Horses to Watch: Follow these 7 in Derby preps and beyond
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Highland Falls
A stoutly bred son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin out of Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Round Pond, Highland Falls is bred to improve with maturity and shine running long. Certainly he’s been progressing in that direction so far. He wrapped up his 3-year-old season with a two-length allowance victory racing 1 1/16 miles at Churchill Downs in November, and he started his 4-year-old campaign with a fast-finishing victory in a $50,000 allowance optional claimer at Fair Grounds two months ago.
Now trainer Brad Cox is shipping Highland Falls across the country for Sunday’s eighth race at Santa Anta, the Santa Anita Handicap (G1), with post time 7:00 p.m. EST. Highland Falls has every chance to deliver a career-best performance while stretching out over 1 1/4 miles, so don’t be surprised if he exits this weekend as a Grade 1 winner.
Just a Touch
Just a Touch impressed when debuting in a six-furlong maiden special weight on Jan. 27 at Fair Grounds. The son of Triple Crown winner Justify settled in second place early on before taking over to trounce his rivals by 4 1/4 lengths in the quick time of 1:10.50, earning an 89 Beyer Speed Figure from Daily Racing Form.
Just a Touch has the pedigree to thrive running long, so the Brad Cox trainee looms as a major win contender while stretching out over a one-turn mile for Saturday’s 10th race at Aqueduct, the Gotham (G3), at 5:36 p.m. EST.
Leslie’s Rose
Two starts, two victories. Leslie’s Rose dominated her debut sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs at Aqueduct last fall by 9 1/4 lengths, then kicked off 2024 with a one-length score over next-out winner Gun Song in a seven-furlong $75,000 allowance optional claimer at Gulfstream Park.
Leslie’s Rose will make her stakes debut in Saturday’s ninth race at Gulfstream, the one-mile Davona Dale (G2), with post time 3:17 p.m. EDT. She’ll have to reckon with the undefeated Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) and Frizette (G1) winner Just F Y I, the Champion Two-Year-Old Filly of 2023, but Just F Y I is returning from a layoff and Leslie’s Rose has the advantage of a race this year. That difference may give Leslie’s Rose the edge she needs to prevail.
Locked
Locked emerged as one of the leading juveniles of 2023 following a productive campaign that saw him trounce a Saratoga maiden special weight, battle to victory in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) and finish third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1). Along the way he beat past and future stakes winners like Drum Roll Please, The Wine Steward, Just Steel, and West Saratoga.
Locked missed a slated start in last month’s Sam F. Davis (G3) after coming down with a temperature, so he’ll make his belated 3-year-old debut in Saturday’s 14th race at Gulfstream, the Fountain of Youth (G2), at 6:10 p.m. EDT. The change in plans probably isn’t ideal, but Locked’s abundant talent may be enough to compensate.
Nysos
Is Nysos a superstar in the making? He certainly looks like one after dominating his first three starts by at least 7 1/2 lengths apiece. After winning his debut for fun, he trounced future Sunland Park Derby (G3) winner Stronghold in the Bob Hope (G3) and followed up with a runaway romp in the Robert B. Lewis (G3).
Nysos will make his fourth start in Sunday’s sixth race at Santa Anita, the San Felipe (G2) with post time 6:00 p.m. EDT. He’s already defeated three of his four rivals, so another easy victory is likely on the horizon.
Speak Easy
Although Speak Easy is entered in Friday’s seventh race at Gulfstream Park, a $75,000 allowance optional claimer (post time 4:08 p.m. EDT), he’s expected to scratch and instead face off against Locked in the Fountain of Youth.
Speak Easy debuted in a seven-furlong maiden special weight on Jan. 27 at Gulfstream and outdueled the highly regarded Victory Avenue (see below) to prevail by 1 3/4 lengths. His fast final time of 1:21.96 seconds translated to a strong 100 Beyer Speed Figure from the Daily Racing Form, so Speak Easy can’t be counted out of win contention even while stepping up in class and distance this Saturday.
Victory Avenue
Victory Avenue couldn’t quite keep up with Speak Easy after setting the pace in the Jan. 27 maiden special weight at Gulfstream, finishing second. But even in defeat he earned a 97 Beyer Speed Figure from the Daily Racing Form, the fourth-highest number assigned to any 3-year-old so far this year.
That promising debut stamps Victory Avenue as a contender while jumping up sharply in class for the Fountain of Youth. Locked and Remsen (G2) winner Dornoch are formidable rivals, but a top-three finish isn’t out of the question for Victory Avenue. And who knows? If Dornoch and Locked run below form in their 2024 debuts, Victory Avenue may have a path to snatch first prize.
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.