While Kentucky Oaks day has just a single Midlantic-bred in action in stakes company, Saturday is a different story.

Churchill Downs will host the most biggest day in American racing on Saturday, and the spotlight won’t be limited to the Kentucky Derby itself. Several top-class horses bred in the Mid-Atlantic region will be competing across the stakes-packed card, showcasing the quality bloodstock emerging from Maryland, Virginia, and New Jersey.

These horses, bred by respected regional operations, will take on some of the sport’s biggest names under the Twin Spires. Here’s a closer look at these regional standouts, ordered by their race number on Derby Day.

The first to step onto the stage is New King, a Maryland-bred colt entered in Race 4, the $200,000 Knicks Go Stakes at one mile. Bred by 2500 Determined Stud and sired by Into Mischief out of Hollywood Royal (by Distorted Humor), New King was bred by Determined Stud.

Trained by Brittany T. Russell, Maryland’s leading conditioner, and ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., the $700,000 yearling purchase races for SF Racing, LLC and is 12-1 on the morning line. With only seven starts under his belt, he owns two wins and one second for earnings of $95,860. Despite a disappointing effort in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap, he rebounded with a strong runner-up finish to stablemate Worcester in Laurel Park’s Whiteley Stakes last out. Russell is seeking her first-ever victory at Churchill.

Moving to Race 8, Mindframe (3-1) represents another strong Maryland-bred entrant in the Grade 1 Churchill Downs Stakes at seven furlongs. This dark bay or brown colt, bred by the late R. Larry Johnson, is by Constitution out of Walk of Stars, a daughter of Street Sense. A lightly raced but highly talented four-year-old trained by Todd Pletcher and owned by Repole Stable, Mindframe has three wins and two seconds from five starts, earning $767,640.

After finishing second in both the Grade 1 Belmont and Grade 1 Haskell as a three-year-old, he returned in 2025 with a convincing win in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile. Irad Ortiz Jr. retains the mount as Mindframe looks to secure his first Grade 1 victory. His female family also includes multiple graded stakes winner Future Is Now, underscoring the depth of his pedigree.

Sharing that same race is New Jersey-bred Book’em Danno, a dark bay or brown gelding sired by Bucchero out of Adorabella (by Ghostzapper), bred by Gregory J. Kilka and Bright View Farm. Racing for Atlantic Six Racing, LLC and trained by Derek S. Ryan, he boasts an impressive record of seven wins and three second-place finishes from twelve starts, banking $1,098,125.

Already a Grade 1 winner at this distance after capturing the Woody Stephens last summer, Book’em Danno returned in 2025 with a win at Colonial Downs, reinforcing his affinity for seven furlongs. Paco Lopez will be in the irons for a runner who has never been worse than third in five tries at the trip.

Finally, Race 11 features Gigante, a Virginia-bred standout set to contest the Grade 1 Turf Classic at 1 1/8 miles on the grass. Bred by Ann Mudge Backer and her Smitten Farm, Gigante is by Not This Time out of Summertime Green, a daughter of Empire Maker. He made headlines by winning the first-ever Secretariat Stakes held in Virginia, Secretariat’s home state.

The now five-year-old horse has eight wins and two seconds from 21 starts, with career earnings of $1,249,400. Most recently, he just missed victory in the Muniz Memorial at the Fair Grounds.

Gigante will be ridden by Joel Rosario and is trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen for new owners L and N Racing, LLC and Clark Brewster, who purchased him for $610,000 in January but opted to keep him with his longtime conditioner. His breeder, Ann Mudge Backer, is the widow of the late advertising legend Bill Backer, and their Smitten Farm had been one of Virginia’s most prominent breeding operations.

These Midlantic-breds will look to strike some blows for regional breeders.