Prospect Watch: Pletcher, Brown to debut million-dollar 3-year-olds

This week’s racing action is shaping up to be quiet from a graded stakes perspective, but an abundance of high-quality maiden races at Gulfstream Park and Oaklawn Park will help fill the void.

The schedule at Gulfstream is particularly enticing, with a pair of pricey youngsters set to debut. Mighty Road and Colonel Liam both sold for $1 million or more last year, and expectations will be high when these well-bred youngsters line up in the starting gate.

Let’s review seven promising 3-year-old maidens scheduled to race this week...

 
Thursday

Gulfstream Park Race 10: Maiden Special Weight (1 mile on turf, 5:38 p.m. ET)

#5 Mighty Road

After breezing a furlong in :09 4/5 at the 2019 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds In Training, Mighty Road was the subject of intense interest from prospective buyers, eventually selling for $1 million. A daughter of Quality Road out of the Accelerator mare Paris Rose, Mighty Road is a half-sister to Decelerator and Cool Blue Red Hot, both capable graded stakes performers on dirt.

Despite the success of her siblings on the main track, Mighty Road will debut on grass for trainer Chad Brown, who has guided the pricey filly through a long series of workouts at Payson Park. Owned by HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud, Mighty Road will have Tyler Gaffalione in the saddle and figures to attract wagering support thanks to her hefty price tag and high-profile connections.

Friday

Gulfstream Park Race 10: Maiden Special Weight (5 furlongs on turf, 5:42 p.m. ET)

#3 Irked

Nine months have passed since Irked debuted in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden dash over the main track at Saratoga. The Claiborne Farm/Adele B. Dilschneider homebred never fired and finished seventh, but he might have suffered a setback, considering he went to the sidelines immediately afterward and didn’t return to the work tab until January. Since then, the son of War Front has been breezing like clockwork at Payson Park, most notably posting a bullet half-mile workout from the starting gate on Mar. 24.

Trained by Bill Mott, Irked will drop blinkers and add Lasix for Friday’s race while picking up the services of jockey Joel Rosario. The big question mark is whether Irked can handle turf. Produced from the Arch mare Vexed, winner of the 2013 Golden Rod Stakes (G2), Irked’s pedigree is arguably slanted more toward success on dirt than grass. But truth be told, this five-furlong dash looks more like a starting point than anything else, and no matter how Irked fares on Friday, he figures to show improvement down the road.

Saturday

Gulfstream Park Race 6: Maiden Special Weight (6 1/2 furlongs, 2:52 p.m. ET)

#4 Mister Winston

Mister Winston might not have the flashiest pedigree from a commercial perspective, but as a son of Lookin At Lucky out of the Langfuhr mare Fi (the dam of two stakes runners), Mister Winston is bred to be a classy racehorse. Sold for $140,000 as a yearling and owned by the partnership of Peter Brant and Robert LaPenta, Mister Winston has been breezing steadily at Payson Park for the Brown barn, most recently firing off a bullet half-mile from the starting gate in :48.80. Though he’s not yet nominated to the Triple Crown, Mister Winston has the look of a horse who can run well on debut and keep improving with distance and maturity.

Gulfstream Park Race 8: Maiden Special Weight (1 mile, 3:52 p.m. ET)

#7 Colonel Liam

What a difference a few months can make in the appeal of a young colt. When Colonel Liam was a yearling, he sold for just $50,000. But seven months later he breezed a quarter mile in :20 4/5 at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds In Training and promptly hammered for $1.2 million.

Under the care of Todd Pletcher, Colonel Liam has progressed slowly during morning training. He didn’t post his first official workout until Jan. 16, but since then he’s recorded five workouts at Palm Beach Downs, including a bullet five furlongs in 1:00.64 on Mar. 27. Hot jockey Luis Saez will guide the son of Liam’s Map, who was produced by the unraced Bernardini mare Amazement. With his classic-oriented pedigree and impressive price tag, it’s safe to say all eyes will be on Colonel Liam when the gates open on Saturday.

Oaklawn Park Race 7: Maiden Special Weight (1 1/16 miles, 4:42 p.m. ET)

#1 Pit Boss

Fast workouts seem to be the forte of Pit Boss, a son of Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Union Rags out of a mare by champion sprinter Speightstown. Sold for $250,000 as a yearling to Gary and Mary West, Pit Boss has been firing off one fast workout after another for trainer Wayne Catalano — five furlongs in :59 1/5 on Mar. 13, four furlongs in :47 2/5 on Mar. 21, and a half-mile in :47 2/5 on Apr. 2. It seems reasonable to conclude Pit Boss will show early speed under jockey Tyler Baze, though four straight gate works in February and March hint he might not be the quickest at leaving the gate.

#11 Earner

A Triple Crown nominee conditioned by Steve Asmussen, Earner showed promise in his debut on Jan. 18 at Fair Grounds, employing pace-tracking tactics to finish second behind late-running winner Echo Town. The race came back strong, with Echo Town going on to claim an allowance race while third-place finisher Crystal Sphere won his next start. A son of Blue Grass (G1) winner Carpe Diem out of the stakes-placed Medaglia d’Oro mare Devious d’Oro, Earner is bred to stretch out and should relish the chance to tackle 1 1/16 miles. Jockey Ricardo Santana will guide the $425,000 yearling purchase.

Oaklawn Park Race 10: Maiden Special Weight (1 1/16 miles, 6:14 p.m. ET)

#11 Wartime Hero

From top to bottom, Wartime Hero is bred to excel in the classics. A son of Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Empire Maker out of 2011 Kentucky Oaks (G1) runner-up St. John’s River, Wartime Hero brings a strongly stamina-oriented pedigree to Saturday’s race. The 1 1/16-mile distance should be right up his alley, and while Catalano conditions just 9% winners from first-time starters, Wartime Hero has posted sharp workouts in preparation for his debut, culminating with a half-mile in :47 3/5 on Tuesday. Purchased for $300,000 as a yearling by Gary and Mary West, Wartime Hero should fare well on Saturday and only improve with time and experience.