This column highlights the performance of young women who have had no more than five starts and sold for more than $500,000 in public auction, have a sibling who is a grade/group winner, or has a grade/group level winners. BloodHorse’s research shows that particular maiden winners who meet these criteria are more likely to become scored bets winners.
Santa Anita
While coach Bob Baffert continues to have legal battles on the east coast, he is still dominating on the west coast, adding three new winners to his list of 3-year-old promising kids. themselves on December 31, however, they will currently not be eligible to run in the 2022 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) or aggregate qualifying scores for it, while in care. his.
McLaren Vale , the first of the trio, won race 4 on Friday at Santa Anita . Park by the length of his debut. Two vet scratches leave only four starting points for the 6 1/2 girl longhair test.
2 year old son of Gunman was ridden by John Velazquez, darting to the lead after a slight steer, and put fractions: 22.25, :45.38 and 1:10.95 through six extensions before closing the gap. in 1:17.81 on a well labeled track.
The foal was purchased by dealer Donato Lanni for SF/Starlight/Madaket for $625,000 at the 2020 Keeneland Sale in September 2020 and raced for multiple partners including Glocanda Stable, Siena Farm, who bought the foal. and several other partners. Bred by Austramore, McLaren Vale is outside Any Saturday mare Magical Weekend, Stage Magic’s half-sister, Triple Crown winner Evenly .
Baffert’s second winner, Wharton , won the sixth race on his debut. The Candy Ride 1st grade winner Her Smile earned a score of 5 1/4 of the length compared to the school of five others at the exceptional weight of 6 1/2 of her maiden hair.
Also ridden by Velazquez, Wharton trailed the lead through the first quarter of a mile in: 22.11, but went up the tracks and led by nearly seven sixteen columns. He then posted a half mile in: 45.18 and six contours in 1:10.86 before clearly pulling and stopping the watch in a final time of 1:17.52.
Bred by KatieRich Farms, this foal was purchased by the same ties as McLaren Vale for $475,000 at the Keeneland sale in September 2020 and raced under the same partnership. He is half brother to 2nd grade winner Pink Sands.
Third winner, Flying Drummer , won the race number 7 in the fourth start. The Gun Runner stallion was purchased by dealer Donato Lanni for Michael Lund Petersen for $850,000 at the Spring 2021 Ocala Breeders’ Sales, where he was consigned by Eisaman Equine.
Second in his first two outings at Del Mar in August, the Flying Drummer faced top-level competition in the October 1 American Pharoah Stakes (G1), which won the TVG Breeders’ Cup Final Juvenile presented by the winner of Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1) Corniche .
In Friday’s one-mile test, the Flying Drummer chased three and four wide through the first turn under Velazquez’s lead, continued in the home leg, and then took the lead in the upper stretch. . He kicked clear and won 5 1/2 lengths in an overall time of 1:38.74.
Raised by Eico Ventures, Flying Drummer is not a Level 2 Salamera mare, half-sister to a 1st grader’s dam Piedi Bianchi and Outadore.
A first winner was successful at Santa Anita January 1st. The kid just turned 3 years old, Smuggler’s Run scored a 5 1/2 length win in a six-feathered maiden test.
Owned and bred by KMN Racing in California, Straight fire gelding out of Maddie’s Odyssey is a half-brother with the winners of the Sneaking Out and Grecian Fire graded winners.
Trained by Ruben Alvarado and driven by Flavien Prat, Smuggler’s Run took the lead and hit fractions: 22.59 and: 45.95 in half a mile. The gelding was clear in the ramp and finished the mile in 1:11.17 on the fast track.
| BloodHorse Maiden Watch | |||||||
| Notable maiden winners (born in 2019) for the week of December 27 – January 2 | |||||||
| Day | Monitor | Race | Horse | King | Beat | Begin | Note |
| 27/12 | FG | 5 | Whenthedawnbreaks | Ghostzapper | Mushka | first | Dam is the winner of G1 |
| 27/12 | HAW | 4 | Activate Happiness | Gunman | Stayclassysandiego | first | Half brother to G2 / Pretty N Cool winner gets G1 rating |
| 12/30 | AQU | 2 | Rosebug | American pharoah | Taittinger Rose | 4 | Dam is the winner of G3 |
| 12/30 | FG | 2 | Ittellyouthefacts | Carpe Diem | Go North | 3 | Dam is the winner of G3 |
| 12/31 | LRL | 6 | Qualy | Quality Sugar | Verdana Bold | 2 | Dam is the winner of G3 |
| 12/31 | SA | 4 | McLaren Vale | Gunman | Magical weekend | first | $625k longing |
| 12/31 | SA | 6 | Wharton | Candy Ride | Her smile | first | Dam is the winner of G1; Half brother to G2 winner Pink Sands |
| 12/31 | SA | 7 | Flying Drummer | Gunman | Salamera | 4 | $850k 2 year old kid |
| 1/1 | SA | 3 | Smuggler’s Run | Straight fire | Maddie’s Odyssey | first | Half brother with GSWs Sneaking Out, Grecian Fire |
| 1/2 | GP | 5 | Alarm status | Medaglia d’Oro | I love you dear | 2 | $500k yearning |
