Prospect Watch: 5 debuting at Gulfstream and Oaklawn
As spring draws closer, promising 3-year-olds continue to debut with regularity across the country.
Two of the most intriguing maiden special weights for sophomores this weekend are taking place at Gulfstream Park and Oaklawn, two centers of high-class winter racing.
Let’s explore five of the best-bred newcomers in the entries:
Saturday
Gulfstream Park Race 9: Maiden special weight (six furlongs, 4:38 p.m. EST)
No. 3 Under Oath
Age: 3
Pedigree: Speightstown–Jojo Warrior, by Pioneerof the Nile
Purchase price: N/A
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jojo Warrior was a pretty good racehorse, winning the Grade 2 Summertime Oaks and Torrey Pines (G3) during a productive 3-year-old campaign. She also is off to a solid start as a broodmare, foaling two winners from two starters.
Jojo Warrior’s third starter will be Under Oath, a son of champion sprinter Speightstown. The chestnut colt has put together an excellent work tab at Palm Beach Downs, culminating with a bullet five furlongs in one minute flat last Saturday. Pletcher wins at a 21 percent rate with first-time starters, so Under Oath should have every chance to win on debut and develop into a stakes horse.
No. 9 Cape Trafalgar
Age: 3
Pedigree: Lord Nelson–Goldrush Girl, by Political Force
Purchase price: $325,000
Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr.
A Triple Crown nominee sold for $325,000 as a yearling, Cape Trafalgar has shown serious speed during morning training. Two of his last three workouts have been bullet moves at Gulfstream Park, including five furlongs from the starting gate in 59 seconds.
Cape Trafalgar is a son of Lord Nelson, who won the San Vicente (G2) as a 3-year-old before nabbing a trio of a Grade 1 sprints at age 4. Cape Trafalgar is eligible to win from an early age, but don’t be surprised if his best efforts come down the road. In any case, this Peachtree Stable colorbearer looks like a promising prospect.
No. 11 Emirates Road
Age: 3
Pedigree: Quality Road–Enrichment, by Ghostzapper
Purchase price: N/A
Trainer: Brendan Walsh
Talk about a quality pedigree. Quality Road won four Grade 1 races, Ghostzapper was a Horse of the Year and Enrichment has foaled stakes winner Libreta plus recent Gulfstream allowance winner Prevalence.
With these elite bloodlines backing him up, Emirates Road figures to be a popular play on Saturday. The bay colt has fired off a couple of bullet workouts at Palm Meadows (including a half-mile from the starting gate in 48.2 seconds), and trainer Brendan Walsh wins at a respectable 14 percent rate with horses debuting on dirt or synthetic.
Sunday
Oaklawn Race 9: Maiden special weight (six furlongs, 6:10 p.m.)
No. 3 Be There
Age: 3
Pedigree: Medaglia d’Oro–Tin Type Gal, by Tapit
Purchase price: N/A
Trainer: Nick Zito
Two-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Nick Zito hasn’t saddled a winning first-time starter in a while, but that doesn’t mean we should dismiss Be There from consideration on Saturday.
Granted, the six-furlong distance of this maiden sprint is probably too short for Be There; as a son of Medaglia d’Oro out of the Tapit mare Tin Type Gal (a two-time stakes winner running long on turf), Be There is bred to thrive once he stretches out around two turns.
But Be There has shown flashes of speed in the mornings, most notably clocking a bullet half-mile from the Oaklawn starting gate in 47.4 seconds. And this isn’t the deepest field on paper, so there’s a chance Be There (a Triple Crown nominee) can outrun his odds on debut.
No. 6 Maxienfinn
Age: 3
Pedigree: Speightstown–Listenupnow, by Hard Spun
Purchase price: N/A
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Since 2018, trainer Steve Asmussen has compiled an excellent 10-for-40 (25 percent) record debuting male horses in dirt sprints at Oaklawn. This lofty win percentage points toward Maxienfinn as a logical contender in his debut on Saturday at Oaklawn.
Maxienfinn has been training out of the spotlight at Louisiana Downs, wrapping up his work tab with a bullet five furlongs from the starting gate in 47 seconds on March 2. Speightstown sires a solid 16 percent winners from first-time starters, so don’t dismiss Maxienfinn from consideration.