Prospect Watch: Pletcher sends out well-bred juveniles at Gulfstream

Merry Christmas, racing fans!

Although there won’t be any racing in North American on Christmas Day, you had better fasten your seatbelts for Dec. 26. No fewer than 20 stakes races are on the agenda, highlighted by half a dozen such events on opening day at Santa Anita.

The stakes races will naturally receive the bulk of attention this Saturday, but there are also a couple of deep maiden races for 2-year-olds on the slate. These competitive events appear poised to churn out future Road to the Kentucky Derby contenders, so let’s dig in and review four horses worth following:

Saturday, Dec. 26

Gulfstream Park Race 5: Maiden Special Weight (7 furlongs, 2:05 p.m. ET)

#2 Amount

The first of two Todd Pletcher trainees in Saturday’s competitive field, Amount sold for just $110,000 during the summer, but the chestnut colt nevertheless brings an elite pedigree to the mix. A son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin, Amount was produced by the Pulpit mare Extent, whose previous foals include Iowa Oaks (G3) winner Size and Hopeful (G1) runner-up Mucho.

This is a pedigree geared strongly toward success over classic distances, so we shouldn’t necessarily expect Amount to fire a huge effort on debut—in fact, his work tab looks a bit light. But on the bright side, hot jockey Irad Ortiz has been assigned the mount, a noteworthy development since Ortiz has gone 9-for-19 (47%) riding for Pletcher over the last two months. Regardless of how Amount performs on Saturday, he figures to improve while stretching out around two turns in the future.

#3 Eamonn

The second Pletcher runner is likewise bred top and bottom for success over classic distances. A son of Kentucky Derby (G1) runner-up Pioneerof the Nile (renowned as the sire of Triple Crown champion American Pharoah), Eamonn was produced by Super Espresso, winner of the Allaire DuPont Distaff (G3) racing 1 1/16 miles. Super Espresso, in turn, is a daughter of successful sire and stamina influence Medaglia d’Oro, whose best foals include Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra and two-time champion filly Songbird.

Owned by Bobby Flay, Eamonn was in training at Belmont last spring, but spent the summer on the sidelines before returning to the work tab in late October. Eight steady breezes at Palm Beach Downs should have the dark bay colt ready for a respectable run with Luis Saez in the saddle.

Santa Anita Race 2: Maiden Special Weight (7 furlongs, 2:30 p.m. ET)

#5 Deservedly

Ten years ago, All Due Respect was among the better fillies in training, placing in nine graded stakes between 2009 and 2011. A versatile runner capable of excelling over a wide variety of distances and surfaces, All Due Respect was beaten just a neck in the 1 1/16-mile Santa Anita Oaks (G1) and later placed third in the 7-furlong Ballerina (G1). Dirt, turf, synthetic—All Due Respect handled them all.

All Due Respect’s third foal to race will be Deservedly, a son of 2016 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Nyquist. Sold for $200,000 as a yearling, Deservedly has put together a solid work tab for trainer Mark Glatt, including a quick half-mile from the Santa Anita starting gate in :48 on Monday. Glatt strikes at just a 5% rate with first-time starters, but Deservedly appears ready to give a good account of himself on debut. Keep in mind, All Due Respect matured early enough to place in multiple stakes races as a juvenile.

#6 Wipe the Slate

A son of Nyquist out of the stakes-placed Zensational mare Fancy and Flashy, Wipe the Slate has already run once, finishing second by 9 1/2 lengths in his debut at Del Mar. Normally, losing a 6 1/2-furlong sprint by a wide margin wouldn’t be noteworthy. But in this case, Wipe the Slate warrants respect since the only runner to beat him was Life Is Good, the early favorite for the 2021 Kentucky Derby.

Wipe the Slate will add blinkers on Saturday for the high-profile team of Reddam Racing, trainer Doug O’Neill, and jockey Mario Mario Gutierrez, the group responsible for Nyquist as well as 2012 Kentucky Derby champion I’ll Have Another. If Wipe the Slate takes a step forward in his second start, he can graduate the maiden ranks and join Life Is Good on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Enjoy the racing!