Tales from the Crib: Burnham Square

Apr 30, 2025 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

Burnham Square plays behind mom Linda (Photo courtesy of Denise Dillon/Maple Lane Farm)

Burnham Square plays behind mom Linda (Photo courtesy of Denise Dillon/Maple Lane Farm)

In a racing industry featuring global empires and giant commercial operations, 93-year-old Janis Whitham keeps producing major winners from her small group of broodmares. Her third-generation homebred Burnham Square is the latest success story for Whitham Thoroughbreds, raising hopes that he could be the one to win an elusive Kentucky Derby (G1) trophy.

A descendant of Kansas pioneers, Whitham still resides in the town of Leoti. A couple of her famous homebreds were named after Kansas locales – $4.4 million-earner Fort Larned, the hero of the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), and 2016 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) winner McCraken, her only previous Derby runner, who finished eighth in the 2017 Run for the Roses.

Fort Larned is a grandson of Hall of Fame racemare Bayakoa, an Argentine import campaigned by Janis and her late husband, Frank. Twice voted U.S. champion older female, Bayakoa won 13 Grade 1s stateside including consecutive runnings of the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) in 1989-90. Her other high-profile descendants for the Whitham family include multiple Grade 1-winning millionaire Affluent, and more recently, multiple Grade 3 scorer Walkathon, who joined millionaires’ row in 2024.

Burnham Square comes from a different female line long nurtured by Janis and her son, Clay, who is integrally involved in Whitham Thoroughbreds. In 1992, they acquired Listen Well, a young daughter of Triple Crown record-smasher Secretariat, for $150,000 at Keeneland November. The gray mare would become the great-grandmother (third dam) of Burnham Square.

When Listen Well toured the sales ring, she was carrying her first foal. That filly turned out to be multiple Grade 1 winner Listening, who gave her connections a sentimental victory in the 1996 Bayakoa H. (G2) at old Hollywood Park.

Burnham Square descends from Listen Well’s other graded-winning daughter, Beautiful Noise, also a gray. By 1983 Kentucky Derby winner Sunny’s Halo, Beautiful Noise spent most of her career on turf. She scored her signature win in the 2001 Santa Ana H. (G2) and placed in seven stakes, notably missing by just a half-length in the Gamely H. (G1).

As a broodmare, Beautiful Noise produced one stakes winner – the gray Linda, Burnham Square’s mother. She likewise found her true home on turf, and her stakes coup came in the 2016 Mrs. Revere (G2) at Churchill Downs. The same day that McCraken competed in the Kentucky Derby, Linda placed third in the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile (G2). She ultimately retired with $407,310 in earnings.

Linda is a daughter of Scat Daddy, the same stallion who sired Triple Crown star Justify. She’s compiled a perfect record so far as a producer, with all four of her starters winning. Two of them, Hatched and Lindsey, are by fellow Whitham homebreds Fort Larned and McCraken, respectively.

After visiting successful sire Liam’s Map, Linda foaled a high-octane baby on April 9, 2022, at Steve Conboy’s Maple Lane Farm in the Bluegrass. He might have been expected to be gray like both of his parents, but instead, little Burnham Square was bay.

Burnham Square as a newborn

Burnham Square as a newborn (Photo courtesy of Denise Dillon/Maple Lane Farm)

Burnham Square took after Linda in a more substantive way, by inheriting her character and temperament.

“I would have to say he has a lot of his mother in him,” said Denise Dillon, the Maple Lane manager. “From the time he was born, he was an intense guy and was always very guarded with everything. He was very strong-headed and determined, which I believe is on display when he is racing.”

Burnham Square says hello (Photo courtesy of Denise Dillon/Maple Lane Farm)

Burnham Square says hello (Photo courtesy of Denise Dillon/Maple Lane Farm)

Burnham Square prepares for takeoff (Photo courtesy of Denise Dillon/Maple Lane Farm)

Burnham Square prepares for takeoff (Photo courtesy of Denise Dillon/Maple Lane Farm)

Burnham Square enjoys running as a foal (Photo courtesy of Denise Dillon/Maple Lane Farm)

Burnham Square enjoys running (Photo courtesy of Denise Dillon/Maple Lane Farm)

In keeping with the Whithams’ admirable philosophy of continuity, Burnham Square followed the tried and true path for their youngsters. He went to school at Lambholm South in Riddick, Florida, a farm steeped in history going back more than half a century. Its list of training center alumni reads like a “Who’s Who,” led by Hall of Famers Personal Ensign and Azeri.

Burnham Square was named for a quilting pattern, but his personality wasn’t exactly one of tranquil domesticity. His strong-willed nature had to be contained and directed in the appropriate way. He ended up being gelded before he began his racing career, which wasn’t necessarily a difficult decision. As Clay Whitham told Blood-Horse and Daily Racing Form, Burnham Square did not come across as an exciting prospect in his youth.

Neither did Burnham Square hint of anything special for trainer Ian Wilkes, who also conditioned mom Linda, McCraken, and Fort Larned. He didn’t record his first published work at Churchill Downs until August, and he debuted in a $150,000 maiden claiming sprint at Keeneland.

By rattling home for a close second as a 30-1 longshot, Burnham Square revealed that maybe he had more to offer than first thought. Wilkes wouldn’t risk losing him in a claiming race again. Burnham Square then stretched out to 1 1/16 miles in a maiden special weight at Churchill, where he kicked into gear too late and finished a hard-charging third.

The gelding was sabotaging his chances with the way he was acting in his races, and Wilkes thought that adding blinkers could be the solution. The effect was immediately transformative.

In the new headgear, Burnham Square crushed his next maiden race at Gulfstream Park, actually going to the lead early and romping by nine lengths. His effort propelled him onto the Road to the Kentucky Derby in the Holy Bull (G3), and he improved again. Securing good position, Burnham Square drove to a 1 3/4-length decision over subsequent Florida Derby (G1) winner Tappan Street.

Wilkes has described Burnham Square’s progress from unheralded two-year-old to Derby contender. Here’s a collection of his comments to Gulfstream publicity this winter:

“He’s a plain ol’ horse. We just let him come along. When we worked him, he worked good. But did we like him off the bat? No. We didn’t know what we had. We just let him come along and he started working good. I ran him for (a $150,000 claiming tag) first time out. He ran awfully good and surprised us, and just got better and better from there.

“I wouldn’t have run him for $150,000 (in the claiming race). I would never have taken that shot. He’s just got better as I ran him. He got better and a little better. I’m very happy with what he’s done, but if I told you I knew he was something good before I ran him, I’m lying.”

Wilkes also provided insight into why Burnham Square needed blinkers: “He did everything wrong” in his first two starts.

“He just was making mistakes in his races. He wouldn’t help the jockey. He wouldn’t go near horses, wouldn’t run into the dirt. He wouldn’t do anything until down the lane.

“I put blinkers on, and they’ve helped him get a little more focus and they’ve helped him get into the race.

“The key is the blinkers. I had to put the blinkers on because he wasn’t helping me at all. I had to help him.”

Although Burnham Square regressed to fourth in the Fountain of Youth (G2), he roared back with a last-to-first coup in the Blue Grass (G1) at Keeneland. He was the only closer to get involved, nipping front-running East Avenue at the wire. That was also the first time he teamed up with jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., who was also the regular rider for a number of Whitham homebreds including Linda.

Burnham Square has carried his momentum into his training over the Churchill track. Work watchers have been impressed with his energy level in both his April 26 breeze and his routine gallops, and the once-ordinary gelding is now commanding attention.

If Burnham Square can beat the colts on Saturday, he’d become only the 10th gelding to win the Kentucky Derby. Vagrant (1876) set the precedent in the second running of America’s iconic race, followed by Apollo (1882), Macbeth II (1888), the all-time greats Old Rosebud (1914) and Exterminator (1918), Paul Jones (1920), Clyde Van Dusen (1929), Funny Cide (2003) and Mine That Bird (2009).

Interestingly, Burnham Square has something else in common with Mine That Bird: both descend from the sire line of 1990 Kentucky Derby champion Unbridled. Mine That Bird is by Unbridled’s grandson Birdstone (himself a son of 1996 Derby victor Grindstone), while Burnham Square’s sire, Liam’s Map, is by Unbridled’s Song.

Burnham Square has a human connection to Unbridled too. Wilkes was Unbridled’s exercise rider when he worked for trainer Carl Nafzger, who became part of one of the Derby’s legendary moments. Unbridled’s 92-year-old owner, Mrs. Frances Genter, couldn’t see his winning rally down the lane, and Nafzger served as her commentator as she reacted with endearing joy.

Burnham Square could furnish a new heartwarming tale in Derby history, if his late charge wins the roses for another treasured nonagenarian of the sport, Janis Whitham.

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