Prospect Watch: 6 enter Saratoga’s first juvenile test of 2022
Summer officially began on June 21, but in the world of horse racing, summer waits for the annual opening of Saratoga in New York.
The hotly anticipated meet kicks off on Thursday with an exciting 10-race card. Classy maiden races for 2-year-olds are a highlight of every Saratoga meet, and the opening card of 2022 delivers with an intriguing 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight for fillies serving as the second race of the meet.
Let’s check out each of the six entrants.
Saratoga Race 2: Maiden special weight (5 1/2 furlongs, 1:39 p.m. EDT)
No. 1 Half a Chance
Age: 2
Pedigree: Flatter–Third Chance, by Kafwain
Purchase price: $150,000
Trainer: Wesley Ward
The only experienced filly in the field is Half a Chance, a Wesley Ward trainee exiting a solid effort in her debut at Belmont Park. Sprinting five furlongs on turf in a maiden special weight, Half a Chance carved out the pace before staying on to finish second by three-quarters of a length. Sire Flatter is responsible for plenty of nice dirt horses (including champion West Coast), and dam Third Chance won multiple stakes on dirt, so Half a Chance can’t be dismissed while switching surfaces for her second start.
No. 2 Spelterini
Age: 2
Pedigree: Bernardini–Keepshercool, by Smart Strike
Purchase price: N/A
Trainer: Bill Mott
A Godolphin homebred son of champion Bernardini, Spelterini was produced by a Smart Strike mare, giving her the pedigree to improve with maturity and thrive over classic distances. Sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs as a juvenile is unlikely to be Spelterini’s best ballgame, so a winning effort isn’t necessarily in the offing. But if she shows any spark, Spelterini is worth following in the long run.
No. 3 Will Be Famous
Age: 2
Pedigree: Will Take Charge–Famous, by Vindication
Purchase price: $80,000
Trainer: Bruce Brown
Trainer Bruce Brown isn’t a frequent winner with first-time starters, striking only 5 percent of the time, so Will Be Famous might need a race before hitting peak form. But the daughter of champion Will Take Charge was produced by Famous, a daughter of champion and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Vindication, so there’s quite a bit of class in Will Be Famous’ pedigree. She also breezed a bullet half-mile from the starting gate at the Belmont Park training track in a swift 48 seconds last month, so don’t dismiss Will Be Famous as a long shot with a chance to outrun expectations.
No. 4 Thirty Thou Kelvin
Age: 2
Pedigree: Bolt d’Oro–Wealthy Shipman, by Midshipman
Purchase price: $110,000
Trainer: Danny Gargan
A son of hot young sire Bolt d’Oro (who is siring 36 percent winners from first-time starters, according to Brisnet), Thirty Thou Kelvin was produced by a Midshipman mare. This is significant because Bolt d’Oro won multiple Grade 1 races at age 2 and Midshipman was a champion juvenile, which gives Thirty Thou Kelvin the pedigree to shine from an early age. Trainer Danny Gargan won with his lone 2-year-old first-time starter over the Saratoga main track last year, so Thirty Thou Kelvin is eligible to fire a competitive shot on debut.
No. 5 Two Minute Drill
Age: 2
Pedigree: Union Rags–Mistical Plan, by Game Plan
Purchase price: $210,000
Trainer: Jason Barkley
There’s a lot to like about the pedigree of Two Minute Drill. Sire Union Rags won the Belmont, while dam Mistical Plan nabbed the Princess Rooney Handicap (G1) and already has foaled four winners from six starters. Two Minute Drill has been cranking out encouraging workouts in Kentucky, including three straight half-miles in 49 seconds or less, so there’s potential here.
No. 6 Chocolate Gelato
Age: 2
Pedigree: Practical Joke–Special Treat, by Candy Ride
Purchase price: $475,000
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
The 7-5 morning line favorite looks formidable for trainer Todd Pletcher, who went 6-for-21 (29 percent) debuting juveniles over the Saratoga main track last year. Chocolate Gelato’s sire is Practical Joke, who won his debut as a 2-year old at Saratoga before nabbing the Hopeful (G1) over the same track. Practical Joke sires an excellent 19 percent winners from first-time starters, according to Brisnet, and Chocolate Gelato enters off a sharp five-furlong workout at Saratoga. So this pricey $475,000 auction acquisition looks ready to win under Irad Ortiz Jr., who has won more races than any other jockey at Saratoga since 2017.