By Jill Williams
Juveniles kicked off Friday's card at Churchill and put on a display for their young sires, while turf fillies did the same for established sires at Delaware the day prior. Despite our featured horses not winning, each gave hints of bigger things down the road and the actual winners weren't too shabby either.
THURSDAY'S INSIGHTS: Kitten's Joy Homebred Debuts at Delaware
3rd-Delaware, $40,750, Msw, 5-26, 3yo/up, 1m 70ydsT, 1:41.58, fm, 1 3/4 lengths.
Alex Campbell, Jr. homebred Come On Kitty Cat (Kitten's Joy) was featured, but it was favored second-timer REGAL REALM (f, 3, Animal Kingdom–Sky Willow {SW, $114,979}, by Empire Maker) who clearly relished a switch to turf, throwing her ears up out of the gate and repelling a threat to lead pillar-to-post for the win. Come On Kitty Cat never got close, but another recent Campbell homebred also trained by Graham Motion had a similar introduction to the races nearly three years ago and won her first graded event just over four months later. That would be MGSW & MGISP Mean Mary (Scat Daddy), who just so happens to be out of Come On Kitty Cat's GISW half-sister Karlovy Vary (Dynaformer). Show stealer Regal Realm, a Jonathan Thomas-trained Augustin Stable homebred, is out of a half-sister to MGSW Spelling Again (Awesome Again), who brought $800,000 from China Horse Club at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton November sale as a racing or broodmare prospect. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
FRIDAY'S INSIGHTS: $500k Practical Joke Colt Debuts at Churchill Downs for Todd Pletcher
1st-Churchill Downs, $117,143, Msw, 5-27, 2yo, 5f, :58.78, ft, 1 3/4 lengths.
The well-related Justafever (Justify) and Summonyourcourage (Practical Joke) both took a backseat to OWEN'S LEAP (c, 2, Bolt d'Oro–Defy Gravity {SW, $171,240}, by Bandini). All three debuters are by young sires: Practical Joke is a top five second-crop sire, while Bolt d'Oro and Justify are the early leaders of the first-crop list. Owen's Leap settled midpack in the compacted field, made his move on the outside, and drove to victory with Justafever and Summonyourcourage filling out of the trifecta. The Clearsky Farms-bred, Tom Amoss-trained winner brought $175,000 at Keeneland September from Michael McLoughlin and registered as the third winner for his freshman sire. His dam is a half to GISW Callback (Street Sense) and his granddam is a half to 2010 GI Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver (Maria's Mon). Justafever is a half to GISW Nickname (Scat Daddy), while Summonyourcourage is from the same family as champion Nyquist (Uncle Mo) and GISW Sahara Sky (Pleasant Tap). Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
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