Saratoga 2-year-olds: American Pharoah babies in the spotlight
Leading first crop sire American Pharoah added another stakes winner to his flourishing resume last week, while the tentative roster for juvenile Breeders’ Cup races grew as a result of winners living up to their breeding at Saratoga. Let's meet some new names of note...
ANOTHER MIRACLE
(American Pharoah – Retraceable, by Medaglia d’Oro)
Mentioned here back on July 30, the last out maiden winner continued his ways in the Skidmore Stakes, getting 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:01.61 over the lawn.
Pedigree: Surprise! Our first Triple Crown winner in a gazillion years is establishing himself as a top turf sire. Another Miracle has the pedigree to handle a mile to classic distances. His dam won sprint stakes as a 2-year-old and earned more than $370,000 in 26 starts at Woodbine. Retraceable’s stakes-winning half-sister, Maritime Passion, bore multiple graded stakes-winning turf sprinter Passion For Action and stakes-winning miler Maritime Pulpit. The second and third dams are blacktype earners.
(Munnings - Cozze Up Lady, by Cozzene)
The odds-on favorite wired the field by four lengths in the Bolton Landing Stakes, her comeback from a runner-up at Royal Ascot. The Wesley Ward trainee’s final time for 5 1/2 furlongs was 1:01.43.
Pedigree: Kimari sports a sprinter/miler pedigree. She’s the second foal out of the Grade 3 sprinter/miler Cozze Up Lady. That was only foal produced in the second generation. The third generation includes two South American stakes winners.
ACRE
(Blame - Greenery, by Galileo (IRE))
Acre added his name to the list of youngsters to watch for upcoming stakes. On Saturday, the Bill Mott trainee captured his second start in a seven-furlong event that was originally scheduled for 1 1/8 miles over the lawn. Acre settled three-wide in fourth place early. Around the turn, Junior Alvarado found a seam on the inside, and the pair took off, cutting the corner and pulling away to dominate a well-bred field by 3 1/2 lengths, getting seven furlongs in 1:23.11.
Pedigree: Acre has the pedigree to handle middle to classic distances. The Claiborne homebred is a half-brother to Grade 1 winner and first crop sire Lea and to multiple stakes placed turf mare Heath. Their dam is listed stakes placed and a half-sister to multiple graded stakes turf horse Grassy II, plus the English group winners Lady in Waiting and Savannah Bay. He has Rasmussen factor breeding (inbred to a superior female) to Special. She’s Blame’s third dam and is the second dam of Sadler’s Wells, the sire of Galileo.
SHARING
(Speightstown - Shared Account, by Pleasantly Perfect)
Pedigree: Sharing could handle a mile to middle distances. She has high leg action and may go even farther over the lawn. Two of her three half-siblings own blacktype; Riley's Choice is a restricted stakes-winning miler, and I’m Pretty Strong is a stakes-placed miler. Their dam won the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
MYSTIC LANCELOT
(Into Mischief - Roadbug, by Quality Road)
In his Thursday debut, Todd Pletcher’s charge lived up to his $450,000 auction price. Mystic Lancelot chased hot early fractions of :21.38 and :43.91 before taking over and pulling away to win by three lengths. His final time for 5 1/2 furlongs on grass was 1:01.06.
Pedigree: Mystic Lancelot has a miler’s pedigree and may handle
middle distances next year. He’s a first foal, and his dam won/placed in two of
five starts. She was the only foal in the second generation to race. The third
dam Diplomat Lady won the Hollywood Starlet (G1) and a year later, the Beaumont
Stakes (G2).
American
Butterfly
(American Pharoah - Gracie's Butterfly, by War Front)
The D. Wayne Lukas charge was ignored by bettors in his second start Saturday. Off at 18-1, the son of American Pharoah was hustled to contest the lead by Luis Saez. The pair cut the corner around the turn and charged home a 2 1/2-length winner. The final time for 6 1/2 furlongs was 1:17.14.
Pedigree: American Butterfly has the pedigree to handle a mile to middle distances. Leading first crop sire American Pharoah has only three winners from 19 starters on dirt, with 10 in the money. His babies should improve that number as race distances expand. American Butterfly’s dam is a half-sister to stakes winner and multiple graded placed miler Manuka Honey. The second dam, Al Max Diner, is a multiple stakes-placed sprinter. There’s no blacktype in the third generation of the distaff line.