Prospect Watch: 5 to follow at Del Mar and Saratoga

Another week, another lineup of top-class racing at Del Mar and Saratoga.

Exciting maiden special weights for 2-year-olds are slated to take place at both Del Mar and Saratoga this Saturday. Let’s check out the entries and highlight five of the most intriguing first-time starters:

Saturday

Saratoga race 1: Maiden special weight (5 1/2 furlongs, 1:05 p.m. EDT)

No. 5 Capture the Flag

Age: 2

Pedigree: Quality Road–War Flag, by War Front

Purchase price: N/A

Trainer: Shug McGaughey

There’s plenty of class in the pedigree of Capture the Flag. The bay colt is a son of four-time Grade 1-winning dirt star and successful sire Quality Road out of the War Front mare War Flag, winner of the Flower Bowl (G1) racing 1 1/4 miles on turf.

This is a pedigree with potential for success on both dirt and turf, so Capture the Flag figures to have lots of racing options down the road. Sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs as a juvenile is unlikely to be his best ballgame (he’s bred to improve with maturity), but keep an eye on Capture the Flag in the long run.

Del Mar Race 6: Maiden special weight (5 1/2 furlongs, 7:30 p.m.)

No. 3 Hard to Figure

Age: 2

Pedigree: Hard Spun–Ani La, by Mr. Greeley

Purchase price: $200,000

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Purchased for $200,000 as a 2-year-old in training, Hard to Figure has been cranking out fast workouts for trainer Bob Baffert, including a bullet half-mile at Santa Anita in 46.2 seconds and six furlongs from the Del Mar starting gate in 1:11.2 seconds.

Hard to Figure is a son of Kentucky Derby runner-up and Grade 1-winning sprinter Hard Spun out of Ani La, whose previous foals include the early-maturing Edmonton Juvenile winner Fall At Last and two-time stakes winner Inconclusive. The latter won her debut at age 2, so between his promising pedigree and his flashy workouts, Hard to Figure looks ready to fire a strong shot right out of the gate.

No. 4 Game Time

Age: 2

Pedigree: Not This Time–Confession, by Broken Vow

Purchase price: $290,000

Trainer: John Sadler

The first of two John Sadler trainees in this deep field, Game Time is a son of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile runner-up Not This Time, a hot young stallion who sires an excellent 22 percent winners from first-time starters per Brisnet statistics.

Sadler wins at a respectable 17 percent rate with debuting runners, and Game Time has put together a solid work tab capped off by five furlongs in 1:00.4 at Del Mar. He’s a logical contender in his first run under colors.

No. 5 Riverside

Age: 2

Pedigree: Bernardini–Rainier, by Medaglia d’Oro

Purchase price: $310,000

Trainer: John Sadler

The second Sadler trainee brought $310,000 when sold at auction earlier this year. From a pedigree perspective, Riverside is bred top and bottom to improve with maturity and thrive running long – sire Bernardini won the Preakness, and dam sire Medaglia d’Oro placed second in the Belmont, and both are solid sources of stamina.

But Riverside has shown flashes of speed in the mornings, even clocking a bullet half-mile at Santa Anita in 47.4 seconds. He’ll also benefit from a seven-pound weight allowance courtesy of apprentice jockey Emily Ellingwood, so Riverside offers intrigue.

No. 8 Newgate

Age: 2

Pedigree: Into Mischief–Majestic Presence, by Majestic Warrior

Purchase price: $850,000

Trainer: Bob Baffert

It’s safe to say Newgate is bred to win from an early age. Into Mischief (a three-time leading North American sire) won a Grade 1 as a juvenile and sires 16 percent winners from first-time starters. Majestic Warrior won the Hopeful (G1) at age 2, and Majestic Presence’s juvenile campaign included a fourth-place finish against a large field in the Chandelier (G1), as well as a start in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

So it’s easy to understand why Newgate sold for $850,000 as a yearling. And while pedigrees and purchase price aren’t everything, Newgate has been training up a storm for Bob Baffert, most notably clocking a bullet five furlongs from the Santa Anita starting gate in 59.2 seconds. Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez is named to ride, so Newgate has to be viewed as the horse to beat on Saturday.