By Steve Sherack
In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar.
After losing just about any chance at the break, Praetor (c, 2, Into Mischief–Curlin's Approval, by Curlin) showed plenty of promise in defeat finishing third behind ultra-impressive 'TDN Rising Star Ferocious (Flatter) on debut at Saratoga Aug. 3.
Well-backed at 7-2 for trainer Chad Brown over a muddy and sealed surface, Praetor was bumped and pinched back at the start and trailed the field of nine through an opening quarter in a sharp :22.06.
He began to catch the eye with a flashy move beneath Flavien Prat on the far turn and was suddenly in the mix while hung out five wide at the top of the stretch.
Wearing plenty of the racetrack in third and dare we say in with a puncher's chance as they turned for home, $1.3-million OBS March breezer and narrow 3-1 favorite Ferocious quickly put that notion to bed and blew the race apart to win with authority by 7 3/4 lengths. Praetor came up a nose short of runner-up honors behind the pacesetting second-time starter El Prestigio (Practical Joke).
The final time for six furlongs was 1:09.65. Ferocious earned a 96 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort, the highest of any 2-year-old so far this year. Praetor, campaigned in partnership by William H. Lawrence, CHP Racing and Gainesway Stable, received a 79 Beyer.
“They expected a lot (from Ferocious) and he showed up, but I thought our guy put in a gallant effort considering–he had a hell of a start, got banged and sandwiched coming out, mud in his face all the way around and he still ran a pretty gutsy race,” CHP Racing's Phil Hatfield said.
He added with a laugh, “And hey, look, Chad likes him, so that's a good thing.”
Curlin's Approval | Coglianese
Bred in Kentucky by Bridlewood Farm and Alter's Racing Stables, Inc., Praetor brought $725,000 as a yearling from bloodstock agent Mike Ryan on behalf of the aforementioned trio out of the Gainesway consignment at last year's Keeneland September sale.
Praetor, a son of the all-conquering Into Mischief, was produced by Curlin's Approval, a three-time graded winner of $654,725 for Happy Alter and Bridlewood Farm. The 11-year-old mare is also responsible for the 3-year-old filly and $1-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga graduate Charlottesapproval (Into Mischief) and an Into Mischief colt of this year. She was bred back to Justify for 2025.
The Into Mischief over Smart Strike cross is also responsible for GISW Timberlake, who was produced by a Lookin At Lucky mare; and this spring's GII Wood Memorial S. winner Resilience. Like Into Mischief's MGSW General Jim, Praetor is also out of a Curlin mare.
“Mike Ryan is our guy,” Hatfield said. “In this business, you've got to spread yourself out a little bit on these colts. I think you need more (horses) to try to get these Classics and you've got to spread the risk. Praetor ticked off all the boxes for ourselves and (William) Lawrence, and Gainesway stayed in, too.”
Hatfield continued, “From what I see and from what Chad indicates, I think he's gonna stretch out two turns. But you know how that goes. They got to prove it one step at a time.”
Clever Mischief graduates at the Spa July 12 | Sarah Andrew
CHP Racing currently has approximately 10 horses in training, including the Hatfields' homebred 3-year-old colt Clever Mischief (Into Mischief), who graduated at second asking for Brown on the Saratoga lawn earlier this meet July 12, and comebacking 2023 GIII Cardinal S. runner-up Saffron Moon (Malibu Moon).
“It was my wife (Christine)'s idea–she came from the Arabian show horse world in California,” Hatfield said. “She always wanted to have racehorses. Right now, we have about 10 in training. Chad is our main guy and he's doing a good job for us.”
The 'Second Chances' Honor Roll is headed by Horse of the Year Cody's Wish (Curlin), fellow two-time Breeders' Cup winner Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) and GISWs A Mo Reay (Uncle Mo), Honor A. P. (Honor Code), Locked (Gun Runner), Paradise Woods (Union Rags) and Speaker's Corner (Street Sense).
FEROCIOUS responded to the expectations, recovering from a slow start, to surpass the front runner and easily win on his debut, ridden by @jjcjockey for trainer Gustavo Delgado and co-owned by @RamiroRestrepo
FEROCIOUS gana una gran carrera en su debut al recuperarse de una… pic.twitter.com/ykkKig5RXY
— Agentes305 (@agentes305) August 3, 2024
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