Prospect Watch: 5 promising juveniles on turf and dirt
As the year progresses and more and more talented 2-year-olds take the stage, we will see an increasing number of future stakes stars in action.
Belmont Park and Churchill Downs highlight this week’s action with a bevy of competitive maiden special weights on the agenda. Let’s examine five particularly promising runners entered to race on Saturday. You never know when the next Grade 1 winner might debut!
Saturday
Belmont Park Race 1: Maiden special weight (five furlongs, turf, 1:00 p.m. EDT)
#1 Slipstream
Sold for $170,000 as a yearling, Slipstream is a son of elite sire More Than Ready out of the Stormy Atlantic mare Cake Baby, who placed in multiple stakes sprinting as a juvenile. This is a pedigree geared toward early success, considering More Than Ready has sired three winners of juvenile races at the Breeders’ Cup.
Trainer Christophe Clement has been ultra-hot at Belmont this meet, winning at a 31 percent rate. Furthermore, Clement has gone 5-for-25 (20 percent) debuting 2-year-olds on turf at Belmont since 2016. Throw in Slipstream’s encouraging work tab, and the dark bay colt appears poised for a strong effort.
#3 Marayel
It’s safe to say Marayel is bred for success sprinting on grass. Sire Dandy Man was a Group 1-placed turf sprinter known for siring grass horses, and Marayel’s full sister My Lea was a two-time Group 3-winning turf sprinter in Italy.
Trained by Brad Cox (a 30 percent winner at Belmont this meet), Marayel has put together an encouraging if not overly flashy work tab at Keeneland, culminating with a half mile in :48 4/5. Ultra-jot jockey Joel Rosario (a 31 percent winner at Belmont) is named to ride, so don’t count Marayel out of contention.
#8 Sense Shines
Trainer Wesley Ward has compiled a phenomenal 19: 8-4-3 (42 percent) record at Belmont this spring, including a 2-for-5 (40 percent) resume with juveniles. On Saturday, Ward will unveil Sense Shines, a dark bay gelding that he also bred and owns.
A son of turf champion Flintshire out of Monrovia (G2) winner Shrinking Violet, Sense Shines has been training steadily at Keeneland, most notably clocking three furlongs from the starting gate in a bullet :35 1/5. Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez (a 41 percent winner when teaming up with Ward) is named to ride, cementing Sense Shines as a formidable win threat.
Churchill Downs Race 1: Maiden special weight (5 1/2 furlongs, 12:45 p.m. EDT)
#3 Glacial
A son of brilliant Metropolitan Handicap (G1) winner Frosted, Glacial looks ready to fire a strong shot on debut. Trainer Norm Casse boasts an excellent 5-for-19 (26 percent) career record debuting 2-year-olds on dirt at Churchill Downs, and Glacial has been cranking out fast workouts over the Churchill main track, including a bullet half-mile in :47 3/5 on April 30.
Sold for $140,000 in March, Glacial was produced by the Lion Heart mare Country Cafe, who has foaled four winners from four starters. With Joe Talamo in the saddle, Glacial figures to be dangerous right out of the gate.
Hailing from the first crop of Cigar Mile (G1) winner Connect, Nineties Country was produced by Magestic Stinger, a daughter of early-maturing Hopeful (G1) winner Majestic Warrior. Magestic Stinger came to hand early enough to break her maiden as a 2-year-old, and one of her first two foals – Strong Will – won his debut in June of his juvenile season.
These bloodlines suggest Nineties Country has the breeding to be an early-maturing sort for trainer Brad Cox, who wins at a 17 percent rate with first-time starters. Hot jockey Florent Geroux (a 24 percent winner at Churchill this meet) is named to ride, and Nineties Country’s work tab is dotted with solid breezes, including a quick half-mile from the Keeneland starting gate in :47 4/5. The $90,000 auction purchase is a logical contender in Saturday’s field, though he might benefit from getting a race under his belt since Cox wins at a higher rate with second-time starters than debut runners.