Horses to Watch: These 3 juveniles are worth your attention
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
Two starts, two victories. The exciting 2-year-old filly Radio Days looks like a star in the making for trainer Shug McGaughey.
A daughter of hot young sire Gun Runner, Radio Days was sharp in her Oct. 31 debut sprinting six furlongs at Belmont Park, rallying gamely through a final furlong in 11.93 seconds to score by 1 1/2 lengths. But Radio Days elevated her game to another level in a seven-furlong allowance optional claimer on Dec. 2 at Aqueduct, settling off the pace before driving away to win by 8 1/2 lengths.
Radio Days has the pedigree to stretch out in distance, and since Gun Runner didn’t peak until age 4, Radio Days is eligible to improve with maturity. Who knows? Perhaps she’ll develop into a 2022 Kentucky Oaks contender.
Trafalgar
Since finishing second in his debut sprinting seven furlongs at Saratoga, Trafalgar has been unstoppable. The Al Stall Jr. trainee was clearly best in a one-mile maiden special weight on Oct. 2 at Churchill Downs, rallying from behind a blazing pace to win by 2 1/4 lengths. Then he showed unwavering tenacity in a 1 1/16-mile allowance optional claimer on Dec. 2 at Fair Grounds, pressing a slow pace before holding off a late runner to win by a head.
Trafalgar finished fast at Fair Grounds, sprinting the final five-sixteenths of a mile in an excellent 30.55 seconds. A start on the Road to the Kentucky Derby is surely on the horizon, with the Lecomte (G3) at Fair Grounds or the Smarty Jones at Oaklawn Park looming as possible options.
Upcoming Entries
Messier
When five horses face the starter in Saturday’s ninth race at Los Alamitos, the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2, post time 6:58 p.m. EST), you can bet Messier will be heavily favored to visit the winner’s circle.
Conditioned by Bob Baffert (who has won the last seven editions of the Los Alamitos Futurity), Messier enters off back-to-back blowout victories. After smashing a six-furlong maiden special weight at Santa Anita by 6 1/2 lengths, the son of Belmont Stakes hero Empire Maker trounced Del Mar’s Bob Hope (G3) by 3 1/2 lengths.
There are a couple of possible weaknesses for Messier For starters, he lost his debut sprinting five furlongs at Los Alamitos back in June. For another, he capitalized on a pace meltdown in the Bob Hope. But Messier has clearly improved since his debut, and the pace-tracking tactics he displayed in his maiden score suggest the bay colt can work out an ideal trip regardless of pace.
From a pedigree perspective, Messier is bred to thrive running long. Dam sire Smart Strike is responsible for such long-winded champions as Curlin, English Channel and Lookin At Lucky, and Smart Strike’s daughters have foaled a bevy of top-class runners highlighted by 2009 Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird. I am excited to see what Messier can accomplish in his route debut–another impressive victory may be in the offing.
Which horses caught your eyes last week?