The 2026 summer meet at Del Mar yielded an impressive roster of 2-year-olds who loom as serious contenders for the 2025 Breeders’ Cup and 2026 Triple Crown.

Fillies like Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante Stakes winner Bottle of Rouge and grass runners like Grade 3 Del Mar Juvenile Turf Stakes conqueror Hey Nay Nay showed promise, but the strongest performances arguably came from dirt males like Brant, Desert Gate, and Boyd.

Looking to catch up on the leading 2-year-olds from Del Mar? Here’s our ranking of the top five “rookies” of the meet:

5. Intrepido

BENOIT photo

Intrepido struggled a bit when debuting in a maiden special weight sprinting 5 ½ furlongs (11/16ths of a mile), finishing fourth. But the caliber of competition was strong; the top two finishers later ran first and third in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity.

The distance may have been a little short for Intrepido. When he stretched out for a one-mile maiden special weight, he improved substantially, dueling through splits of :23.14 and :47.34 before surging away through a final quarter-mile in :24.58 to score by 3 ¼ lengths.

Intrepido’s winning time of 1:35.71 was respectable for a summer juvenile racing around two turns, suggesting this Jeff Mullins trainee has a bright future.

4. Kristofferson

BENOIT photo

Kristofferson is a son of 2016 Grade 1 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist out of a mare by Quality Road, who won four Grade 1 races over distances from one mile to 1 1/8 miles. This is a pedigree geared toward success running at least one mile, yet Kristofferson managed to win his debut sprinting three-quarters of a mile.

Not only did Kristofferson win, he showed impressive speed. He dueled for command through fractions of :22.01 and :44.89 before edging away to score by three-quarters of a length in the excellent time of 1:08.83.

Purchased for a hefty $1.15 million as a yearling, Kristofferson is conditioned by six-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert. Expect to see Kristofferson join the 2025-26 Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve.

3. Boyd

Eclipse Sportswire

Boyd wasn’t quite as expensive as Kristofferson, bringing a final bid of $1.05 million when sold as a 2-year-old in training. But the Baffert-trained colt was every bit as impressive when leading all the way to dominate a 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight by 5 ¾ lengths.

The manner in which Boyd achieved his debut victory was eye-catching. He set blazing fractions of :21.32 and :43.91, then clocked his final three-sixteenths of a mile in a solid :18.88 to cruise across the finish line in 1:02.79.

Boyd’s pedigree is arguably geared a bit more toward speed than two-turn stamina, but whether he turns into a 2026 Triple Crown contender or a top-tier sprinter, it’s clear Boyd has talent.

2. Desert Gate

BENOIT photo

Compared to some of his Bob Baffert-trained stablemates, Desert Gate was a bargain, selling for $260,000 as a 2-year-old in training. But the son of three-time Grade 1 winner Omaha Beach has already accomplished more than most horses ever do.

After winning his debut during the spring meet at Santa Anita Park, Desert Gate stepped up in class for Del Mar’s Grade 3 Best Pal Stakes. Winning couldn’t have been easier – he dueled for the lead and cruised away to score by 8 ¾ lengths, completing three-quarters of a mile in 1:10.37.

Unfortunately, Desert Gate didn’t enjoy a clean trip when making his Grade 1 debut in the Del Mar Futurity. He stumbled at the start and got squeezed between rivals, dropping back to fifth place. Despite the unexpected change in tactics, Desert Gate didn’t give up and rallied to finish second by one length to our top rookie below.

With a trouble-free journey, perhaps Desert Gate could have won the Futurity. He remains one of the top juveniles from the Del Mar meet.

1. Brant

Eclipse Sportswire

By virtue of his 2-for-2 record and triumph in the Del Mar Futurity, Baffert’s Brant ranks as the top two-year-old from the Del Mar summer meet. It’s fitting for a colt who brought a $3 million final bid when sold as a 2-year-old in training to Amr Zedan, who also owns Boyd.

Brant made headlines with his runaway win in a 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight early in the meet. He tracked fast fractions of :21.56 and :44.78 in third place before taking over to beat a strong field (including Intrepido) by 5 ¼ lengths in 1:02.63. As of this writing, the 101 Beyer Speed Figure Brant received is the highest number posted by any juvenile in 2025.

Brant followed up with a strong effort in the seven-furlong Del Mar Futurity. This time, he raced to the front through splits of :21.88 and :44.53 before turning back Desert Gate to prevail by one length in the snappy time of 1:21.92.

As a son of 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner, Brant has the potential to excel in two-turn races. The 2026 Triple Crown is a viable long-term goal.