Prospect Watch: 5 promising juveniles debut at 4 tracks

Another busy week of racing is on tap across the country. Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifiers at Los Alamitos and Remington Park are bound to draw much of the attention, but I would be remiss for failing to mention competitive maiden special weights for 2-year-olds taking place at Aqueduct, Fair Grounds, Gulfstream Park and Oaklawn.

So for this week’s edition of Prospect Watch, I'll highlight five promising juveniles debuting at four tracks:

Friday

Aqueduct race 1: Maiden special weight (six furlongs, 12:20 p.m. EST)

No. 3 Venge

Age: 2

Pedigree: Gun Runner–Classic Point, by Flatter

Purchase price: N/A

Trainer: Robert Ribaudo

A son of hot young sire Gun Runner, Venge is the first starter produced by Classic Point, a late-maturing sprinter/miler who rose from the claiming ranks to win the Inside Information (G2) and Go for Wand Handicap (G3) at age 6.

Venge has been cranking out fast workouts for hot trainer Robert Ribaudo, most notably blazing a bullet five furlongs from the Belmont Park training track starting gate in 59.60 seconds. Venge’s pedigree suggests he’ll improve with maturity, but his work tab is so promising there’s no way he can be dismissed from win consideration on debut.

Oaklawn Park race 6: Maiden special weight (one mile, 3:50 p.m.)

No. 1 Citizen

Age: 2

Pedigree: Curlin–Distracting, by Distorted Humor

Purchase price: $370,000

Trainer: Ron Moquett

Citizen hails from the red-hot barn of Ron Moquett. Since the start of the Oaklawn meet, Moquett has compiled four wins, two seconds and a third from eight starters, which includes 1-for-1 for debuting juveniles.

Citizen breezed a bullet half-mile in 48.4 seconds at Oaklawn last month, suggesting the son of two-time horse of the year Curlin has talent. He sold for $370,000 as a 2-year-old in training and has hot jockey Rafael Bejarano (a 28 percent winner at Oaklawn) named to ride, so there’s a lot to like about Citizen.

Fair Grounds race 6: Maiden special weight (six furlongs, 4:45 p.m.)

No. 5 Golden Nugget

Age: 2

Pedigree: Mendelssohn–Tipping Point, by Speightstown

Purchase price: $350,000

Trainer: Brendan Walsh

There’s talent and potential in the pedigree of Golden Nugget. Sire Mendelssohn was a multi-surface threat who won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) and UAE Derby (G2), while dam Tipping Point (a daughter of Champion Sprinter Speightstown) has foaled four winners from four starters, including the stakes-winning sprinter Blame J D.

Golden Nugget has been breezing quickly over the Turfway Park Tapeta track for trainer Brendan Walsh, even clocking a bullet half-mile from the starting gate in 47.8 seconds. He also has posted quick workouts over the Keeneland dirt (including a half-mile from the gate in 47 seconds), so Golden Nugget appears to have ability.

Saturday

Aqueduct race 6: Maiden special weight (one mile, 2:10 p.m.)

No. 7 Abstract

Age: 2

Pedigree: Curlin–Cajun Delta Dawn, by Kantharos

Purchase price: $975,000

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

Sold for $975,000 as a yearling, Abstract boasts a promising pedigree for the partnership of Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable. He’s a son of Curlin (the sire of classic winners Exaggerator and Palace Malice) out of Cajun Delta Dawn, an early-maturing juvenile who won the Florida Sire Desert Vixen and Florida Sire Susan’s Girl before finishing second in the Delta Downs Princess (G3).

Abstract has turned in a lengthy series of workouts over the Belmont Park training track. None have been especially quick, but he should be fit enough to race one mile. According to Brisnet stats, trainer Todd Pletcher wins at an excellent 18 percent rate with horses debuting over one mile or farther, so don’t count Abstract out of the mix.

Sunday

Gulfstream Park race 6: Maiden special weight (six furlongs, 2:38 p.m.)

No. 3 Famosa

Age: 2

Pedigree: Speightstown–Loveofalifetime, by Medaglia d’Oro

Purchase price: N/A

Trainer: Antonio Sano

Antonio Sano appears to have a promising young filly in his barn. Famosa is a daughter of Speightstown (who sires 15 percent winners from first-time starters, according to Brisnet stats) out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Loveofalifetime, previously the dam of the multiple graded stakes-placed sprinter Into Mystic.

Medaglia d’Oro is a source of stamina, and Speightstown has sired a surprising number of Grade 1 winners over 1 1/4 miles, so there’s a chance Famosa will shine running long. But for now, she’s debuting in a sprint and can’t be overlooked after churning out a few bullet workouts at Gulfstream Park, most recently a half-mile in 48 seconds.