Horses to Watch: Follow these Keeneland winners and more
New to the watch list
Booth
A half-brother to Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) winner Bright Future, Booth impressed in a six-furlong maiden special weight on Saturday at Keeneland, dashing to the lead through splits of 22.45 and 45.08 seconds before drawing away to trounce 10 rivals by 5 1/4 lengths in 1:10.23 seconds. Booth might be something special for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.
Idiomatic
Picked up her fourth consecutive graded winm and her seventh win from eight runs this year, when wiring the Spinster (G1) at Keeneland in impressive fashion. A modest pace helped her chances, but Idiomatic kicked away nicely down the lane to win the 1 1/8-mile race by 4 1/4 lengths in 1:49.82. She looks like a formidable win threat for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
Royal Slipper
Royal Slipper was much the best in a six-furlong maiden special weight Friday at Keeneland, leading by a minimum of 2 1/2 lengths at every call to win by 4 3/4 lengths. The daughter of Uncle Mo set honest fractions of 22.28 and 46.04 seconds on her way to a respectable final time of 1:10.58, suggesting this Wesley Ward trainee is well worth watching.
Recent watch list winners
Didia
Shipped to Santa Anita for the 1 1/4-mile Rodeo Drive (G2) and rallied from behind a modest pace to win by 1 3/4 lengths in 1:59.79. It was an ideal prep for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
Drum Roll Please
Raced within one length of quick fractions in a one-mile maiden special weight on Friday at Belmont at the Big A, then took over to win by two lengths in 1:36.46. Drum Roll Please is shaping up as a talented 2-year-old for trainer Brad Cox.
Endlessly
California’s leading grass juvenile swooped from four lengths behind to win the one-mile Zuma Beach (G3) at Santa Anita by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:34.52, setting the stage for a possible Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf start.
Locked
Overcame racing wide around both turns to rally and win Keeneland’s 1 1/16-mile Breeders’ Futurity (G1) by half a length over promising New York-bred The Wine Steward, stopping the clock at 1:45.06. A deceptively strong stakes debut.
Practical Move
The 2023 Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner shrugged off a six-month layoff to win a one-mile $80,000 allowance optional claimer on Friday at Santa Anita by four lengths in 1:35.14 seconds. Practical Move finished up nicely after sticking close to hot fractions of 21.79, 44.92 and 1:09.47, so this was an exciting comeback run.
Timberlake
Rebounded from a pace-compromised runner-up finish in the Hopeful (G1) to win the one-mile Champagne (G1) at Belmont at the Big A by 4 1/4 lengths in 1:35.90. A fast, flashy performance over a sloppy track.
Touchuponastar
Louisiana-bred standout dominated the Gold Cup at Delta Downs by 5 1/2 lengths despite carrying seven to nine pounds more than his rivals. A big fall and winter campaign should be in the offing.
Up to the Mark
Rallied boldly between rivals to beat Woodbine Mile (G1) winner Master of The Seas by a nose in the Turf Mile (G1) at Keeneland, stopping the clock at 1:34.18 to secure his third straight Grade 1 win. The Breeders’ Cup beckons, with the Mile and the Turf both viable options.
War Like Goddess
Settled as many as 22 1/2 lengths behind a runaway leader, then launched a powerful homestretch rally to win the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1) against males at Belmont at the Big A for the second straight year. War Like Goddess came home 4 1/2 lengths on top and completed 1 1/2 miles over yielding turf in 2:32.86.
Worth another try
Awesome Road
Never fired as the second choice in the Breeders’ Futurity, racing off the pace throughout while finishing seventh. I’ll give this flashy debut winner a chance to rebound.
Fierceness
Powerful maiden winner completely misfired as the heavy favorite in the Champagne, making a move around the turn before fading to finish seventh by 20 1/4 lengths. I’ll draw a line through this performance.
General Partner
Set fractions of 22.49, 45.44 and 1:10.41 in the Champagne before staying on to finish second, 6 1/4 lengths clear of the third-place runner. A strong effort while facing winners for the first time.
In Italian
Set fractions of 23.40, 46.80 and 1:10.12 in Keeneland’s one-mile First Lady (G1) before getting caught in the final furlong by her Grade 1-winning stablemate Gina Romantica, finishing second by a head. The defeat marked In Italian’s second straight narrow loss, but the winning time was a quick 1:33.70, so it’s hard to judge her performance harshly.
Life Talk
Saratoga maiden winner ran OK when stepping up in class for the Frizette (G1) at Belmont at the Big A, mounting a mid-race rally before flattening out in the drive to finish third by 3 1/4 lengths. I’ll give Life Talk another try next time.
Master of the Seas
Launched a strong rally from seventh place to take the lead close to home in the Turf Mile, only to get run down late by Up to the Mark. The Breeders’ Cup Mile remains an option.
The Wine Steward
Rallied inside of Locked to finish second by half a length in the Breeders’ Futurity while pulling 3 3/4 lengths clear of the rest. The Wine Steward is bred to improve with maturity, so this was a promising performance.
V V’s Dream
Put up a good fight in the Alcibiades (G1) at Keeneland, challenging in the homestretch before settling for second place against the rallying Candied. V V’s Dream was beaten by only one length while pulling 5 3/4 lengths clear of the rest, so I’ll view this effort in a positive light.
Wine Me Up
Put up a good fight against heavy favorite Muth in the American Pharoah (G1), setting fractions of 23.30, 46.49 and 1:10.22 before staying on to finish clearly second-best. A promising run from a colt who is bred to improve with maturity.
Off the watch list
Haul
Nest
Sugar Hi
Whitebeam
Here is my complete, updated list of Horses to Watch.
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.