Prospect Watch: 70 promising early runners are in entries

Horse Racing Nation‘s Prospect Watch scans all upcoming entries for starters early in their careers who sold for more than $500,000 at their most recent auction or whose dams or siblings are graded-stakes winners.

There are a lot of first- and second-time starters of note this holiday weekend, so let’s take a look.

Thursday

Ellis Park race 6, half-sibling to G1 winner Classic Causeway

Rita’s Legacy, a 2-year-old filly sired by Justify, debuts at Ellis Park going 5 1/2 furlongs on dirt. She is trained by D. Wayne Lukas for owners Old Kentucky Home. Classic Causeway won the 2022 Tampa Bay Derby (G2) on dirt before a surprise victory in the Belmont Derby (G1) on turf later that year. 

Monmouth Park race 6, half-sibling to G1 winner Noble Bird

Authenticate Now, a 2-year-old filly from the first crop of sire Authentic, kicks off her career at Monmouth. Trainer-owner Michael Dini has her ready to go five furlongs on dirt. Noble Bird won the 2015 Stephen Foster (G1) in a $1.3 million-earning career.

Friday

Gulfstream Park race 5, half-sibling to BC winner Ria Antonia

Nicole’s Journey, a 3-year-old filly by Arrogate, is the half-sister to Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Ria Antonia. She makes her first career start at the extended sprint distance of seven furlongs for trainer Fernando Abreu. Imaginary Stables owns the filly. Ria Antonia was the upset winner of the 2013 BC Juvenile Fillies.

Star-spangled second-timers 

Thursday

Belmont at Aqueduct race 4, half-sibling to Maximum Security

Greatest Gift, a 3-year-old filly by Curlin, is from the mare Lil Indy, making her a half-sister to Maximum Security. She tries again for a maiden win going one mile on dirt. Max was first across the finish line in the 2019 Kentucky Derby before a controversial DQ, then ran back to win the Haskell (G1). In her first start December 23, Greatest Gift ran seventh in the mud at Aqueduct for trainer Linda Rice and owner Summer Wind Equine.

Friday

Ellis Park race 9, half-sibling to champion Arrogate

Provisional is a 4-year-old half-brother to multiple Grade 1 winner Arrogate and is sired by Triple Crown winner Justify. He makes his second career start for trainer Pavel Matejka going one mile on turf. In his first start last August, he finished seventh in a one-mile dirt race at Ellis Park. Provisional races for Spry Family Farm.

Los Alamitos race 6, first foal of G1 winner Dream Tree

Wimberly is a 3-year-old filly sired by Curlin. Her dam, Dream Tree, won the Starlet (G1) at 2 and the Prioress (G2) at Saratoga as a 3-year-old. Wimberly is trained by John Sadler for owners West Point Thoroughbreds, Talla Racing and Charles Sonson, who paid $700,000 at the Keeneland September 2022 sale. In her career debut, she finished sixth in a six-furlong maiden special weight at Santa Anita. This time, she cuts back to 5 1/2 furlongs and gets on the surface her dam excelled on, dirt.

Saturday

Prairie Meadows race 6, Half-sibling of Jackie’s Warrior steps into stakes company

In her first start, White Sands was a stylish, 9 1/2-length winner at Belterra. She comes back in the Prairie Gold Juvenile Stakes at Prairie Meadows for trainer Wesley Ward.

Among this week’s runners who meet the Prospect Watch criteria are these 70 starters:

Legend:

Div: Age and sex. 2F for 2-year-old fillies, 2M for 2-year-old males (colts/geldings), etc.

Top sibling (highest graded stakes): The sibling with the highest level of graded stakes won (G1, G2, G3) followed by the most money won if two siblings are at the same level.

Bolded names are mentioned in the article.