Prospect Watch: California Chrome's half-brother may debut
Another week of racing at Del Mar and Saratoga is set to bring promising 2-year-olds into the spotlight, with half-brothers to Grade 1 winners West Coast and Lea among the exciting young prospects entered to run.
The classiest race of the week is Friday's $100,000 Skidmore Stakes at Saratoga, which attracted a well-regarded son of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. But the quality maiden races scheduled for Saturday might ultimately be just as productive at churning out talented prospects.
Here are a half-dozen promising juveniles to keep an eye on this week:
Friday, August 16
Saratoga Race 9: Skidmore Stakes (5 ½ furlongs)
After finishing second in his debut at Belmont behind future Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) winner Green Light Go, Another Miracle promptly broke his own maiden at Saratoga, winning an off-the-turf event by 1 ¼ lengths. Another Miracle will be making his turf debut in the Skidmore Stakes, but the progeny of American Pharoah have been winning left and right on grass, so the switch might actually bring out the best in this Gary Contessa-trained youngster.
Saturday, August 17
Saratoga Race 1: Maiden Special Weight (8.5 furlongs on turf)
#3 Market Impact
Chad Brown’s Market Impact, a $350,000 yearling purchase, will only compete if this race is rained off the turf, which isn’t surprising because his pedigree screams dirt through and through. His sire, Carpe Diem, won the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) over the Keeneland main track, while Market Impact’s dam — Caressing — won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies en route to being honored as the champion two-year-old filly of 2000. Caressing has been just as successful as a broodmare, most notably producing the champion and Travers Stakes (G1) winner West Coast. With a pedigree like this, Market Impact is one to watch regardless of whether he runs on Saturday or waits for another spot.
#9 Fort McHenry
Another main track only runner, this $1.1 million half-brother of California Chrome is trained by Todd Pletcher for Coolmore connections. The gray or roan colt is by Tapit and out of the familiar Love the Chase, showing three gate works from his last four breezes. A rider wasn't named at entry time, perhaps due to the forecast. The type of rain that could take this 1 1/16-mile race off the turf may not fall. But entering in this sort of spot indicates that connections feel they have a true router and will stay patient.
#10 Acre
Although Acre didn’t show much when finishing seventh in his debut at Saratoga last month, that race was a 5 ½-furlong sprint, and Acre could appreciate this opportunity to switch surfaces and stretch out in distance. As a son of Blame out of the Galileo mare Greenery, Acre is bred to relish racing around two turns, and he’s also a half-brother to Lea, a graded stakes winner on turf and runner-up in the 2015 Woodbine Mile (G1). For these reasons, a sharper performance should be in the offing for Acre on Saturday.
Saratoga Race 7: Maiden Special Weight (6 ½ furlongs)
#7 Excession
Excession never challenged in his debut at Saratoga on July 21, but he was competing in one of the strongest maiden races of the meet (Basin won with an 86 Beyer), and Excession also got off to a poor start that left him 16 lengths off the early pace. If this Steve Asmussen-trained son of Union Rags breaks alertly from the starting gate on Saturday, we could see a much better run.
Del Mar Race 6: Maiden Special Weight (6 furlongs)
#3 Honor A. P.
There are plenty of reasons why Honor A. P. sold for $850,000 as a yearling. He’s from the first crop of the popular young stallion Honor Code, winner of such prestigious events as the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) and Whitney Handicap (G1). Honor A. P.’s dam is Hollywood Story, a two-time Grade 1 winner and a four-time Breeders’ Cup participant. Six of Hollywood Story’s foals have already won races, including the stakes winner Miss Hollywood, the graded stakes-placed Hollywood Star, and the stakes-placed Hoorayforhollywood.
Trained by John Shirreffs of Zenyatta fame, Honor A. P. has been breezing steadily since the beginning of June and should perform well in his debut. But considering his classy, stamina-oriented pedigree (and Shirreffs’ patient approach with young runners), Honor A. P. figures to do his best running over longer distances in the future.
#5 Hydrogen
Purchased for $575,000 as a yearling, Hydrogen won’t bring the flashiest work tab to his debut, but this son of Violence is a half-brother to three winners (including the stakes-placed Gettysburg) and will have Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez in the saddle. Velazquez’s experience might come in handy, because trainer Bob Baffert has elected to breeze Hydrogen from the starting gate five times since July 12, hinting that Hydrogen might be something of a slow starter.
J. Keeler Johnson is a writer, videographer, handicapper, and all-around horse racing enthusiast. A great fan of racing history, he considers Dr. Fager to be the greatest racehorse ever produced in America, but counts Zenyatta as his all-time favorite. You can follow him on Twitter at @J_Keelerman.