Horses to Watch: Follow these 3 weekend winners

In this biweekly series, racing analyst Keeler Johnson shares promising horses from his handicapping watch list, reviewing runners who have recently caught his eye and previewing horses scheduled to run back in the near future.

New to the watch list

Eclatant

Eclatant caught my attention when she debuted in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight on Friday at Churchill Downs. After rating in fourth place behind an opening quarter-mile in 22.21 seconds, she advanced into the teeth of a 44.84 half-mile and took over in the final furlong to win by 1 3/4 lengths in 1:03.42, earning a respectable 82 Beyer Speed Figure from Daily Racing Form.

A 2-year-old daughter of five-time leading North American sire Into Mischief, Eclatant looks like a stakes horse in the making for high-percentage trainer Brad Cox. Certainly her pedigree is elite; Eclatant’s dam is the Scat Daddy mare Downside Scenario, who previously foaled Bourbon (G2) winner and Hopeful (G1) third-place finisher Mutasaabeq.

Owen Almighty

Another impressive 2-year-old winner at Churchill Downs last week was Owen Almighty, a son of champion sprinter Speightstown conditioned by Brian Lynch. The bay colt debuted in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight on Thursday and left no doubt about his superiority, sticking close to splits of 22.22 and 45.46 seconds before taking over in the homestretch to score by 3 1/2 lengths.

The fifth furlong elapsed in a strong 11.49 seconds and the final sixteenth in a snappy 6.05 seconds, allowing Owen Almighty to reach the finish line in 1:03.00 and earn an 83 Beyer Speed Figure. His fast finish bodes well for stepping up in class and distance, so the future looks bright for Owen Almighty.

Recent watch list winners

Unmatched Wisdom

Up-and-coming sophomore Unmatched Wisdom had no trouble conquering older rivals in a 1 1/8-mile allowance on Saturday at Belmont at the Big A. After pressing fractions of 23.72, 47.10 and 1:11.67 in second place, the son of Cairo Prince powered clear through the final three furlongs to dominate by 5 3/4 lengths in 1:49.78.

Trained by Chad Brown, Unmatched Wisdom is undefeated in two starts, having previously trounced a one-mile maiden special weight at Belmont at the Big A by 6 1/4 lengths. He looks ready to join the stakes ranks, with races like the July 19 Curlin or July 27 Jim Dandy (G2) at Saratoga looming as logical targets.

Worth another try

Midnight Dajoey

After breaking his maiden impressively on Tapeta at Presque Isle Downs, Midnight Dajoey regressed when tackling a six-furlong dirt allowance on Friday at Churchill Downs, carving out an opening quarter-mile in 21.30 seconds before fading steadily to finish fifth by 15 lengths. The question is, was it the step up in class, the switch to dirt or both that triggered Midnight Dajoey’s defeat? It’s unclear yet, so I’ll give him another try next time before deciding whether to drop him from my watch list.

Off the watch list

Catching Freedom

Louisiana Derby (G2) winner Catching Freedom started as a 2-5 favorite while dropping in class for the 1 1/8-mile Ohio Derby (G3) at Thistledown, but after racing closer to the early pace than usual, he flattened out in the drive to finish fourth by three lengths. This was a regression from his fourth in the Kentucky Derby and third in the Preakness, so after three straight defeats, I’ll remove Catching Freedom from my watch list.