Prospect Watch: 6 promising debuts at Keeneland + 2 more
The final week of the Keeneland spring meet brings another competitive round of maiden special weights stacked with promising first-time starters, including a half-sister to horse of the year Bricks and Mortar.
As soon as Keeneland wraps up, Churchill Downs takes over the Kentucky racing action with an opening-day card featuring the debut of a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Zandon.
This week's edition of Prospect Watch highlights these two runners plus six other first-time starters.
Thursday
Keeneland race 2: Maiden special weight (5 1/2 furlongs on turf, 1:32 p.m. EDT)
No. 8 Candymaker
2-year-old colt
Pedigree: Twirling Candy–Curuzu, by Giant’s Causeway
Purchase price: $175,000
Trainer: Wesley Ward
Trainer Wesley Ward has won four of the seven juvenile races contested at Keeneland this meet, and he can pick up a fifth win courtesy of Candymaker. The son of Twirling Candy enters off fast workouts at Keeneland, having breezed three furlongs in a bullet 35.0 seconds on April 10 before repeating the feat in 34.8 seconds on April 17. Hot jockey Joel Rosario is named to ride, stamping Candymaker as the horse to beat.
No. 10 Fandom
2-year-old colt
Pedigree: Showcasing–Brogan, by Pivotal
Purchase price: $195,859
Trainer: Wesley Ward
Ward also is slated to debut Fandom, a son of the British-bred Gimcrack (G2) winner and Middle Park (G1) runner-up Showcasing. Fandom has the pedigree to excel on turf and has posted a couple of bullet three-furlong workouts at Keeneland, suggesting he can’t be dismissed from contention under four-time Eclipse Award winner Irad Ortiz.
Keeneland race 3: Maiden special weight (seven furlongs and 184 feet, 2:04 p.m.)
No. 3 Union Harmony
3-year-old filly
Pedigree: Union Rags–Leslie’s Harmony, by Curlin
Purchase price: N/A
Trainer: Brendan Walsh
Union Harmony brings a beautiful pedigree to her debut. She’s a daughter of Belmont winner Union Rags out of the Curlin mare Leslie’s Harmony, previously the dam of four-time Eclipse Award winner Beholder, four-time leading North American sire Into Mischief and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Mendelssohn. Only time will tell whether Union Harmony can live up to her lofty lineage, but she enters off sharp workouts (including a half-mile from the Keeneland starting gate in 47.2 seconds) and has hot jockey Tyler Gaffalione named to ride. There’s a lot to like about her chances.
Friday
Keeneland race 2: Maiden special weight (5 1/2 furlongs on turf, 1:32 p.m.)
No. 1 Bundchen
2-year-old filly
Pedigree: Gun Runner–No More Parties, by Speightstown
Purchase price: $700,000
Trainer: Wesley Ward
Sold for a hefty $700,000 as a yearling, Bundchen hasn’t put together the flashiest work tab for Wesley Ward, but it’s worth noting she clocked three furlongs over the Palm Meadows turf course in 39 seconds last month. It’s possible grass is a strong suit for this daughter of horse of the year Gun Runner, and jockey Joel Rosario adds to the appeal.
No. 2 Beyond Oscar
2-year-old filly
Pedigree: Oscar Performance–Beyond the Waves, by Ocean Crest
Purchase price: N/A
Trainer: Jonathan Thomas
Beyond Oscar hails from a remarkably productive female family. The daughter of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Oscar Performance was produced by Beyond the Waves, whose four previous stakes-winning foals include 2019 horse of the year Bricks and Mortar. Bricks and Mortar was a late-maturing turf standout who won five Grade 1 grass prizes, including the Breeders’ Cup Turf. If Beyond Oscar has inherited a fraction of Bricks and Mortar’s talent, she’ll do fine as a racehorse.
Keeneland race 7: Maiden special weight (seven furlongs and 184 feet, 4:12 p.m.)
No. 8 Ghent Road
3-year-old gelding
Pedigree: Good Magic–Inlovewithlove, by Bernstein
Purchase price: $360,000
Trainer: Paulo Lobo
Ghent Road is a 15-1 long shot on the morning line, but pedigree details suggest this $360,000 weanling acquisition is capable of outrunning expectations. He’s a son of Good Magic (who sires 19 percent winners from first-time starters) out of Inlovewithlove, who has previously foaled Lovely Bernadette, winner of the Mrs. Revere (G2), Valley View (G3) and Mint Julep Handicap (G3). Ghent Road breezed a bullet half-mile from the starting gate in 48 seconds at The Thoroughbred Center earlier this month and appears to have talent.
Saturday
Oaklawn race 1: Maiden special weight (1 1/16 miles, 1:30 p.m.)
No. 5 Loupit
3-year-old filly
Pedigree: Tapit–Courtisane, by Silver Finder
Purchase price: $250,000
Trainer: Kenny McPeek
Trainer Kenny McPeek isn’t a frequent winner with first-time starters, but in the long run Loupit could be a filly worth watching. The daughter of three-time leading North American sire Tapit was produced by Courtisane, previously the dam of Megahertz (G3) winner and Gamely (G1) third-place finisher Madame Stripes. Loupit has put together a lengthy work tab in preparation for her debut and just might outrun expectations under hot jockey Francisco Torres, a 22 percent winner at Oaklawn this meet.
Churchill Downs race 5: Maiden special weight (six furlongs, 7:57 p.m.)
No. 8 Flying Houdini
5-year-old gelding
Pedigree: Mark Valeski–Memories Prevail, by Creative Cause
Purchase price: $1,500
Trainer: James Mardis
As a yearling in 2019, Flying Houdini sold for only $1,500 at auction. But that was before his half-brother Zandon emerged as a Blue Grass (G1) winner and Kentucky Derby (G1) third-place finisher. Flying Houdini is getting a very late start to his career and hasn’t put together the flashiest work tab, but on pedigree alone the 5-year-old gelding is worth highlighting.