Horses to Watch: 3 entered on either side of the pond
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.
Upcoming Entries
He’s back! The tough-as-nails 4-year-old Hot Rod Charlie returns to the U.S. in Saturday’s 14th race at Monmouth Park, the Salvator Mile (G3) (post time 6:15 p.m. EDT).
Winner of the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby and placed in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes as a sophomore, Hot Rod Charlie spent the winter in Dubai, where he dominated the Group 2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 before finishing second in the Group 1 Dubai World Cup.
Hot Rod Charlie has trained forwardly for his return and has already run well at Monmouth, crossing the wire first in the Haskell (G1) here last year, so a competitive effort should be in the offing under National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith.
Can 2021 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Pizza Bianca carry her high-class form on the road? We’ll find out when she faces an international field in Friday’s fourth race at Royal Ascot in England, the Coronation (G1) (post time 11:20 a.m. EDT).
Fresh off a victory in the one-mile Hilltop at Pimlico, Pizza Bianca will stick to the same distance in the Coronation. The Christophe Clement trainee is a longshot in the early betting, but she defeated some capable European rivals at the Breeders’ Cup last year. One of the best was future English 1,000 Guineas (G1) winner Cachet, who is the second choice in the Coronation betting.
Taking these form lines at face value, I don’t think it’s a stretch to conclude Pizza Bianca is capable of outrunning expectations in the Coronation.
One of Hot Rod Charlie’s most accomplished rivals in the Salvator Mile is Shirl’s Speight, though it remains to be seen whether competing on dirt will suit the 5-year-old miler.
Class isn’t a question mark for Shirl’s Speight, who produced a huge rally from behind a pedestrian pace to upset the Maker’s Mark Mile (G1) at Keeneland two starts back. And his pedigree holds at least a little potential for success on dirt, considering Shirl’s Speight’s sire–Speightstown–was a Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner.
But Shirl’s Speight failed to fire in his lone dirt run to date, finishing fifth by a wide margin in a $62,500 allowance optional claimer sprinting six furlongs at Gulfstream Park in January 2021. A simplistic reading of this form suggests racing on dirt isn’t Shirl’s Speight’s strong suit, though the fact Shirl’s Speight subsequently went to the sidelines for 11 months is a sign something else may have gone awry.
In any case, I’m intrigued to see Shirl’s Speight tackle dirt in the Salvator Mile. He’s clearly a talented horse, and a competitive effort over the Monmouth main track would open up a lot of options for future starts.
Worth Another Try
Although Golden Pal was beaten to 16th place at a short price in the King’s Stand (G1) at Royal Ascot, we won’t judge this effort too harshly. Golden Pal blew the start, rushed up into contention, and understandably faded through the final two furlongs. He’s now 0-for-3 abroad and 6-for-7 in the United States, so returning stateside might be all Golden Pal needs to rebound.
She put up a good try against a large field in the Queen Mary (G2) at Royal Ascot, carving out the pace before weakening late to finish fourth. This was an admirable effort against tough competition, and I’m optimistic Love Reigns can bounce back to the winner’s circle upon returning to the United States.
Which horses do you have your eyes on?