Welcome to Kentucky Derby Prospect Profiles, where we take a look each week at a recent winner on the Road to the Derby schedule of races that offer qualifying points for the 1 ¼-mile first leg of the Triple Crown May 2, 2026, at Churchill Downs.

This week, we take a closer look at Paladin, the two-length winner of the $250,000 Remsen Stakes Dec. 6 at Aqueduct to bank 10 points and rise to eighth on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.

Racing Résumé: A $1.9 million yearling purchase, Paladin won his career debut via disqualification on Oct. 17, 2025 at the Belmont at the Big A meet when Renegade bumped him near the finish line in a one-mile maiden special weight race. There was a vocal contingent on social media that disagreed with the stewards’ decision, but the duo was 5 ¼ lengths clear of the third-place finisher and the way they finished was evidence that both Paladin and Renegade were quality 2-year-olds.

Paladin completed his final eighth of a mile in :11.94 and his final quarter-mile in :23.98, strong finishing fractions for a 2-year-old in his debut.

The Remsen provided further evidence that both Paladin and Renegade are talented 2-year-olds as they again ran one-two in the 1 1/8-mile stakes and this time there was no need to take it to the judges. After stalking the pace from third, Paladin was passed while behind horses approaching the final turn by Renegade, who got the jump on his familiar foe under Irad Ortiz Jr. Jockey Flavien Prat angled his mount seven wide and moved to the outside flank of Renegade entering the stretch. Paladin proved best Dec. 6 at Aqueduct with a final eighth of a mile in :12.72, not as fast as his debut but encouraging nonetheless give he was just 2 ½ lengths behind a solid opening half-mile in :47.47 while stretching out an additional eighth of a mile.

“He was traveling well behind horses, but as soon as I tipped him out, he got going,” Prat said. “A good move. It is that time of the year when you start dreaming. There is still a long way to go. A lot of tests to answer, but today was a good race.”

After the Remsen, trainer Chad Brown said Paladin sustained a noticeable cut on a hind pastern and also lost a front shoe, so he was pleased the colt was able to overcome adversity in victory.

Speed Figures: Paladin improved his Equibase Speed Figure from an 81 to a 92 in the Remsen, while his Beyer Speed Figure dipped slightly from an 87 in his debut win to an 85 for the Remsen. He will need to run faster as a 3-year-old but the speed figures were solid for a juvenile stretching out to 1 1/8 miles in only his second race.

Running Style: After pressing the pace in his debut, Paladin rated kindly for Prat in the Remsen and waited to be given his cue before launching his winning rally. It would not have been a surprise to see him become impatient when passed by Renegade on the final turn, but he responded when asked and looked professional in his second race. The fact that he can use his tactical speed to gain early position and is adaptable should serve him well on the Derby trail.

Pedigree Notes: Like Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes winner Further Ado (last week’s profile), Paladin is by Gun Runner, the 2017 Horse of the Year who was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 2024. The leading freshman sire of 2021 and leading second- and third-crop sire of 2022 and 2023, Gun Runner counts 2024 Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Sierra Leone among his many standouts. Other Grade 1 winners around two turns include 2021 champion 2-year-old filly Echo Zulu, 2022 Preakness winner Early Voting, and 2025 NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Super Corredora.

Paladin was produced by unraced Secret Sigh, by stamina influence Tapit. Paladin’s grandam (maternal grandmother) is multiple graded stakes winner and multiple stakes producer India, by Hennessy. The family has produced Grade/Group 1 winners Rahy’s Attorney, Mozu Ascot, To Honor and Serve, La Cara, and Angela Renee.

Derby Potential: Paladin’s initial foray on the 2026 Kentucky Derby trail was productive if not especially flashy. In his stakes debut, he showed the ability to rate behind horses in an 11-horse field, capably handled an additional eighth of a mile against much better competition, and overcame adversity while sustaining a cut and losing a shoe. All of that is indicative of a strong mind to complement his natural ability.

“I like the fact that not only did we secure some Kentucky Derby points today, we also got a good education,” Brown said. “The horse sat in the pocket and took dirt for most of the way. He was able to pause and move around horses and get that two-turn race into him as a 2-year-old. I think that’s going to serve him well for the future.”

Indeed, Paladin looks like colt capable of handling 1 ¼ miles with significant room for improvement. Brown will ship him to Payson Park in Florida, where he will prepare for his 3-year-old season and should be a major factor on the Kentucky Derby trail.