Horses to Watch: 1 at Oaklawn, plus a promising maiden
In this biweekly series, racing analyst Keeler Johnson shares promising horses from his handicapping watch list, reviewing runners who have recently caught his eye and previewing horses scheduled to run back in the near future.
New to the Watch List
I don’t typically add beaten maidens to my watch list, but I’ll make an exception for Touch Code. Although he was defeated by 6 3/4 lengths when second in his debut racing one mile at Gulfstream Park last Saturday, that was an encouraging effort from a colt who really couldn’t have been expected to win first-time out.
After all, Touch Code is bred top and bottom to improve with maturity and thrive racing around two turns. He’s a son of 2015 Champion Older Dirt Male Honor Code (whose progeny tend to improve with distance and maturity) out of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Caressing, who previously foaled the late-maturing 2017 Champion 3-Year-Old Male West Coast.
Throw in the fact Touch Code’s trainer, Bill Mott, isn’t a frequent winner with first-time starters, and Touch Code’s debut can’t be viewed in anything less than a positive light. There’s a chance we’ll see Touch Code improve by leaps and bounds through the winter, spring and summer, setting the stage for an exciting career.
Upcoming Entries
Marr Time
Beholder won three Breeders’ Cup races and four Eclipse Awards. Mendelssohn nabbed the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. And Into Mischief won the Futurity (G1) before developing into leading sire.
What do these three standout horses have in common? They were all produced by the sensational broodmare Leslie’s Lady. Her latest foal to reach the races is Marr Time, a 2-year-old filly worth watching in Sunday’s sixth race at Oaklawn Park, an $80,000 allowance optional claimer (post time 3:51 p.m. EST).
Only time will tell if Marr Time can emulate her illustrious siblings and win a Grade 1 race, but the daughter of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile runner-up Not This Time has already shown promise. In her debut sprinting six furlongs at Keeneland, Marr Time led all the way to beat a next-out winner by 2 3/4 lengths, earning a respectable 82 Brisnet Speed rating.
Keep in mind, trainer Brad Cox has won at just a 15 percent clip with first-time starters this year (well below his overall 26 percent win rate), so the stats suggest Marr Time can take a step forward in her second start. She’s trained sharply since her debut and retains the services of hot jockey Florent Geroux (a 24 percent winner at Oaklawn this meet), stamping Marr Time as a formidable win threat.
Off the Watch List
Prate
A Juddmonte Farms homebred trained by Brad Cox, Prate was impressive in his debut sprinting six furlongs at Fair Grounds on Dec. 19, 2020, beating next-out winner Blameworthy by 4 1/4 lengths. But unfortunately, the son of Into Mischief hasn’t recorded a workout since Feb. 21, and the Daily Racing Form reported in March that Prate had been sidelined indefinitely by a leg injury requiring surgery.
Since nearly a year has passed since Prate’s exciting debut win, I’ll reluctantly drop him from my watch list, though I’ll be excited to see what he can accomplish if he returns to action in the future.
Which horses do you have your eyes on this week?