Horses to Watch: 5 include a sprinter with star potential

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Corona Bolt

With the retirements of Elite Power and Gunite, the U.S. male dirt sprinters division is ripe for conquest by a newcomer in 2024. Perhaps Corona Bolt can take command.

Trained by Brad Cox, Corona Bolt has gone 4-for-4 in sprints, most notably wiring the six-furlong Sugar Bowl at Fair Grounds and the seven-furlong Lafayette at Keeneland. In the latter race, Corona Bolt defeated Hejazi, who recently ran second in the Malibu (G1).

Corona Bolt hasn’t run in 9 1/2 months, but he’ll make his 4-year-old debut in Friday’s eighth race at Fair Grounds, a six-furlong $80,000 allowance optional claimer with post time set for 5:15 p.m. EST. The field has come up strong, but Corona Bolt is the clear 9-5 favorite and should prevail if he brings his A-game off the layoff.

Nash

Nash was terrific in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight at Churchill Downs last fall, leading all the way to dominate by 10 1/4 lengths. But he ran below expectations when making his Road to the Kentucky Derby debut in the 1 1/16-mile Gun Runner at Fair Grounds last month, launching a mid-race move from off the pace before flattening out to finish third as the 1-2 favorite.

Perhaps Nash can rebound while sticking to the Derby trail in Saturday’s 13th race at Fair Grounds, the Lecomte (G3), post time 7:00 p.m. EST. If he is able to secure a position closer to the lead, the door is open for Nash to bounce back to the fine form of his maiden score.

Saudi Crown

Saudi Crown may have faltered when stepping up against older horses in the 1 1/4-mile Breeders’ Cup Classic last time out, but he got caught up chasing a fast pace, so we’ll forgive his 10th-place finish.

Saudi Crown had previously wired the 1 1/8-mile Pennsylvania Derby (G1) after finishing second by noses in the 1 1/8-mile Jim Dandy (G2) and one-mile Dwyer (G3). Short routes appear to be Saudi Crown’s forte, so the 1 1/16-mile distance of Saturday’s 12th race at Fair Grounds, the Louisiana (G3), post time 6:30 p.m. EST, should be an ideal fit. I expect a strong showing from Saudi Crown in his 4-year-old debut.

Smile Happy

One of Saudi Crown’s most formidable rivals in the Louisiana is Smile Happy, whose exploits over 1 1/16 miles include wins in the 2021 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) and 2023 Alysheba (G2). The latter victory came by two lengths at the expense of a strong field including Grade 1 winners Art Collector, West Will Power and Rich Strike.

Smile Happy hasn’t run since July, but he has fared well off layoffs in the past including when taking a $50,000 allowance optional claimer at Oaklawn off a one-year break. Don’t dismiss this talented 5-year-old from win consideration.

Tarifa

Tarifa was much the best when debuting in a maiden special weight sprinting about seven furlongs at Keeneland in October, stalking the pace before taking over to trounce a next-out winner by six lengths. But she subsequently disappointed as the favorite in a $100,000 allowance optional claimer racing one mile at Churchill Downs, running evenly to finish fourth by 6 1/2 lengths.

Tarifa is bred to shine running long, so perhaps she’ll rebound while stretching out around two turns for the first time in Saturday’s third race at Fair Grounds, a one-mile and 70-yard $100,000 allowance optional claimer, post time 2:00 p.m. EST. She is the 7-5 morning line favorite while adding Lasix and dropping blinkers for the red-hot jockey/trainer duo of Florent Geroux and Brad Cox, so there’s a lot to like about Tarifa’s chances.

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.