Horses to Watch: Shirreffs filly prompts memories of Zenyatta
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
It was hard not to think of Zenyatta when Justique strolled to victory in the Desi Arnaz at Del Mar on Saturday. The legendary 2010 horse of the year was conditioned by John Shirreffs, who also trains Justique. And their similarities in running style are eye-catching.
Justique was slow to get going at the start of the Desi Arnaz, losing touch with the field while falling as many as 10 3/4 lengths off the lead. But Justique advanced under hand urging around the turn, rallied wide to seize command early in the homestretch and pulled away under little urging to win the seven-furlong sprint by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:23.41 seconds. Zenyatta wouldn’t have done it any differently.
The pace was slowing down around the turn and down the lane, so Justique benefited from a favorable setup. But the daughter of Justify was full of run down the lane (dashing the final furlong in a respectable 12.60 seconds), and the fact she could win easily after breaking slowly and launching a huge mid-race move is a testament to her talent. We could be looking at a Grade 1 winner in the making.
Worth another try
Two-time graded stakes-winning sophomore ran strongly against a deep field of older horses in a $100,000 allowance optional claimer on Sunday at Del Mar. After setting stiff fractions of 21.67 and 44.80 seconds in the six-furlong sprint, Forbidden Kingdom fought down the homestretch to finish third, beaten half a length by Grade 1 winner Get Her Number and 2021 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile runner-up Ginobili. This is an effort Forbidden Kingdom can build on.
Off the Watch List
Lost to The Chosen Vron for the second straight time in the seven-furlong Cary Grant at Del Mar, carving out the pace before weakening to finish second by 3 1/4 lengths. The winning time was fast, and Big City Lights is clearly a capable sprinter, but he seems to have plateaued at the ungraded stakes level. I’ll want to see Big City Lights take a step forward before returning him to my watch list.
Upcoming entries
Looking back at Apprehend’s first six starts sprinting, the caliber of competition he squared off against is impressive. He was second in his debut behind future Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner and champion 2-year-old male Corniche, and earlier this year ran second in an allowance optional claimer against two-time Breeders’ Cup Sprint runner-up C Z Rocket.
But as a son of Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Arrogate, Apprehend always had the pedigree to stretch out in distance, and he ran out of his skin when tackling an $80,000 allowance optional claimer racing one mile at Santa Anita last month. Always prominent while pressing a fast pace, Apprehend opened up down the homestretch to trounce older rivals by 8 1/2 lengths, by far the most impressive performance of his career.
Apprehend will stick to route racing and join the stakes ranks for the first time in Tuesday’s 10th race at Zia Park, the Zia Park Derby (post time 6:03 p.m. EST). He will face graded-stakes-caliber rivals such as Great Escape, Perfect Flight and Bye Bye Bobby, but Apprehend owns the only two triple-digit Brisnet Speed ratings in the field and should be tough to beat if he brings his A game.
Here is my complete, updated list of Horses to Watch.