Horses to Watch: 2 exciting Saratoga juveniles join list

New to the watch list

Pirate

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher is known for debuting talented 2-year-olds at Saratoga, and the latest to visit the winner’s circle is Pirate, a son of three-time Grade 1 winner Omaha Beach and a half-brother to 2023 Preakness winner National Treasure.

Pirate debuted in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight Saturday and left no doubt about his superiority. After dueling for the lead through an opening quarter-mile in 22.26 seconds, Pirate kicked away impressively at the top of the stretch and stayed on down the lane to score by three lengths in 1:04.89 seconds. Could the Hopeful (G1) at Saratoga be next on the agenda?

Sugar Hi

Pirate wasn’t the only 2-year-old to post an impressive debut victory during opening week at Saratoga. On Thursday, Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott unveiled Sugar Hi, a daughter of Twirling Candy who smashed a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight for fillies.

Sugar Hi was always prominent, pressing fractions of 22.46 and 45.77 seconds before kicking away from pacesetter Lady Moscato in the final furlong to win by six lengths in 1:05.14 seconds. A graded-stakes start is surely on the horizon for this speedy filly, with the Spinaway (G1) being an enticing target.

Whitebeam

Former European Whitebeam has improved by leaps and bounds since arriving in the United States. The Chad Brown-trained 4-year-old filly started her stateside campaign with a runner-up finish in the Plenty of Grace at Aqueduct, in which she rallied into strong closing fractions to miss victory by a neck. Then she tackled the Gallorette (G3) at Pimlico and finished fast from just off the pace to dominate by 2 1/2 lengths.

Whitebeam upped her game to another level in the Diana (G1) at Saratoga on Saturday. After racing in third place behind stablemate and heavy favorite In Italian, Whitebeam rallied tenaciously down the homestretch to prevail by a nose, completing 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.33 seconds. A strong summer and fall campaign could be in the offing for this talented Juddmonte homebred.

Worth another try

Gold Sweep

Suffered a bad stumble at the start of the Sanford (G3) at Saratoga, but gradually worked his way back into contention to finish second by 2 1/4 lengths against 46-1 long shot Yo Yo Candy. The winner had previously finished a distant third behind Gold Sweep in the Tremont, so it’s fair to wonder if Gold Sweep would have won the Sanford with a clean break. I’ll give him a chance to bounce back next time.

In Italian

Put up a good try in the Diana, setting the pace before fighting on gamely down the homestretch to miss victory by a nose against Whitebeam. In Italian finished ahead of last-out graded stakes winners Fev Rover, Marketsegmentation and Fluffy Socks, so we won’t judge her defeat too harshly.

Off the watch list

Filo Di Arianna

Posted his third defeat from as many starts this season when fading from a pace-tracking position to finish sixth by 5 1/2 lengths in the Kelso (G3) at Saratoga. Filo Di Arianna seems to be missing some of the spark he showed when winning multiple graded stakes at Woodbine last summer, so I’ll want to see him get back on a winning track before supporting him again.

Which horses do you have your eyes on?

In this biweekly series, racing analyst J. 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.