Horses to Watch: Filly, colt join list that has a stakes defender

In this biweekly series, racing analyst J. Keeler Johnson shares promising horses from his handicapping watch list, reviewing runners who recently caught his eye and previewing horses scheduled to run back in the near future.

New to the watch list

Marissa’s Lady

Marissa’s Lady ran gamely in the six-furlong Holiday Inaugural at Turfway Park on Saturday. The 4-year-old filly tracked blazing fractions of 21.95 and 43.95 seconds before wearing down the leader to win by a neck in 1:09.42.

It wasn’t a blowout victory, but it brought Marissa’s Lady’s record at Turfway Park to 4-for-5, including a 4-for-4 record in sprints, and her record on synthetic tracks to 6-for-8, including a 6-for-7 tally in sprints. I’m adding Marissa’s Lady to my watch list, because there’s a long winter racing season on the horizon at Turfway, and I suspect sprint stakes for fillies and mares like the Jan. 27 Wishing Well and the March 16 Queen will be ripe for conquest by Marissa’s Lady.

Signator

I added Signator to my watch list after he broke his maiden at Belmont at the Big A last year. I dropped him after he returned from a long layoff to lose back to back allowance races at Saratoga during the summer.

But guess what? It’s time to bring Signator back. He got back to the winner’s circle in a one-mile allowance Oct. 21 at Belmont at the Big, launching a wide rally from eighth place to prevail by three-quarters of a length in 1:36.08.

He ran even better in a 1 1/8-mile, $62,500 allowance optional claimer Nov. 12 at Aqueduct, rocketing his final three furlongs in about 35.52 seconds, a terrific fraction in a dirt route, rallying from behind a slow pace and win by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:50.32.

Signator is progressing in the right direction for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey and looks ready to join the stakes ranks. I’m exciting to see what his upcoming 4-year-old campaign has in store.

Upcoming entries

Touchuponastar

It’s been 1 1/2 years since Touchuponastar last tasted defeat against fellow Louisiana-breds. When he finished third in the June 2022 Louisiana Legends Cheval Stakes, he was a lightly raced 3-year-old making his stakes debut.

Since, Touchuponastar has been almost unstoppable. He has won eight of his last nine starts, which include a 7-for-7 record against Louisiana-breds. He has won a half-dozen stakes. He beat open company in the Delta Mile last month. And he suffered his lone defeat when finishing a good second in the Steve Sexton Mile (G3) at Lone Star Park.

Touchuponastar figures to keep his hot streak alive while returning to the Louisiana-bred ranks for Saturday’s fifth race at Fair Grounds, the Louisiana Champions Days Classic at 3 p.m. EST. Touchuponastar wired this race by an easy 4 3/4 lengths last year and is the 3-5 morning-line favorite to win Saturday’s renewal, so another decisive triumph will be widely expected.