By Jill Williams
It's a tall order to go from a maiden sprint to a two-turn graded race, but Wathnan Racing's Leading Change (c, 3, Gun Runner–Starship Warpspeed, by Congrats) did it with aplomb, staying unbeaten with a score in Saturday's GIII Indiana Derby at Horseshoe Indianapolis.
“He's a nice colt that's lightly raced, just had the one run,” said winning trainer Brad Cox. “Big ask here today. It was definitely a bit of an unknown with going straight from a maiden race to a Grade III for a 3-year-old, running against seasoned horses. But he showed that he's got a lot of class and talent.”
Did he ever. Named a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' and given a 92 Beyer Speed Figure on his June 7 debut at Churchill Downs going seven furlongs, the half-brother to GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) showed he was something special from the start. Incidentally, he had been entered in a maiden race at Keeneland last October, but came up with an injury which put an end to his 2-year-old campaign before it started.
What gave Cox the confidence to go straight from a maiden to a graded race with a 3-year-old? His occasional work partner might have had something to do with it.
“[He] worked a few times against Commandment, held his own. His work last week [four furlongs in :47 4/5 (8/94) at Churchill on July 4] with Commandment was a really good move. When you have other horses in the barn, you can test them and they can sometimes give you a line.”
Commandment (Into Mischief), of course, is also owned by Wathnan Racing and captured the GI Curlin Florida Derby and GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes this spring, as well as finished second in the GI Belmont Stakes last month.
Last to load Saturday, Leading Change broke from the outside and, as the dust settled, came away with a tracking spot just off the outside flank of Delaware Derby runner-up Out of the Woods (Constitution). Those two put daylight on the field before the :23.40 first quarter while Leading Change continued to track from second and the rest of the field bunched up three or four lengths behind them. Leading Change collared Out of the Woods three furlongs from home, edging in front as last-out GIII Matt Winn second Our Moneyman (Mr. Money) mounted a fresh attack from the outside. The bay held sway, dispensing of Out of the Woods while holding off Our Moneyman by a neck at the wire in a game effort. Out of the Woods finished two lengths back in third.
“It looked like he had the horse on the lead measured,” said Cox. “He stayed on well to dig down that last bit, keep his head in front, show his talent, his class, his determination.”
Cox wasn't ready to commit to a next target for Leading Change after the Indiana Derby, but indicated one of the major late summer Grade I races for 3-year-olds will be under consideration.
Pedigree Notes:
Despite just six crops to race, including current 2-year-olds, Gun Runner is firmly entrenched among the nation's elite sires. He's currently third on the general sires list, while Leading Charge marks his 40th graded winner and 60th black-type winner. The Three Chimneys stallion and 2017 Horse of the Year has 12 stakes winners–eight graded–thus far in 2026. His top runners of the first half of the year include Leading Change's fellow 'Rising Stars' in GI Kentucky Oaks winner Always a Runner and GI Toyota Blue Grass Stakes winner Further Ado.
Leading Change is the first stakes winner for broodmare sire Congrats by Gun Runner, but his 43 black-type winners out of his daughters include global superstar Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) and Leading Change's half-sister Shedaresthedevil, who won a pair of additional Grade I races after the Oaks. Starship Warpspeed has also produced Star of Wonder (Uncle Mo), a stakes winner in Saudi Arabia who was third in the 2025 GIII Pimlico Special, and GSP Mojovation (Quality Road). Leading Change is Starship Warpspeed's last reported foal.
#8 LEADING CHANGE under @iradortiz wins the $300,000 Indiana Derby (G3) over Our Moneyman.
The winner is by @Three_Chimneys Gun Runner and is a half-brother to 2020 Kentucky Oaks heroine Shedaresthedevil. @bradcoxracing trains the unbeaten colt. pic.twitter.com/C6a7APNQW8
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) July 11, 2026
Saturday, Horseshoe Indianapolis
INDIANA DERBY-GIII, $300,000, Horseshoe Indianapolis, 7-11, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:41.36, ft.
1–LEADING CHANGE, 118, c, 3, by Gun Runner
1st Dam: Starship Warpspeed, by Congrats
2nd Dam: Andria's Forest, by Forestry
3rd Dam: Andriana B., by Far North
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($800,000
Ylg '24 KEESEP). O-Wathnan Racing; B-WinStar Farm, LLC
(KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $178,200. 'TDN Rising
Star, presented by Hagyard' Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0,
$246,696. *1/2 to Mojovation (Quality Road), GSP,
$375,988; 1/2 to Star of Wonder (Uncle Mo), SW-KSA,
GSP-USA, $419,347; 1/2 to Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil),
MGISW, $2,777,458. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free
Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Our Moneyman, 118, c, 3, Mr. Money–Lipstick Junky, by
Flatter. O/B-Allied Racing Stable, LLC (LA); T-W. Bret
Calhoun. $59,400.
3–Out of the Woods, 124, g, 3, Constitution–Sensitive, by
Divine Park. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($50,000 Ylg '24
FTKOCT; $325,000 2yo '25 OBSAPR). O-Little Red Feather
Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Panic Stable LLC and William
Strauss; B-Daniel Burke & Kathleen Burke Schweizer (KY);
T-Philip D'Amato. $32,670.
Margins: NK, 2, 1 3/4. Odds: 0.50, 3.70, 10.60.
Also Ran: Zihnal, Mister T, Creole Chrome. Scratched: Bricklin, Desert Gate, Lighter.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs.
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