Prospect Watch: 6 sophomores debut at Gulfstream, Santa Anita
This Saturday, Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita will team up to host a gigantic afternoon of racing. Fifteen stakes are on the agenda, and special cross-track wagering opportunities have been scheduled.
The stakes naturally will draw most of the attention, but there also are interesting maiden special weights for 3-year-olds on the table. Let’s check out the entries and highlight half a dozen exciting first-time starters slated to debut:
Gulfstream Park Race 4: Maiden special weight (seven furlongs, 1:40 p.m. EST)
No. 2 Town Branch
Age: 3
Pedigree: Street Sense–Tyburn Brook, by Bernardini
Purchase price: N/A
Trainer: Bill Mott
A Godolphin homebred nominated to the Triple Crown, Town Branch is bred to be a star. His sire is 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, and his dam is the unraced mare Tyburn Brook, which makes Town Branch a full brother to recent Fred W. Hooper (G3) winner Speaker’s Corner.
Speaker’s Corner, like Town Branch, is a Godolphin homebred trained by Bill Mott, so in a sense Town Branch is shaping up to be Speaker’s Corner 2.0. Town Branch has put together a lengthy work tab at Payson Park highlighted by a bullet half-mile from the starting gate in 49 seconds, so there’s a lot of potential here.
No. 8 Hidden Plan
Age: 3
Pedigree: Street Sense–Tanca, by Polish Numbers
Purchase price: $240,000
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
It’s safe to say Triple Crown nominee Hidden Plan hails from a productive family. Dam Tanca has foaled three stakes winners from seven starters, including last month’s General George (G3) winner Cordmaker
Trainer Todd Pletcher has gone 9-for-32 (28 percent) saddling first-time starters at Gulfstream this winter, so you can bet Hidden Plan will be cranked for a strong effort on debut. He’s been breezing steadily at Palm Beach Downs (where he clocked a bullet five furlongs in 1:01.6 on Jan. 28) and picks up hot jockey Jose Ortiz, so all signs suggest Hidden Plan can challenge for victory.
No. 9 Mendenhall
Age: 3
Pedigree: Pioneerof the Nile–Mamma Kimbo, by Discreet Cat
Purchase price: $675,000
Trainer: Bill Mott
Unlike stablemate Town Branch, Mendenhall isn’t nominated to the Triple Crown. But that doesn’t mean the dark bay colt is a less promising prospect.
To the contrary, Mendenhall is bred to be something special. Sire Pioneerof the Nile finished second in the Kentucky Derby and is renowned as the sire of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. Dam Mamma Kimbo won the Fantasy (G2) and already has produced Tom Ridge winner Balandeen.
Sold for a hefty $675,000 as a yearling, Mendenhall has been breezing like clockwork at Payson Park, where he recorded a bullet half mile from the starting gate in 49 seconds on Feb. 7. Hot jockey Joel Rosario is named to ride, so don’t dismiss Mendenhall from consideration.
Santa Anita Race 2: Maiden special weight (six furlongs, 3:30 p.m.)
No. 2 Overrule
Age: 3
Pedigree: Mastery–Enthralling, by Arch
Purchase price: N/A
Trainer: Richard Mandella
On Wednesday, it was revealed that Beholder – a four-time Eclipse Award winner trained by Richard Mandella – is a nominee for induction into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame. Beholder is arguably the greatest horse conditioned by Mandella, but perhaps Overrule will have something to say about that in a few years.
A son of Grade 1 winner Mastery, Overrule is nominated to the Triple Crown and has been training like a promising prospect at Santa Anita. On Feb. 21, he clocked six furlongs in a snappy 1:13.6 seconds, and he followed up with five furlongs in one minute flat last Sunday. Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith is named to ride, so expectations are surely high for Overrule.
No. 4 Taiba
Age: 3
Pedigree: Gun Runner–Needmore Flattery, by Flatter
Purchase price: $1.7 million
Trainer: Bob Baffert
After breezing a furlong in 10.2 seconds at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Florida Select 2-Year-Olds in Training sale, Taiba proved popular among potential buyers, bringing a final bid of $1.7 million. Considering he’s a son of 2017 Horse of the Year and ultra-hot young sire Gun Runner out of the 14-time stakes-winning mare Needmore Flattery, Taiba’s hefty price tag might prove to be a bargain.
Taiba has been training strongly in preparation for his debut, cranking out one fast workout after another at Santa Anita. He capped off his preparations with six furlongs in a bullet 1:12.6 seconds and will be ridden by hot jockey John Velazquez (a 57 percent winner teaming up with trainer Bob Baffert in the last two months), suggesting Taiba is the horse to beat on Saturday. It’s worth noting he’s nominated to the Triple Crown.
No. 5 Mauritius
Age: 3
Pedigree: Twirling Candy–Special Still, by Quiet American
Purchase price: $130,000
Trainer: Bob Baffert
When sold at auction as a yearling, Mauritius brought a final bid of $130,000, less than 8 percent of the amount yielded by stablemate Taiba. But although Mauritius is more of a bargain acquisition, he’s eligible to challenge for victory on debut.
After all, Mauritius has put together a steady string of fast workouts at Santa Anita, including five furlongs from the starting gate in 59.2 seconds last month. Just as important, Santa Anita’s top jockey Flavien Prat is named to ride. Mauritius might not be a Triple Crown nominee, but he still warrants watching on Saturday.