Prospect Watch: 3 debuting at Belmont and Churchill Thursday
The Kentucky Derby is over, spring is well underway, and juvenile racing continues to heat up across the country.
Churchill Downs and Belmont Park are hosting competitive maiden special weights for 2-year-olds on Thursday. Let’s highlight three of the most intriguing first-time starters in the entries.
Churchill Downs Race 1: Maiden special weight (five furlongs, 5:00 p.m. EDT)
No. 3 Drew’s Gold
Age: 2
Pedigree: Violence–Frolic’s Revenge, by Vindication
Purchase price: $25,000
Trainer: James Chapman
This race is restricted to horses who brought a final bid of $45,000 or less at auction, so Drew’s Gold – who sold for $25,000 as a yearling – fits the bill quite nicely.
It’s arguably a little surprising that Drew’s Gold brought such a modest price. Sire Violence was a Grade 1-winning juvenile who sires an excellent 17 percent winners from first-time starters, and dam Frolic’s Revenge won five stakes while competing with equal aplomb on dirt and turf. Just as important, Frolic’s Revenge has proven productive as a broodmare, foaling American Frolic (a stakes winner on turf) and Mc Awesome (placed in multiple stakes on dirt).
Drew’s Gold has turned in a trio of solid half-mile workouts at Belmont Park in recent weeks, so don’t dismiss him from consideration on Thursday. He’s eligible to outrun his 15-1 morning-line odds.
Belmont Park Race 1: Maiden special weight (five furlongs, 3:05 p.m.)
No. 1 Magic Beauty
Age: 2
Pedigree: Curlin–Magic Belle, by Gold Case
Purchase price: $9,000
Trainer: James Chapman
In addition to the above-mentioned Drew’s Gold, James Chapman has the promising filly Magic Beauty slated to debut at Belmont Park. She’s a daughter of two-time Horse of the Year and elite sire Curlin out of Magic Belle, previously the dam of juvenile stakes winner and Grade 1 Champagne runner-up Syndergaard.
Magic Beauty has shown a bit of speed in the mornings, most notably clocking half a mile over the Belmont Park training track in 48.8 seconds. Even though she sold for only $9,000 as a yearling, Magic Beauty has a promising profile and an opportunity to exceed expectations on Saturday.
No. 2 Ever a Rebel
Age: 2
Pedigree: Bolt d’Oro–Money Madness, by Rahy
Purchase price: $130,000
Trainer: Wesley Ward
Perhaps the most likely winner of this maiden dash is Ever a Rebel, hailing from the barn of Wesley Ward. Early-season juvenile sprints are frequently conquered by Ward trainees, a tendency reflected by Ward’s lofty 30 percent win rate with all first-time starters.
Ever a Rebel comes from the first crop of foals sired by Bolt d’Oro, an early-maturing juvenile standout who counted the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity and Grade 1 FrontRunner as his signature triumphs. Bolt d’Oro already is off to a positive start at stud, siring a winner and a third-place finisher from two starters, and the fact Ever a Rebel is a half-sibling to Boardroom (a multiple graded stakes-winning sprinter) is another positive.
Ever a Rebel has been training forwardly at Keeneland and Turfway Park, and Irad Ortiz Jr. is named to ride. Ortiz and Ward have gone 7-for-21 (33 percent) teaming up over the last two months, so look for Ever a Rebel to put forth a strong showing on debut.