Prospect Watch: 6 sophomores debut in 6 weekend races
This week’s notable debuting 3-year-olds are scattered across a surprising number of races.
Gulfstream Park, Fair Grounds and Oaklawn have a bevy of competitive maiden special weights on the agenda, so we’re diving in to highlight six horses in six races for this week’s edition of Prospect Watch.
Saturday
Oaklawn race 4: Maiden special weight (1 1/16 miles, 2:34 p.m. EST)
No. 5 Game Keeper
3-year-old colt
Pedigree: Honor Code–Cableknit, by Unbridled’s Song
Purchase price: N/A
Trainer: D. Wayne Lukas
Game Keeper might be a 30-1 long shot on the morning line, but there’s a lot to like about this stoutly bred colt. He’s a son of champion older dirt male Honor Code out of Cableknit, previously the dam of Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 (G1) winner Capezzano. Game Keeper is a Triple Crown nominee conditioned by four-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer D. Wayne Lukas, and while Lukas rarely wins with first-time starters, Game Keeper is worth following in the long run.
Fair Grounds race 3: Maiden special weight (about 7 1/2 furlongs on turf, 3:15 p.m.)
No. 1 Kid Ketchum
3-year-old colt
Pedigree: Tapit–Molly Morgan, by Ghostzapper
Purchase price: $200,000
Trainer: Brad Cox
It’s interesting to see Kid Ketchum debuting on turf, because this Triple Crown nominee is bred top and bottom for success on dirt. He’s a son of three-time leading North American sire Tapit (who primarily sires top-notch dirt horses) out of Molly Morgan, whose four graded-stakes wins on dirt culminated with a triumph in the La Troienne (G1). Regardless of how Kid Ketchum performs on Saturday, he figures to improve if he switches to dirt down the road.
Oaklawn race 6: Maiden special weight (six furlongs, 3:35 p.m.)
No. 6 Afternoon Tea
3-year-old filly
Pedigree: Speightstown–Dynazaper, by Ghostzapper
Purchase price: N/A
Trainer: Rodolphe Brisset
A WinStar Farm homebred, Afternoon Tea is a daughter of Eclipse Award-winning sprinter and successful sire Speightstown out of Dynazaper, winner of the Edgewood and the dam of Last Chance Derby winner Central Park plus Hal’s Hope (G3) runner-up Copper Town. Trainer Rodolphe Brisset has gone 5-for-15 (33 percent) at Oaklawn this meet, and Afternoon Tea breezed a fast half-mile from the Oaklawn starting gate in 47.8 seconds last Sunday, so don’t dismiss this chestnut filly from win consideration.
Fair Grounds race 6: Maiden special weight (about 1 1/16 miles on turf, 4:45 p.m.)
No. 8 Scat Danz
3-year-old colt
Pedigree: Justify–Back to Love, by Street Cry
Purchase price: $450,000
Trainer: Norm Casse
Sold for just under half a million dollars as a yearling, Scat Danz is a son of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify out of the Street Cry mare Back to Love, a half-sister to Hollywood Juvenile Championship (G3) winner Necessary Evil. Scat Danz has turned in several quick half-mile workouts for trainer Norm Casse and warrants respect on debut, especially since Justify sires a solid 18 percent winners from first-time turf starters per Brisnet stats.
Gulfstream Park race 12: Maiden special weight (one mile on turf, 5:37 p.m.)
No. 6 Hurrying Home
3-year-old colt
Pedigree: Uncle Mo–Curlin N Twirlin, by Curlin
Purchase price: $300,000
Trainer: Bill Mott
Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott is debuting Hurrying Home, a son of champion juvenile and successful sire Uncle Mo out of the Curlin mare Curlin N Twirlin. Both Uncle Mo and Curlin have sired multiple classic winners, so there’s a good chance dirt will prove to be Hurrying Home’s best surface. The fact he recently breezed a bullet half-mile over the Payson Park main track in 48.6 seconds furthers this belief. It’s a little surprising to see Hurrying Home getting started on turf, but he’s bred to relish Saturday’s one-mile distance and can’t be counted out of the mix.
Sunday
Gulfstream Park race 6: Maiden special weight (1 1/16 miles, 2:39 p.m.)
No. 3 Milan Mischief
3-year-old filly
Pedigree: Into Mischief–Pay Attention, by Arch
Purchase price: $440,000
Trainer: Dale Romans
Milan Mischief brings a classy pedigree to the table. She’s a daughter of four-time leading North American sire Into Mischief out of Pay Attention, previously the dam of Grand Prairie Derby winner Little Menace. Into Mischief sires a sharp 16 percent winners from first-time starters, according to Brisnet stats, and Little Menace broke his maiden as a juvenile, so Milan Mischief has the breeding to win from an early age. A sharp half-mile workout in 48.07 seconds Feb. 3 at Gulfstream adds to the appeal.