Leading Change Confirmed His Star Potential with a Dominant Performance in the Indiana Derby
- Turf Diario
- Jul 13
- 2 min read
Entering the race with the sole credential of a debut victory, the brilliantly bred son of Gun Runner stepped into the spotlight at Horseshoe Indianapolis to deliver a performance that stamped him as an elite prospect
SHELBYVILLE, Indiana (Special for Turf Diario).— Making just the second start of his racing career, Leading Change fully validated the immense expectations surrounding him by capturing the Indiana Derby (G3-1700m, dirt, $300,000). The talented colt prevailed by a neck over the seasoned Our Moneyman to cement his position as one of the rising forces in the American sophomore crop.
The son of Gun Runner, conditioned by Brad Cox for the silks of Wathnan Racing, handled a massive step up in class following a striking 6 1/2-length debut victory at Churchill Downs and answered the call brilliantly in his stakes debut.
"There were plenty of question marks because it was only his second start, but his morning works alongside Commandment (Into Mischief) gave us a lot of confidence. Having horses of that caliber in the barn allows you to gauge them and really know where they stand," Cox explained.
Guided by Irad Ortiz Jr., Leading Change broke from an outside post position and quickly found an ideal stalking position just behind the leaders. Following fractions of 23.40s, 46.42s, and 1m10.16s, he made his move upon entering the homestretch to look Out of the Woods (Constitution) in the eye, while Our Moneyman (Mr. Money)—who had missed the break and trailed early—launched a powerful rally down the center of the track.
The two locked horns in an intense duel over the final yards, but Leading Change displayed a level of maturity uncommon for such an inexperienced colt and dug deep to repel his rival's surge, covering the 1,700 meters in a final time of 1m41.36s.
"I'm very happy to see him in the winner's circle. We have always loved him in the mornings and from day one we thought he was a different kind of horse," Ortiz remarked.
The triumph fully justified the $800,000 investment made by Wathnan Racing at the 2024 Keeneland sales. The colt had been entered to debut last year, but a bone bruise forced a delay to his racing unveiling—a decision that now looks entirely correct.
"Now we can start to dream a bit. It's very exciting to secure a graded stakes win in just his second start, and we hope he has a long campaign ahead," noted racing manager Case Clay.
For Cox, the immediate future points even higher: "He showed class, determination, and plenty of heart when he had to fight all the way to the wire. We believe he is a top-level horse," stated the trainer, who mentioned the Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga or the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) at Parx Racing as potential long-term objectives.
Bred by WinStar Farm, Leading Change became the eighth graded stakes winner of the season for Gun Runner. Furthermore, he boasts a high-quality pedigree as a half-brother to Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil), the champion mare who handed Brad Cox his first Kentucky Oaks (G1) victory—a detail that further fuels the illusion that the Indiana Derby winner has only just begun to scratch the surface of his true potential.
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