Juvenile Summer Stakes Horses Part II

 

Moving into the second half of the year, juvenile race distances are lengthening.  Later maturing babies are starting to appear and overtake their more precocious counterparts.  As we slowly gear up for the Breeders’ Cup, let’s review the top two-year-olds from around the country.  In this three-part series, we’ll focus on stakes winners and notable stakes placed runners at the major tracks.

 

 

Part I of Juvenile Summer Stakes Horses focused on Saratoga stakes winning two-year-olds.  In part II, we’ll review the gifted youngsters at Del Mar. You can find more of this season’s two-year-olds on the 2015 Kentucky Derby Contenders and 2015 Kentucky Oaks Contenders  lists. 

 

 

WAKE UP NICK (Cindago - Storm Hearted, by Lion Hearted)

Race record: 4-4-0-0 ($251,100)

Trainer: Doug O’Neil

Owner: Reddam Racing LLC

Breeder: Lee Searing & Susan Searing

Auction: BESMAR14 $35K

 

Pedigree:  Wake Up Nick is an example of class skipping a generation. He is the only one within two generations of his distaff line to own blacktype. His second dam is a full sister to the multiple stakes winning veteran  STEM THE TIDE,  plus she’s a half sister to the stakes winners PRIVATE GOLD, PRIVATE JET and GOTCHA LAST, dam of stakes winners AWESOME PEARL and GOTTCHA GOLD.  Wake Up Nick will likely develop into a sprinter/miler.

 

 

Outlook: Wake Up Nick was fully alert while winning his maiden in track-record time of :51.22 for 4 ½ furlongs at Santa Anita. His nearest competitor finished 9 ¼ lengths behind. The O’Neil trainee has captured three stakes races from 5 ½ to 6 furlongs on dirt and Polytrack, the Santa Anita Juvenile, Graduation and I'm Smokin Stakes. So, who did he beat? Henry’s Holiday, who came back to finish second in the Best Pal (G2) and Story to Tell, winner of the W.L. Proctor Memorial Stakes.  Remember, California Chrome started out in state-bred ranks, too. He won the Graduation Stakes last year.  Wake Up Nick still has to be tested against graded company, but so far, so good.

 

 

 

GLOBAL MAGICIAN (Globalize - Shebang (IRE), by Trans Island (GB))

Race record: 4-1-2-1 9 ($73,830)

Trainer: Peter Miller

Owner:  Wachtel Stable & Gary Barber

Breeder: Ellen Jackson

Auction: None

 

Pedigree: Global Magician doesn’t have much blacktype in the first three generations of his female family. His dam is a half to a stakes placed runner, and that’s about it.  Shebang won over the turf and various synthetics as a sprinter/miler. Global Magician has shown similar versatility, as he has won or placed over dirt, Tapeta and Polytrack. His sire is a middle distance G2 winner on the dirt. His offspring win over all surfaces up to 1 1/16 miles.

 

 

Outlook: After winning his maiden at Golden Gate, Global Magician placed in three stakes races, twice behind Wake Up Nick. The Chestnut gelding will likely develop into a decent Cal-bred sprinter/miler.

 

 

 

AMERICAN PHAROAH (Pioneerof the Nile - Littleprincessemma, by Yankee Gentleman)

Race record:  2-1-0-0 ($181,500)

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Owner: Zayat Stables, LLC

Breeder: Zayat Stables

Auction: FTSAUG13 $300K

 

Pedigree: American Pharoah is only the second foal out of his dam. Littleprincessemma failed to hit the board in two starts and she’s a half to the graded stakes winning sprinters MISTY ROSETTE and STORM WOLF. The colt’s second dam was also a sprinter over dirt and turf. American Pharoah has a middle distance over speed pedigree. His sire’s offspring have won up to 1 1/16 miles over dirt and 1 1/8 miles over the turf.

 

 

Outlook:  In capturing the Del Mar Futurity, American Pharoah was the first maiden since River Special in 1992 to have won the race.  He’s also the only one of Pioneerof the Nile’s progeny to win over the Del Mar Polytrack.  American Pharoah will get a test over dirt in the Frontrunner Stakes, and could go to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile as the favorite should he win.  He should develop into the typical, speedy Baffert protégé with distance issues past 1 1/6 to 1 1/8 miles.

 

 

 

CALCULATOR (In Summation - Back to Basics, by Alphabet Soup)

Race record: 3-0-1-1

Trainer:  Peter Miller

Owner:  Richard C. Pell

Breeder:  Ocala Stud

Auction:  OBSAPR14 $132K

 

Pedigree:  Calculator has a speed over stamina pedigree. His sire’s babies are flat out sprinters, none have won an allowance or stakes past a mile.  On the other side of the coin, so to speak, Calculator’s damsire Alphabet Soup won the Breeders’ Cup Classic.  The majority of his daughter’s offspring win stakes up to 1 1/8 miles.  Calculator’s second damsire is Kentucky Derby hero Unbridled. The pretty gray colt’s distaff line is loaded with stakes winners.  His unraced dam is a half sister to the multiple stakes winning veterans ATTICUS KRISTY, FIERY DANCER, and DISTORTED REALITY, plus stakes placed Myriad. This is also the distaff line of multiple G1 hero SHACKLEFORD and G1 winner LADY JOANNE.  Calculator’s fourth dam is the blue hen Taminette. 

 

 

Outlook:  Calculator is 0-3, but beat winners while placing second in the Del Mar Futurity, 8 ¼ lengths in front of the third place finisher.  It’s debatable how far this colt might want to run. He appears to be slowly maturing and has an off of the pace running style, so he might stretch to 1 1/16 miles. He’ll likely take another run at American Pharoah in the Frontrunner Stakes.

 

 

 

SKYWAY (Sky Mesa - Bedside Manner, by Dr. Blum)

Race record:  4-2-0-1 ($175,390)

Trainer:   Mark Casse

Owner:    John Oxley

Breeder:  Sugar Maple Farm & H. Lewis Rapaport

Auction: FTKOCT13  $165K

 

Pedigree:  Skyway is by a sprinter sire out of a stakes winning sprinter by a stakes winning sprinter.  He’s a half to multiple stakes winning sprinter AVA K.  The common theme here is sprinter.

 

 

Outlook:  The very precocious Skyway won his maiden in April at Keeneland. A month later, he was third in the Bashford Manor merry-go-round.  After arriving in California, Skyway beat winners in the Best Pal (G2).  As the favorite, he finished a distant fourth in the Del Mar Futurity after a wide trip.  Skyway is developing a good/bad race pattern. Doubtful that he would get the 1 1/6 miles of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, but there will be plenty of sprinting opportunities down the road.

 

 

 

SUNSET GLOW (Exchange Rate - Perfectforthepart, by Dynaformer)

Race record:  5-3-2-0 ($377,645)

Trainer:  Wesley Ward

Owner:   Ten Broeck Farm, Inc.

Breeder:  Gayla Rankin/GLR Ranch

Auction:  KEESEP13 $140K

 

Pedigree:  Sunset Glow has a two-turn pedigree.   Her sire gets dirt winners from sprints to middle distances and his turf runners can go a bit longer.   Sunset Glow’s dam won three of seven starts, all over the lawn. She placed in a restricted stakes.  We have to go back to the third dam, G1 winner ANDESTINE who owns the only other blacktype in three generations. Sunset Glow

 

 

Outlook: Sunset Glow placed on the Tapeta in her debut. After winning her maiden on the Belmont turf, she gave the English fillies all they could handle while finishing a strong second at Ascot. Two months later, the well-traveled miss captured the Sorrento and Del Mar Debutante.  The one chink in Sunset Glow’s armor is that she hasn’t raced over dirt. She’s the first of her dam’s offspring to race. The possible BC Juvenile Fillies favorite has dirt attributes in her pedigree, and given her class level, she may be able to run over anything. We won’t know until she tries.

 

 

 

MY FIONA (Ghostzapper - A Vision in Gray, by Two Punch)

Race record: 4-2-1-1 ($134,100)

Trainer:  Walther Solis

Owner:   Beckerle, Lovingier, & Navarro

Breeder:  Terry C. Lovingier

Auction:  None

 

Pedigree:   After winning her maiden in May, My Fiona jumped into restricted/listed stakes company, recording a victory in the CTBA and placings in the Landaluce and Generous Portion. She’s the first of her dam’s four offspring to earn blacktype. Her dam is also a minor stakes winner, but we have to go back four generations to find more blacktype. My Fiona receives her precociousness from her distaff line and may handle up to 1 1/16 miles.

 

 

Outlook:  This is a nice filly who may evolve into a multiple stakes winning sprinter/miler. She’s been kept in state-bred company, but may have the quality to become a graded winner over dirt.   

 

 

 

LONG HOT SUMMER (Street Boss - Hotlantic, by Stormy Atlantic)

Race record: 2-2-0-0 ($130,500)

Trainer:  Philip D'Amato

Owner:  Fanticola & Scardino

Breeder:  Harris Farms & Donald Valpredo

Auction:  BESMAY14  $260K

 

Pedigree:  Long Hot Summer is the first foal out of a stakes winning sprinter. Other than a stakes-placed third dam, there is no other blacktype in this immediate female family.  The stakes winning stallions THE PAMPLEMOUSE and STORMELLO can be found under the fourth dam. If it looks like a sprinter/miler and runs like one, well, you get the idea.

 

 

Outlook: Long Hot Summer is undefeated in two starts, including a victory over stakes winner My Fiona in the Generous Portion. This is a nice start and she’ll likely develop into a state-based stakes runner.  So far, a very promising youngster.

 

 

 

DADDY D T (Scat Daddy - Issues, by Awesome Again)

Race record: 2-1-0-0 ($60,250)

Trainer:  John Sadler

Owner:  Hronis Racing LLC

Breeder:  Mike Abraham

Auction:  KEESEP13  $250K

 

Pedigree: Daddy D T is a full brother to Willard L. Proctor Memorial hero AMARISH.  That one also placed in the Jersey Shore (G3) and is a dirt sprinter.  Daddy D T on the other hand, showed his preference for the lawn with a determined ½ length victory in the Oak Tree Juvenile Turf. Daddy D T can likely stretch out and should improve with maturity.  Daddy D T’s first three dams all own blacktype and this is the distaff family of G1 winner and sire WAGON LIMIT.  

 

 

Outlook: Daddy D T won the Oak Tree Juvenile Turf in his second start over a full field of nine colts. He settled nicely on the inside during the early going, switched to the outside and got up for the win. He was a little green, but acquitted himself nicely.  It would be a lot to ask him to take on the Euros in the BC Juvenile, but this is a colt who should develop into a nice middle distance turf horse. Could he run on dirt?  He has dirt attributes in his pedigree, I guess we’ll never know until he tries, although the progeny of Scat Daddy win about 38% of the time over the dirt.

 

 

 

SKY PREACHER (Sky Mesa - My Dear Lady (ARG), by Mutakddim)

Race record:  4-1-2-0 ($68,160)

Trainer:  Doug O'Neill

Owner:  Success Racing

Breeder:  John Oxley

Auction:   OBSMAR14 $80K

 

Pedigree: Sky Preacher is a full brother to the stakes winner SKY HIGH LADY. That one is a versatile winner over turf, Polytrack and dirt.  She is a winner at 1 1/16 miles and has placed at 1 ¼ miles and 1 ½ miles on the lawn.  Their dam is a turf Group winner in Argentina at 1 ¼ miles. There are a number of stakes winners farther back in the pedigree, most notably the fourth dam Kerala, dam of DAMASCUS.

 

 

Outlook: Sky Preacher was three and four wide in the Oak Tree Juvenile Turf and railed from between colts to finish second in a blanket finish. Like Daddy D T, this is a promising youngster who could be capable over a variety of surfaces, although I expect that he’ll go longer over turf than he will on the dirt.

 

 

PAPACOOLPAPACOOL (Temple City - Sainttwok, by Saint Ballado)

Race record: 2-0-1-1 ($27,000)

Trainer: Jeff Mullins

Owner:  Nilforushan  Ali

Breeder:  Chesapeake Farm & Gianca Stables

Auction:  KEESEP13 $14K RNA

 

Pedigree:  Papacoolpapacool is a half to juvenile stakes placed Dehaven. The gelding is the second of first crop sire Temple City to earn blacktype, the first being START UP NATION, hero of the With Anticipation Stakes.  Temple City, a son of Dynaformer, should get later-maturing babies who will appreciate some ground and be mostly turf oriented. There’s some minor blacktype in the third generation of Papacoolpapacool’s pedigree, but overall, this is a modest breeding.

 

 

Outlook:  Papacoolpapacool was part of the blanket finish in the Oak Tree Juvenile Turf, finishing third, a bare neck behind Skypreacher. The gelding could develop into a turf router and I expect that he’ll improve with age.

 

 

 

SHE’S COMPLETE (Oratorio (IRE) - Arionella, by Bluebird)

Race record: 4-1-2-0 ($78,956)

Trainer:  Doug O'Neill

Owner:  Great Friends Stable, Steven Keh, Gary Vacarro, & Bada Bing Stable

Breeder:  Paul Nataf

Auction: TATIRE13  $36,404

 

Pedigree: The Irish-bred She’s Complete is a half to the French listed winner Loutka.  This is a distaff lined filled with European stakes winners three generations back.  The third dam, stakes placed ANATEVKA, is the grand-dam of the champion and blue hen URBAN SEA, dam of Champion SEA THE STARS, top sire GALILEO, G1 winner MY TYPHOON, etc.   

 

 

Outlook: She’s Complete placed in a race in Ireland and over the Del Mar Polytrack before capturing the Oak Tree Juvenile Fillies Turf Stakes to win her maiden by ½ length as the favorite.  The stakes race has been run only three times.  Last year’s stakes winner Clenor who coincidentally raced for O’Neil and Great Friends Stable, continued on to become graded stakes placed.

 

 

 

The three-part series on this summer’s stakes winners will be concluded on Friday. We’ll review the up-and-coming youngsters at Arlington, Churchill, Gulfstream Park, and Woodbine.