Prospect Watch: 6 notable debuts at 3 tracks
January is always a good time of year to search maiden special weight entries for promising 3-year-olds making their debuts. Often there are well-bred youngsters to be found.
Such is the case this week. A half-sister to Dortmund and a colt produced by Dame Dorothy are two of the half-dozen notable names we’re highlighting in Prospect Watch.
Friday
Oaklawn race 7: Maiden special weight (six furlongs, 4:24 p.m. EST)
No. 6 Shuffle Dance
Age: 3
Pedigree: Nyquist–Ushuaia, by Cape Canaveral
Purchase price: $100,000
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen has picked a somewhat ambitious spot for Shuffle Dance’s debut. The son of Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist is facing older rivals, including a couple of 4-year-olds who have squared off against horses such as Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Elite Power and Rebel (G2) runner-up Ethereal Road.
But Shuffle Dance looks ready to factor on Friday. He’s turned in a couple of quick five-furlong workouts at Oaklawn, including a bullet move from the starting gate in 1:00.6 seconds, and hot jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. is named to ride. Don’t be surprised if Shuffle Dance outruns his 8-1 morning line odds.
Saturday
Gulfstream Park race 5: Maiden special weight (six furlongs, 2:09 p.m.)
No. 6 Cuvier
Age: 3
Pedigree: Collected–Chasing the Moon, by Flower Alley
Purchase price: $140,000
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
The first of two Pletcher trainees debuting in this field is Cuvier, a son of Pacific Classic (G1) winner and Breeders’ Cup Classic runner-up Collected. The chestnut colt clocked a quick half-mile from the Palm Beach Downs starting gate in 49.30 seconds last week and can’t be dismissed from consideration. Keep in mind, Pletcher has gone 19-for-79 (24 percent) debuting 3-year-olds males over the Gulfstream dirt since 2018.
No. 8 Sgt. Pepper
Age: 3
Pedigree: Uncle Mo–Dame Dorothy, by Bernardini
Purchase price: $1.6 million
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
The second Pletcher trainee in this field is the exciting Sgt. Pepper, who sold for $1.6 million as a yearling. It’s easy to see why he brought such a hefty price; Sgt. Pepper is a son of champion and successful sire Uncle Mo out of Derby City Distaff (G1) winner Dame Dorothy, already the dam of Allaire DuPont (G3) winner Spice Is Nice.
Sgt. Pepper has turned in several quick workouts at Palm Beach Downs, including half a mile from the starting gate in 49.30 seconds last week. The fact his workout is identical in date, time and conditions to the one posted by Cuvier suggests the two worked in company. We’ll find out on Saturday which one is faster.
Aqueduct race 5: Maiden special weight (seven furlongs, 2:17 p.m.)
No. 2 Power in Numbers
Age: 3
Pedigree: Girvin–Gold Edge, by Eddington
Purchase price: $200,000
Trainer: Chad Brown
A son of Haskell (G1) winner and hot young sire Girvin, Power in Numbers is a Klaravich Stables colorbearer trained by Chad Brown. Past Klaravich/Brown runners to debut over the Aqueduct main track include Preakness winners Cloud Computing and Early Voting.
Power in Numbers has put together a long and promising work tab capped off by half a mile from the Belmont Park training track starting gate in a bullet 47.40 seconds. Look for this $200,000 yearling acquisition to fire a strong shot on debut.
Gulfstream Park race 8: maiden special weight (one mile, 3:37 p.m.)
No. 2 Kingsbarns
Age: 3
Pedigree: Uncle Mo–Lady Tapit, by Tapit
Purchase price: $800,000
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Purchased for $800,000 as a 2-year-old in training, Kingsbarns is a son of Uncle Mo out of Lady Tapit, who was third in the Adoration (G3) racing 1 1/16 miles and a daughter of three-time leading North American sire Tapit.
This is a pedigree geared strongly toward success running long, so it’s easy to understand why Kingsbarns is debuting over one mile. He breezed a bullet five furlongs at Palm Beach Downs in 1:02.16 seconds last week and appears likely to factor on debut.
Sunday
Gulfstream Park race 6: maiden special weight (six furlongs, 2:38 p.m.)
No. 3 Enchanted Rider
Age: 3
Pedigree: Shaman Ghost–Our Josephina, by Tale of the Cat
Purchase price: $270,000
Trainer: Chad Brown
There’s a lot of class in the pedigree of Enchanted Rider. Sire Shaman Ghost won the Santa Anita Handicap (G1), Woodward (G1) and Queen’s Plate during a productive career, while dam Our Josephina is best known for foaling Dortmund, winner of the Santa Anita Derby (G1) and third in the Kentucky Derby.
Enchanted Rider hasn’t put together the flashiest work tab, but four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown won at a 21 percent rate with first-time starters last year, so we can’t count this bay filly out of the mix.