Wimbledon Hawkeye Edges Burnham Square in Thrilling Nashville Derby Photo Finish

Franklin, KY - In a nail-biting climax to the 12th running of the Grade III DK Horse Nashville Derby Invitational Stakes at Kentucky Downs on Saturday, Wimbledon Hawkeye, trained by James Owen and piloted by Frankie Dettori, surged late to collar Burnham Square by a nose at the wire.

The son of Kameko paid $7.00 on the tote and covered the one-and-five-sixteenths-mile turf course in 2:02.31 under perfect firm footing. Burnham Square, sent off at 6/1, gamely battled down the stretch but was left to settle for second, earning $700,000 of the $3.5 million purse.

Canadian shipper Test Score finished third, three lengths behind the leading duo, good for $350,000, while Chad Brown’s Iron Hand completed the superfecta in fourth, adding $245,000 to his connections’ bankroll.

The feature attracted a competitive field of 12 three-year-olds, including European invaders and established American turf specialists. Dettori’s winning mount had been a 7/2 morning line favorite, and justified that support with a perfectly timed ride, saving ground around the far turn before diving through a narrow opening to secure his first graded stake victory on American soil.

“This was an ultra-tough renewal of the Nashville Derby, and Frankie gave him a picture-perfect ride,” said Owen. “We always believed his turf pedigree would serve him well, and he showed a real will to win today.”

With the triumph, Wimbledon Hawkeye not only pockets $2,205,000 but also secures an automatic berth into the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint Challenge Series later this year. The Kentucky Downs meeting concludes Sunday with turf sprints and the Ladies Turf Stakes on the undercard.