Prospect Watch: Monomoy Girl's half-brother leads 9 debuts

Many well-bred and promising horses are slated to debut across the country this week, but none figure to draw more pre-race attention than Tapthedrum, a half-brother to two-time champion Monomoy Girl.

Monomoy Girl won seven Grade 1 races during her decorated career, including the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and two editions of the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Those are big shoes to fill, but who knows? Perhaps Tapthedrum will defy the odds and achieve a similar level of success.

I highlight Tapthedrum and eight other first-time starters in this edition of Prospect Watch.

Thursday

Gulfstream Park race 7: Maiden special weight (six furlongs, 3:38 p.m. EDT)

No. 4 Snow Princess

3-year-old filly

Pedigree: Quality Road–Candy Drawer, by Candy Ride

Purchase price: N/A

Trainer: Bill Mott

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott isn’t a frequent winner with first-time starters, but he’s enjoyed strong success debuting horses over the Gulfstream Park main track since Dec. 26, compiling two wins, two seconds and three thirds from nine starters. That bodes well for Snow Princess, an unraced daughter of four-time Grade 1 winner Quality Road out of Candy Drawer, the dam of Chillingworth (G3) winner Into Chocolate. Snow Princess has the pedigree to challenge sprinting six furlongs on debut and can’t be counted out of the mix.

No. 7 Accede

3-year-old filly

Pedigree: Into Mischief–Jibboom, by Mizzen Mast

Purchase price: N/A

Trainer: Chad Brown

One of Snow Princess’s key rivals is Accede, a daughter of four-time leading North American sire Into Mischief out of Jibboom, the dam of Ireland’s Athasi (G3) winner Flying Jib. A Juddmonte homebred conditioned by four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown, Accede has shown speed while training over the slow surface at Payson Park and has hot jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. named to ride, setting the stage for a competitive debut.

Saturday

Oaklawn race 1: Maiden special weight (six furlongs, 1:35 p.m.)

No. 3 Patton’s War

3-year-old colt

Pedigree: West Coast–Spring Storm, by Unbridled’s Song

Purchase price: $120,000

Trainer: Brad Cox

High-percentage trainer Brad Cox is set to unveil Patton’s War, a son of 2017 champion 3-year-old male West Coast. Acquired for $120,000 as a 2-year-old in training, Patton’s War has shown speed over the Churchill Downs training track (most notably clocking five furlongs in 1:00.2) and is slated to be ridden by Florent Geroux, a 30 percent winner partnering with Cox over the last two months, according to Brisnet statistics. Patton’s War can’t be dismissed from win consideration.

Gulfstream Park race 3: Maiden special weight (one mile, 1:38 p.m.)

No. 1 Neutral

3-year-old colt

Pedigree: Curlin–Value Stream, by A.P. Indy

Purchase price: $225,000

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

A son of two-time Horse of the Year and elite sire Curlin, Neutral was produced by the A.P. Indy mare Value Stream, who placed in a couple of stakes racing one mile on turf. This is a pedigree geared top and bottom toward success running long, so it’s no wonder that Neutral has been nominated to the Triple Crown. His work tab isn’t especially flashy, but he has the bloodlines to develop into a Belmont Stakes contender, so keep an eye on how Neutral performs Saturday.

No. 4 Magical Power

3-year-old colt

Pedigree: Good Magic–Follow Moon, by Malibu Moon

Purchase price: $460,000

Trainer: Todd Pletcher

The second Pletcher trainee debuting in this field is Magical Power, who sold for $460,000 as a yearling. The son of champion juvenile Good Magic has turned in several bullet workouts at Palm Beach Downs (including half a mile from the starting gate in 48.98 seconds), so he’s eligible to win on debut under four-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey Ortiz, a 37 percent winner teaming up with Pletcher over the last two months, according to Brisnet.

Fair Grounds race 7: Maiden special weight (1 1/16 miles, 5:15 p.m.)

No. 3 Pursuit of Power

3-year-old colt

Pedigree: Gun Runner–Distorted Lies, by Smart Strike

Purchase price: $875,000

Trainer: Steve Asmussen

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen is set to unveil Pursuit of Power, a Triple Crown-nominated son of hot young sire Gun Runner. Pursuit of Power’s dam is Distorted Lies, a daughter of Kentucky Oaks runner-up Broadway’s Alibi, which makes Distorted Lies a half-sister to Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Elite Power. Pursuit of Power sold for $875,000 as a yearling and has posted several sharp five-furlong workouts at Fair Grounds, including a couple of bullet moves, so expectations likely are high for his debut.

Sunday

Gulfstream Park race 1: Maiden wpecial weight (1 1/8 miles on turf, 12:40 p.m.)

No. 4 Settling Storm

3-year-old filly

Pedigree: Tonalist–Storm Tide, by Storm Cat

Purchase price: N/A

Trainer: Christophe Clement

Remember American Lion? He finished 11th in the 2010 Kentucky Derby after winning the Illinois Derby (G3) and Hollywood Prevue (G3). American Lion was produced by Storm Tide, whose latest foal to reach the races is Settling Storm, a daughter of Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist. Under the care of high-percentage trainer Christophe Clement, Settling Storm has cranked out a bevy of five-furlong workouts over the Payson Park turf course, suggesting she’s ready to challenge on debut.

Fair Grounds race 7: Maiden special weight (about 1 1/16 miles on turf, 5:15 p.m.)

No. 1 Tapthedrum

3-year-old colt

Pedigree: Tapit–Drumette, by Henny Hughes

Purchase price: N/A

Trainer: Brad Cox

Arguably the best-bred horse entered to race this week is the above-mentioned Tapthedrum. As a son of three-time leading North American sire Tapit out of Drumette, Tapthedrum is not only a half-brother to Monomoy Girl, but a half-brother to Risen Star (G2) winner Mr. Monomoy. Brad Cox trained both of those stakes stars and likewise conditions Tapthedrum, who showed speed when breezing five furlongs from the Fair Grounds starting gate in 1:00.8 on March 3. It will be exciting to see how Tapthedrum performs on race day, though his pedigree suggests dirt would be preferable to turf. Tapthedrum might fare better if this race gets rained off the turf.

No. 5 Promise Me a Ride

3-year-old colt

Pedigree: Mastery–Promise Me More, by More Than Ready

Purchase price: $95,000

Trainer: Brad Cox

Tapthedrum has the flashier pedigree, but his stablemate Promise Me a Ride might be the more likely winner of this Sunday maiden special weight. A Triple Crown-nominated son of Los Alamitos Futurity (G1) winner Mastery, Promise Me a Ride was produced by Promise Me More, winner of the Donnie Wilhite Memorial and runner-up in the Rachel Alexandra (G3). Promise Me a Ride blazed five furlongs from the Fair Grounds starting gate in 59.8 seconds last Saturday and looks ready to challenge under jockey Colby Hernandez, who has gone 3-for-5 (60 percent) teaming up with Cox over the last two months, according to Brisnet.