raced a close second through quarter-mile fractions of :23.15 and :46.05 before finishing fast to win by 4 1/4 lengths.

Since the early pace was modest, Hullabaloo Ray Ray finished fast down the homestretch. According to the Equibase GPS result chart, he blazed his final quarter-mile in :23.22 to reach the finish line in 1:15.27 for 6 ½ furlongs. For comparison, 2-year-old fillies racing about an hour later required 1:16.00 to complete the same distance, even though they benefited from much quicker pace fractions (:22.04 and :45.37).

Hullabaloo Ray Ray’s eye-catching maiden victory has earned him the #10 slot in the latest Rookie Rankings, which are based on potential to win the 2027 Kentucky Derby. He replaces unbeaten Grade 1 Spendthrift Farm Hopeful Stakes winner The Good Life, who is currently out of training.

Here’s how the latest Rookie Rankings shape up:

1. U. S. S. Valor: He’s skipping the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Presented by TAA, which isn’t an issue since only six Juvenile starters have won the Kentucky Derby since the Breeders’ Cup debuted in 1984.

Owner: Team Valor International

Trainer: Shug McGaughey

Last Race: 1st, Grade 1 Champagne Stakes, Oct. 3

Hughes wins American Pharoah (Eclipse Sportswire)

2. Hughes: If Hughes wins the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, he’ll have compiled a 2-year-old season virtually identical to that of Nyquist, the last horse to complete the Juvenile-Kentucky Derby double in 2015-’16.

Owner: Front Row Club, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Bashor Racing, Albaugh Family Stables, Robert E. Masterson, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Last Race: 1st, Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes presented by DK Horse, Oct. 3

3. Coach Pope: Assuming he bounces out of the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity in good shape, Coach Pope will target the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Owner: Gainesway Stable, Shamrock Stables, and Michael J. Mackin

Trainer: Kenny McPeek

Last Race: 2nd, Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity, Oct. 3

4. Mystik Bayou: It’s difficult to predict where Mystik Bayou will race next, but the Nov. 28 Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes could be a logical longer-term goal.

Owner: Four G Racing, Lance Gasaway, and Daniel Hamby III

Trainer: Kenny McPeek

Last Race: 1st, Maiden Special Weight, Oct. 3

5. Endrush: Hasn’t posted a timed workout since winning his first race on Sept. 10, though time off at this point on the path to the Derby isn’t necessarily a negative.

Owner: Green Lantern Stables

Trainer: Eddie Kenneally

Last Race: 1st, Maiden Special Weight, Sept. 10

Q B Rocket wins Aug. 15 race at Saratoga (Coglianese Photos)

6. Q B Rocket: You have to admire how hard he tried when setting a fast pace in the Breeders’ Futurity, but how far does he want to run? We’ll need to see more before drawing conclusions.

Owner: Spendthrift Farm and Frank Fletcher Racing Operations

Trainer: Brad Cox

Last Race: 3rd, Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity, Oct. 3

7. American History: Two of the last four champion 2-year-old males have been Breeders’ Futurity winners trained by Todd Pletcher. Can American History make it three in five years?

Owner: WinStar Farm, First Go Racing, and CHC

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Last Race: 1st, Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity, Oct. 3

8. Gaudreau: How far does Gaudreau want to run? Sire Nyquist won the Kentucky Derby but dam (mother) Free Cover was best as a sprinter, so it’s difficult to say.

Owner: Tanglewood Thoroughbreds, Thirty Year Racing, Bradley Thoroughbreds, Rodeo Creek Racing, Laura Leigh Stable, and Swift Thoroughbreds

Trainer: Chad Brown

Last Race: 2nd, Grade 1 Champagne Stakes, Oct. 3

9. Salahudin: Worked five furlongs in 1:01.40 on Oct. 5. Will he opt to start in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile? If not, the Grade 3 Street Sense Stakes Oct. 25  is a logical possibility.

Owner: Zedan Racing Stables

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Last Race: 1st, Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes, Sept. 12

10. Hullabaloo Ray Ray: The fast finish he unleashed in his maiden win suggests he’ll stretch out to at least one mile … perhaps farther.

Owner: Glen Hill Farm

Trainer: Tom Proctor

Last Race: 1st, Maiden Special Weight, Oct. 10