Prospect Watch: Beholder, Forever Unbridled foals debut

If you thought the post-Breeders’ Cup racing week would be a quiet one, think again. A series of maiden special weights across the country have drawn a bevy of high-profile entrants, including runners produced by the champion mares Beholder and Forever Unbridled.

Let’s highlight nine of the most noteworthy newcomers in the entries:

Friday

Aqueduct race 6: Maiden special weight (six furlongs, 2:44 p.m. EST)

No. 2 Talk of the Nation

Age: 2

Pedigree: Quality Road–She’s Not Here, by Street Cry

Purchase price: N/A

Trainer: Shug McGaughey

The first of two juveniles in this field conditioned by Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey, Talk of the Nation is a son of four-time Grade 1 winner and successful sire Quality Road out of the Street Cry mare She’s Not Here, a two-time winner of the Yellow Ribbon Handicap (G2) racing 1 1/16 miles on turf.

Talk of the Nation has put together a lengthy work tab in preparation for his debut, including a quick half-mile in 47.80 seconds over the Belmont Park training track last month. He brought a final bid of $470,000 when failing to meet his reserve at auction earlier this year, so Talk of the Nation appears to be held in high regard.

No. 3 Code Name

Age: 2

Pedigree: Noble Mission–Reunion, by Speightstown

Purchase price: N/A

Trainer: Shug McGaughey

One of the most interesting pedigrees in the entries this week belongs to Code Name. His dam is Reunion, a half-sister to Travers (G1) and Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) winner Code of Honor. Both Code Name and Code of Honor are sons of the long-winded European grass star Noble Mission, so it’s safe to say Code Name is closely related to Code of Honor.

Shug McGaughey trained Code of Honor and likewise conditions Code Name, who breezed a bullet five furlongs from the Saratoga starting gate in 1:00.55 during the summer. Sprinting six furlongs on debut is unlikely to be Code Name’s strong suit, but look for this chestnut colt to develop in a positive direction down the road.

Saturday

Churchill Downs race 3: Maiden special weight (one mile, 2:00 p.m.)

No. 12 Undoubtedly

Age: 2

Pedigree: Blame–And Why Not, by Street Cry

Purchase price: $500,000

Trainer: Bill Mott

It’s easy to see why Undoubtedly is debuting over one mile. Her sire is 1 1/4-mile Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Blame, and her dam is And Why Not, whose previous foals include 1 1/2-mile Brooklyn (G2) winner Fearless and 1 1/8-mile Sunday Silence winner Just Whistle.

Undoubtedly sold for $500,000 as a yearling and showed a bit of speed when breezing half a mile in 48 seconds at Churchill Downs last Sunday. This Juddmonte colorbearer might be a good one.

No. 15 Medaglia Forever

Age: 2

Pedigree: Medaglia d’Oro–Forever Unbridled, by Unbridled’s Song

Purchase price: N/A

Trainer: Rusty Arnold

As the third also-eligible entrant in an overflow field, Medaglia Forever will need three scratches to compete. But if she draws in, watch out – this Rusty Arnold trainee brings an elite pedigree to the stable. She’s a daughter of Grade 1 winner and successful sire Medaglia d’Oro out of Forever Unbridled, who won the Breeders’ Cup Distaff and Personal Ensign (G1) on her way to being voted champion older dirt female of 2017.

This is a pedigree geared top and bottom toward success running long, so it makes sense to see Medaglia Forever entered to race over one mile. She’s been training steadily, turning in 17 timed workouts since the beginning of July, so fitness shouldn’t be a concern. But regardless of how she performs on debut, look for Medaglia Forever to follow her pedigree and improve with maturity.

Del Mar race 4: Maiden special weight (six furlongs, 5:00 p.m.)

No. 1 Poetica

Age: 2

Pedigree: Speightstown–Poetic Justice, by Pioneerof the Nile

Purchase price: $425,000

Trainer: Peter Eurton

Believe it or not, even with her hefty purchase price of $425,000, Poetica is only the fourth-most expensive first-time starter entered in this deep field of juvenile fillies. But she’s a daughter of champion sprinter Speightstown (who sires 15 percent winners from first-time starters, according to Brisnet stats), and she enters off a couple of quick five-furlong workouts at Santa Anita, so don’t dismiss Poetica from consideration.

No. 2 Miss Monarch Bay

Age: 2

Pedigree: Into Mischief–Curlina, by Cuvee

Purchase price: $940,000

Trainer: Michael McCarthy

Sold for $940,000 as a yearling, Miss Monarch Bay has put together a lengthy work tab at Del Mar and Santa Anita, highlighted by a bullet half-mile in 46.6 seconds on Sept. 11. The daughter of three-time leading North American sire Into Mischief is one to watch for trainer Michael McCarthy, whose win rate with first-time starters (9 percent lifetime) is up to 15 percent in 2022.

No. 3 Wudi

Age: 2

Pedigree: Uncle Mo–Ultralight Beam, by Giant’s Causeway

Purchase price: $725,000

Trainer: Bob Baffert

The first of two pricey Bob Baffert trainees debuting in this race is Wudi, a daughter of champion 2-year-old male and acclaimed sire Uncle Mo out of a mare by three-time leading North American sire Giant’s Causeway. This is a pedigree geared toward stamina, but Wudi has shown speed in the mornings, clocking a half-mile from the Los Alamitos starting gate in 47.6 seconds on Sept. 7. With Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez aboard, Wudi is worth watching on Saturday and down the road.

No. 4 Teena Ella

Age: 2

Pedigree: War Front–Beholder, by Henny Hughes

Purchase price: N/A

Trainer: Richard Mandella

Easily one of the most exciting horses debuting this week is Teena Ella. A daughter of the elite and versatile sire War Front, Teena Ella is the third foal produced by three-time Breeders’ Cup winner and four-time champion Beholder.

Beholder’s first two foals have yet to win, but Teena Ella has been training fast at Santa Anita. Five furlongs from the starting gate in 59.4 seconds… five furlongs in 1:00.6 seconds… six furlongs from the starting gate in 1:12.8 seconds… six furlongs in 1:13.4 seconds. Tenna Ella’s work tab hints she might have serious talent.

No. 7 Faiza

Age: 2

Pedigree: Girvin–Sweet Pistol, by Smart Strike

Purchase price: $725,000

Trainer: Bob Baffert

The second Baffert trainee in this field is Faiza, a son of Haskell (G1) hero and hot young sire Girvin. Sold for $725,000 as a 2-year-old in training, Faiza enters with a flashier work tab than stablemate Wudi, having clocked a bullet six furlongs from the Santa Anita starting gate in 1:11.8 last month. Under high-percentage jockey Flavien Prat (a 23 percent winner this year), Faiza is an obvious win threat.