A Maiden Winning the Kentucky Derby? It Might Not Be So Far-Fetched

In the week leading up to the 2025 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, you will frequently hear the term “maiden” in connection with Arkansas Derby runner-up Publisher. The bay 3-year-old colt by 2025 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah is on target to start in the first jewel of the Triple Crown May 3 at Churchill Downs and is, in fact, a maiden.

In literature, a maiden typically refers to a young girl or an unmarried woman, but in horse racing parlance, the term “maiden” has a different meaning. Maiden simply refers to a horse that has not yet won a race, and maiden races are restricted to horses that have never won a race. Non-winners in horse racing mostly compete against other non-winners.