9 new names to observe this weekend
There’s quite a bit to sit up for this weekend on the maiden particular weight entrance. At Aqueduct, Honest Grounds, Gulfstream Park and Oaklawn, well-bred (and infrequently costly) horses are slated to debut.
Aqueduct | Honest Grounds | Gulfstream | Oaklawn
For this week’s version of Prospect Watch, we’ll spotlight eight 3-year-olds and one 4-year-old value watching:
Saturday
Aqueduct race 1: Maiden particular weight (six furlongs, 12:50 p.m. EST)
No. 3 International Picture
3-year-old colt
Pedigree: Liam’s Map–Class Included, by Embody
Buy value: $300,000
Coach: Brad Cox
Brad Cox has been on fireplace at Aqueduct, going 7-for-18 (39 p.c) since November, and he might preserve his momentum rolling with International Picture. A son of Breeders’ Cup Filth Mile winner Liam’s Map, International Picture was produced by Class Included, whose 13-for-29 lifetime racing report contains 11 stakes wins on grime and turf. International Picture has put collectively a gradual sequence of half-mile exercises over the Belmont Park coaching observe and appears able to issue underneath scorching jockey Manny Franco, a 22 p.c winner at Aqueduct since November.
Gulfstream Park race 5: Maiden particular weight (1 1/16 miles, 2:38 p.m.)
No. 5 Cyber Ninja
3-year-old colt
Pedigree: Arrogate–Well-known Alice, by Kitten’s Pleasure
Buy value: $160,000
Coach: Invoice Mott
There’s numerous stamina within the pedigree of Cyber Ninja. He’s a son of champion and Breeders’ Cup Traditional winner Arrogate out of a mare by Kitten’s Pleasure, a two-time main North American sire and a gradual supply of high-class turf routers. Cyber Ninja figures to relish racing 1 1/16 miles, and the actual fact he breezed a bullet 5 furlongs in 1:02.2 at Payson Park final Friday provides to the enchantment of this Invoice Mott trainee.
No. 6 Empirestrikesfast
3-year-old gelding
Pedigree: Empire Maker–Intelligent Magnificence, by Indian Charlie
Buy value: $160,000
Coach: Invoice Mott
One other superbly bred Mott runner debuting this week is Empirestrikesfast, a son of Belmont Stakes winner Empire Maker out of Rags to Riches winner Intelligent Magnificence. Like Cyber Ninja, Empiresstrikesfast has the breeding to get pleasure from racing 1 1/16 miles, and his bullet 48.6-second half-mile exercise from the Payson Park beginning gate Feb. 10 is noteworthy contemplating the gradual nature of Payson’s floor.
Oaklawn Race 6: Maiden particular weight (one mile, 4:18 p.m.)
No. 9 Traditional Reduce
3-year-old colt
Pedigree: Empire Maker–Bluejeans, by Ghostzapper
Buy value: $240,000
Coach: Brad Cox
Talking of Empire Maker, he’s the sire of Traditional Reduce, a grey colt debuting at Oaklawn for high-percentage coach Brad Cox. Traditional Reduce breezed a offered 5 furlongs in 1:00.6 final Sunday and is slated to be ridden by scorching jockey Florent Geroux, a 32 p.c winner teaming up with Cox over the past two months, in keeping with Brisnet stats. Brisnet additionally signifies that Cox wins at a powerful 23 p.c price with horses debuting over one mile or farther, so there’s quite a bit to love about Traditional Reduce.
No. 11 Tejas
3-year-old colt
Pedigree: Gun Runner–Taxable, by Tapit
Buy value: N/A
Coach: Steve Asmussen
Corridor of Fame coach Steve Asmussen is ready to debut Tejas, a Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred son of horse of the yr Gun Runner. Tejas’s dam sire is three-time main North American sire Tapit, and the Gun Runner/Tapit cross already produced Cotillion (G1) winner Society and three-time Grade 2 winner Depraved Halo. So there’s numerous promise in Tejas’s pedigree. Don’t dismiss this chestnut colt from consideration.
Oaklawn race 8: Maiden particular weight (one mile, 5:22 p.m.)
No. 4 Go Cats
3-year-old colt
Pedigree: Gun Runner–Greatest Efficiency, by Damaged Vow
Buy value: N/A
Coach: Steve Asmussen
Tejas isn’t the one son of Gun Runner debuting for Asmussen this week. Go Cats is one other. Produced by Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf runner-up Greatest Efficiency, Go Cats breezed a bullet 5 furlongs from the Sam Houston beginning gate in a single minute Feb. 19, suggesting he has no less than slightly velocity. Scorching jockey Ricardo Santana (a 23 p.c winner at Oaklawn this meet) is slated to experience, so Go Cats has a number of optimistic elements in his favor.
Honest Grounds race 9: Maiden particular weight (six furlongs, 6:57 p.m.)
No. 2 Blue Mild
3-year-old colt
Pedigree: Metropolis of Mild–Within the Moonlight, by Tapit
Buy value: $350,000
Coach: Steve Asmussen
May Blue Mild be one thing particular? The son of Breeders’ Cup Filth Mile winner Metropolis of Mild has been cranking out quick exercises for Asmussen. He began the yr with a sequence of quick breezes at Sam Houston (together with a few bullet strikes) and transitioned to Honest Grounds for his newest bullet train: 5 furlongs from the beginning gate in 58.6 seconds on March 1. That’s a pointy exercise, suggesting Blue Mild has expertise and potential.
No. 6 Without end Cool
4-year-old colt
Pedigree: Story of Ekati–Boy Loopy, by Sky Mesa
Buy value: N/A
Coach: Dallas Stewart
Without end Cool hails from a productive household. He’s a full brother to Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile winner Saint’s Fan and a half-brother to Lexington (G3) third-place finisher Starrininmydreams. Dallas Stewart skilled each of these runners and likewise circumstances Without end Cool, a colt he bred and owns. Without end Cool is getting a late begin (he’s 4 years outdated), however he has put collectively a good work tab at Honest Grounds this winter and warrants watching.
Sunday
Gulfstream Park race 3: Maiden particular weight (six furlongs, 1:38 p.m.)
No. 2 Escalation
3-year-old colt
Pedigree: Violence–Tia Rafaela, by Bernardini
Buy value: $550,000
Coach: Jimmy Jerkens
Escalation is a Triple Crown-nominated son of Violence, whose 2023 Kentucky Derby contenders embody champion Forte and up to date Gotham (G3) winner Increase Cain. It’s most likely slightly late for Escalation to make the Derby, however maybe a begin within the Preakness or Belmont isn’t out of the query. He offered for $550,000 as a yearling and has put collectively a gradual string of sharp half-mile exercises at Palm Meadows, so hopes are doubtless excessive for this Centennial Farms colorbearer.