Walsh believes he has a potential star with Special Wan in Distaff Turf Mile

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Brendan Walsh trains Kentucky Derby hope East Avenue, and sure, it must feel amazing to have a Derby horse who’s physically imposing, fast, and, some would say, a sleeper. But it’s hardly like Walsh can sleepwalk through the rest of the weekend. Walsh has six entrants on Kentucky Oaks Day, four in graded stakes, and East Avenue’s one of his six entrants Saturday. Walsh has action in three Grade 1 stakes and in the Grade 2, $750,000 Distaff Turf Mile he runs perhaps his most obvious stakes chance of the weekend, Special Wan.

Special Wan (“wan,” like Walsh, is Irish – shorthand for “woman”) might be a 5-year-old but she’s raced only eight times, all but three of those starts in America, comes off her best showing since being imported – a decisive victory March 1 in the Grade 3 Honey Fox at Gulfstream – with a chance to ascend this summer to the Grade 1 level in middle-distance filly-and-mare turf races.

“I feel like if she runs the same as last time, she’s going to be very competitive, and if she makes another step, which I think she can, she really should be,” Walsh said.

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The Distaff Turf Mile springboards its top performers into the Grade 1 Just a Game the day before the Belmont Stakes, and Walsh hopes Special Wan emerges as that kind of horse. She’s on her way. She campaigns for Team Valor International and Steven Rocco, purchased privately after her 2-year-old campaign of 2023. Special Wan turned into a proper horse at age 3, coming close to winning a pair of Group 3s, hitting a good mark, 109, on Timeform ratings. She came to America for the Kentucky Downs meeting and looked more dominant winning a first-level allowance than her three-quarter-length margin of victory.

Special Wan, Luis Saez named to ride, drew the outside post among 10 entrants, though the status of Pin Up Betty remained uncertain mid-week. Connections have the filly cross-entered in the Modesty here Friday, and trainer Mike Maker, while hinting the Distaff Turf Mile might be his preferred spot, still was conferring with owner Kirk Wycoff.

While the morning line has Special Wan favored at 5-2 over 3-1 Sacred Wish, favoritism could fall either direction. Sacred Wish has accomplished far more than Special Wan, winning the Grade 1 Matriarch late last year and banking more than $1.1 million during her career. She runs back on relatively short rest following a solid fourth-place finish April 12 in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland, finishing behind three horses who’d last started in Europe, all a class above most of Saturday’s competition. The performance pleased trainer George Weaver, who doesn’t think Sacred Wish loves the Keeneland turf.

“I thought she performed pretty well considering what I thought going into the race,” Weaver said. “I normally don’t run the good horses back in three weeks, but she’s one who can handle it. She’s hearty and sound.”

Chad Brown has trained the last four winners of this race but holds a weaker hand this year. Venencia and Tax Implications, both 5-year-olds, remain second-level allowance eligible, and while Tax Implications has hit a higher mark and looks significantly more likely to factor, neither mare can make her own race.

“With both horses, it’s going to come down to pace,” Brown said.

Precious little of it has shown up in the Distaff Turf Mile, another reason to favor Special Wan. She will race forwardly under Saez, who nearly always makes good use of his mounts’ speed. While Special Wan can lead, Walsh suggested she is happier with a target. That’s what happened in the Honey Fox, and when Special Wan blasted home with a 45.55 final half-mile, no one came close to catching her.

Movin’ On Up could serve as that target for Special Wan. Serene Seraph, Five Towns, and Simply In Front aren’t bad, but none can win without a considerable forward move. Poolside With Slim rates a stronger chance. She rallied into third in the Honey Fox and finished a creditable fifth in the Jenny Wiley, and she can stick closer to the pace than in either of those races.

Poolside With Slim was bred in Ireland. So was Brendan Walsh, and the Irish import he trains could be the one for the Distaff Turf Mile.

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