The Process, Awesome Road Impress in Debuts at Ellis

This column highlights the performances of maidens who have made no more than five starts and who either sold for more than $500,000 at public auction, have siblings that are grade/group winners, or have dams that are grade/group winners. BloodHorse research shows maiden winners, in particular, who meet these criteria are more likely to go on to be graded stakes winners.

Ellis Park

After this summer, it should be noted that good 2-year-olds can come out of Ellis Park. Two of Saratoga Race Course‘s elite races for juveniles—the Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) and Adirondack Stakes (G3) were won by 2-year-olds exiting winning efforts at the Pea Patch. Saratoga Special winner Rhyme Schemes  was a dominant 9 1/2-length maiden special weight winner, while Adirondack victress Brightwork  took the Debutante Stakes at Ellis. Additionally, the runner-up in the Saratoga Special, Market Street , debuted a winner at Ellis June 29, and the 2-3 finishers of the Adirondack, Here U Come Again  and Streaming Now , were both stepping up to stakes company off of eye-catching Ellis debut victories.

As the Ellis meet rolled to a close Aug. 28, the track may have produced two final horses to watch with the fall stakes season on the horizon. Those two horses were the strapping juveniles Awesome Road  and The Process .

Trust #9 THE PROCESS ($5.54)! The son of More Than Ready makes his first start a winning one in the 5th at @EllisParkRacing for @cristiantorr64 and @reredevaux!

The 2yo colt is out of Eblouissante, a half-sister to Zenyatta, and is a 1/2-bro to GII Rebel winner Confidence Game. pic.twitter.com/aiMAWLDJD6

— TVG (@TVG) August 27, 2023

The son of the late More Than Ready, a prominent sire influence over both the dirt and turf globally, caught some attention heading into his debut owing to his status as nephew of the great Hall of Fame mare Zenyatta . A $375,000 Keeneland September yearling buy from part-owner Belladonna Racing, The Process is also a half brother to this year’s Rebel Stakes (G2) victor Confidence Game .

Confidence Game was dubbed the ‘wise-guy horse’ by many the week before the Kentucky Derby (G1) off his smart Rebel score and blistering morning workouts. Unfortunately, the powerful son of Candy Ride   could fair no better than 10th in the Run for the Roses. He’s been sidelined since.

The Process became the third winner for the Bernardini mare Eblouissante , a half sister to Zenyatta and multiple grade 1 winner Balance .

#4 AWESOME ROAD ($4.26) was prominent early and kicked clear in the stretch for a debut victory in the 7th at @EllisParkRacing for trainer @bradcoxracing and owners Albaugh Family Stables and @DonegalRacing. pic.twitter.com/l3JKLFJR4w

— TVG (@TVG) August 27, 2023

Two races later, another outstanding debut performance jumped on the MaidenWatch radar. Albaugh Family Stables and Donegal Racing’s Awesome Road vied for the early command through swift opening fractions before outdueling a stubborn rival down the lane. He surged to the wire a convincing 2 3/4-length winner in a sharp 1:10.80 for the six furlongs. Trained by Brad Cox, the Quality Road   colt earned one of the highest Equibase Speed Figures of any 2-year-old to win over the weekend with a 93.

Awesome Road, a half sibling to two stakes winners, including the dam of recent Ellis Park Juvenile Stakes hero Baytown Chatterbox  (Street Sense  ) fetched $600,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September sale. His dam, the A.P. Indy mare Orate, is a full sister to the prolific stallion Pulpit.