Prospect Watch: 8 well-bred juveniles at Churchill, Aqueduct
The summer race meets at Del Mar and Saratoga are complete, but high-class 2-year-old racing continues this week with the openings of Churchill Downs and Belmont at the Big A. Let’s check out eight of the best bred juveniles slated to debut.
Friday
Churchill Downs race 7: Maiden special weight (1 1/16 miles, 3:50 p.m. EDT)
No. 4 Parchment Party
2-year-old colt
Pedigree: Constitution–Life Well Lived, by Tiznow
Purchase price: $450,000
Trainer: Bill Mott
It’s easy to see why Parchment Party is debuting in a route race. His half-siblings include Maker’s 46 Mile (G1) winner American Patriot, 1 1/16-mile Wayward Lass winner Well Humored and 1 1/8-mile Knickerbocker (G2) runner-up Muqtaser. Parchment Paper’s pedigree is geared toward success running long, and after turning in a lengthy series of workouts he should be fit for a debut around two turns.
Saturday
Belmont at the Big A race 1: Maiden special weight (6 1/2 furlongs, 1:05 p.m.)
No. 2 Ignite the Light
2-year-old colt
Pedigree: Into Mischief–By the Light, by Malibu Moon
Purchase price: N/A
Trainer: Rick Dutrow
A son of four-time leading North American sire Into Mischief, Ignite the Light is the latest starter produced by nine-time stakes winner By the Light, whose previous foals include Ballerina (G1) and Frizette (G1) winner By the Moon. This elite pedigree is packed with class and speed, so don’t be surprised if Ignite the Light delivers victory on debut.
No. 3 Commander of Truth
2-year-old colt
Pedigree: Constitution–Jungle Tale, by Lion Heart
Purchase price: $675,000
Trainer: Chad Brown
A series of solid half-mile workouts at Belmont Park and the Belmont Park training track should have Commander of Truth fit for a competitive debut. A son of Florida Derby (G1) and Donn Handicap (G1) winner Constitution (who sires a lofty 18 percent winners from first-time starters per Brisnet stats), Commander of Truth sold for $675,000 as a 2-year-old in training and has four-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. named to ride. There’s a lot to like about his chances.
No. 5 Bounteous
2-year-old colt
Pedigree: Into Mischief–Hail, by Tapit
Purchase price: N/A
Trainer: Bill Mott
Talk about a fantastic pedigree. Bounteous is a son of Into Mischief out of Hail, a daughter of three-time leading North American sire Tapit. Hail’s dam is Rising Tornado, whose other foals include champion and five-time Grade 1 winner Close Hatches plus Kentucky Oaks (G1) third-place finisher Lockdown. Close Hatches is the dam of multiple Grade 2 winner and Belmont Stakes runner-up Tacitus, and Lockdown foaled Personal Ensign (G1) winner Idiomatic, so any way you slice it Bounteous is bred to be a top-notch racehorse. To that end, he worked a bullet five furlongs from the Belmont Park training track starting gate last Saturday.
Sunday
Churchill Downs race 5: Maiden special weight (six furlongs, 2:45 p.m.)
No. 3 Yell County
2-year-old colt
Pedigree: Vino Rosso–Featherbed, by Smart Strike
Purchase price: $180,000
Trainer: Robert Medina
Champion and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Vino Rosso is off to a promising start at stud, and Featherbed is the dam of Sanford (G3) winner Mo Strike and Illinois Derby (G3) hero Dynamic Impact, so Yell County has the pedigree of a promising prospect. He’s put together a lengthy work tab in preparation for his debut and can’t be counted out of the mix.
No. 5 Orange Diablo
2-year-old colt
Pedigree: Union Rags–Thepartyneverends, by Smart Strike
Purchase price: $230,000
Trainer: Brad Cox
High-percentage trainer Brad Cox conditions Orange Diablo, a son of Belmont winner Union Rags out of Thepartyneverends. Thepartyneverends is a half-sister to the two-time stakes-winning sprinter Laurie’s Rocket and the unraced Rainier, the dam of recent Del Mar Futurity (G1) winner Prince of Monaco. There’s plenty of potential in Orange Diablo’s pedigree, so a bright racing future may be on the horizon.
No. 9 Shogun Be Fast
2-year-old colt
Pedigree: Distorted Humor–Royale Paradise, by Unbridled’s Song
Purchase price: $180,000
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
A son of Distorted Humor, who counts Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide and Belmont winner Drosselmeyer among his most successful runners, Shogun Be Fast lived up to his name when clocking a bullet five furlongs in 1:00.2 at Churchill Downs earlier this month. Under accomplished Churchill Downs rider Tyler Gaffalione, Shogun Be Fast is a logical contender from the Hall of Fame barn of Steve Asmussen.
Churchill Downs race 7: Maiden special weight (six furlongs, 3:50 p.m.)
No. 6 Max’s Map
2-year-old colt
Pedigree: Liam’s Map–Delectable, by Uncle Mo
Purchase price: $200,000
Trainer: Brad Cox
Acquired for $200,000 as a yearling, Max’s Map is a son of Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Liam’s Map out of a mare by Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Uncle Mo, so there’s a lot of brilliance in his pedigree. Max’s Map clocked a bullet five furlongs in 1:01.2 at Churchill Downs last month and warrants watching on debut, especially with the hot jockey-trainer duo of Florent Geroux and Brad Cox in his corner.