Prospect Watch: Songbird’s first starter, Scat Daddy’s half-sister
This weekend's Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland is naturally drawing the most attention from racing fans this week. But as if to celebrate the action-packed week, a bevy of exciting 2-year-olds are slated to debut in a trio of competitive maiden special weights at Keeneland and Aqueduct.
Let’s dig into the entries and explore the main names to know.
Friday
Keeneland race 2: Maiden special weight (seven furlongs, 12:30 p.m. EDT)
No. 2 Magical Song
Age: 2
Pedigree: Tapit–Songbird, by Medaglia d’Oro
Purchase price: N/A
Trainer: Brad Cox
It’s safe to say Magical Song is bred like a superstar. She’s a daughter of three-time leading North American sire Tapit out of Songbird, a two-time champion filly who counted a Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies triumph among her 13 wins (nine of them Grade 1s) from 15 starts.
Magical Song is Songbird’s second foal but her first to reach the races. Trainer Brad Cox has sent the bay filly through a quintet of five-furlong workouts at Churchill Downs, and although none have been especially fast, Magical Song is worth watching just from a pedigree perspective. If she has inherited a sliver of Songbird’s talent, Magical Song is bound to turn out all right.
Saturday
Keeneland race 1: maiden special weight (seven furlongs, 10:30 a.m.)
No. 4 Arabian Knight
Age: 2
Pedigree: Uncle Mo–Borealis Night, by Astrology
Purchase price: $2.3 million
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Brisnet stats indicate Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert wins at a 32 percent rate with horses debuting in maiden special weights, but Baffert hasn’t saddled a single first-time starter at Keeneland in the last five years.
That will change when Baffert unveils Arabian Knight on Breeders’ Cup Saturday. The son of champion and successful sire Uncle Mo sold for $2.3 million after breezing a furlong in 9.8 seconds before the Ocala Breeders’ Sales spring sale of 2-year-olds in training.
Arabian Knight since has put together a solid work tab at Santa Anita and will be ridden on debut by Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez. A promising effort should be in the offing.
No. 8 Rocket and Roll
Age: 2
Pedigree: Bolt d’Oro–Shine Softly, by Aldebaran
Purchase price: $675,000
Trainer: Brad Cox
Sold for $675,000 as a 2-year-old in training, Rocket and Roll boasts a promising pedigree. He’s a son of two-time Grade 1-winning juvenile and hot young stallion Bolt d’Oro out of the stakes-placed mare Shine Softly, previously the dam of Busanda winner The Grass Is Blue.
Conditioned by two-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox, Rocket and Roll has put together a steady string of five-furlong workouts at Churchill Downs, including a bullet move in 59.4 seconds. Hot jockey Joel Rosario is named to ride, so don’t be surprised if Rocket and Roll shows talent on debut.
No. 10 Expect More
Age: 2
Pedigree: City of Light–Ginger Tap, by Tapit
Purchase price: $350,000
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Todd Pletcher compiled a strong record during the Keeneland fall meet, saddling 10 winners from 36 starters (28 percent). Perhaps Pletcher can keep his momentum rolling during the two-day Breeders’ Cup meeting with Expect More.
A son of Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner City of Light, Expect More was produced by the Tapit mare Ginger Tap, which is a pedigree that combines miler speed with classic stamina. Expect More has the breeding to develop into a Kentucky Derby type and showed promise when breezing a swift half-mile from the Keeneland starting gate in 47.8 seconds, so look for this $350,000 yearling acquisition to fire a promising shot under three-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.
Aqueduct race 1: maiden special weight (one mile, 11:35 a.m.)
No. 1 Guns n’ Graces
Age: 2
Pedigree: Gun Runner–Imposing Grace, by Empire Maker
Purchase price: $375,000
Trainer: Chad Brown
Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown is set to debut Guns n’ Graces, a daughter of red-hot young sire Gun Runner. Guns n’ Graces is out of Imposing Grace, winner of the Arlington Matron (G3) on synthetic and a daughter of Belmont Stakes winner Empire Maker.
This is a pedigree packed with classic stamina, so it’s easy to understand why Guns n’ Graces is debuting over one mile. She’ has put together an encouraging string of half-mile workouts in preparation for her first start and is a logical threat to challenge.
No. 4 Serena’s Court
Age: 2
Pedigree: Union Rags–Home Court, by Storm Cat
Purchase price: $150,000
Trainer: Christophe Clement
Talk about a lovely pedigree. Serena’s Court is a daughter of early-maturing Belmont Stakes winner Union Rags out of Home Court, whose 10 winning foals from 10 starters include Alcibiades (G1) heroine Dancing Rags and Amsterdam (G2) winner Coup de Grace.
According to Brisnet stats, trainer Christophe Clement wins at a 25 percent rate with horses debuting over one mile or farther, a positive angle in Serena’s Court’s favor. The chestnut filly enters off a bullet five-furlong workout at Belmont Park and can’t be dismissed from win consideration.
No. 5 Accidental Icon
Age: 2
Pedigree: Into Mischief–Love Style, by Mr. Prospector
Purchase price: N/A
Trainer: Bill Mott
Way back in 2006, a colt named Scat Daddy won the Champagne (G1). In 2007, he added the Florida Derby (G1) to his resume. During the 2010s, he enjoyed terrific success at stud. And even though he died young in 2015, Scat Daddy cemented his place in history as the sire of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify.
Now Scat Daddy’s much younger half-sister Accidental Icon is set to debut. The daughter of three-time leading North American sire Into Mischief was produced by the Mr. Prospector mare Love Style, whose foals aside from Scat Daddy include Shuvee Handicap (G3) winner Antipathy, Tepin winner Lovestruck and Turfway Park’s Forego winner Grand Daddy.
A Godolphin homebred trained by Bill Mott, Accidental Icon has turned in a lengthy series of workouts over the Belmont Park training track, but she is worth watching based on her pedigree alone.