Friday Juvenile Races

Several interesting two-year-old races on Friday.

In race 6 at Monmouth, Todd Pletcher sends out The Roundhouse (Fusaichi Pegasus-Circle of Life, by Belong to Me), a half-brother to Circular Quay and a full-brother to Circle the World, who had six starts (2 wins, 1 place) before breaking down and being euthanized last November while training at Hollywood Park. With Chris DeCarlo up, The Roundhouse looks to be the favorite, but I find it bothersome that he does not have a posted workout from the gate. Clemens (Langfuhr-First Flag, by Woodman) posted a nice bullet workout from the gate five days ago, and Unbridled Wish (Unbridled Time-Rainbow Wish, by Holy Bull) goes for connections that win at 27%, so certainly worth more than a casual glance. A lot depends on how they look in the post parade, but I am leaning towards Mystic Maze (Mojave Moon-Devil May Try, by Devil’s Bag) who has been training extremely well here, including throwing an eye-popping 3 furlong bullet of :33.2 recently.

At Louisiana Downs, race 8 features LA bred two-year-old maidens, and La Trust represents one of the more impressive young sires, Trust N Luck, here. However, I am more inclined to favor Make Money Quick (Talk Is Money-Quick Blush, by Blushing Groom). He runs for a high percentage trainer (Jorge Lara) with John Jacinto up, and his dam has an impressive amount of success (10 winners out of 11 starters, including 3 stakes winners). Smith B Quick (Erlton-I Scream Melissa, by Carson City) is also worth of long look, with his high percentage trainer (Morris Nicks), high percentage dam (3 winners from 3 starters, 1 stakes winner), and strong workouts leading to this race.

Race 3 at Arlington features two-year-old fillies, and Tom Swearingen’s Barely a Memory (Cape Canaveral-Barely Makin It, by Cabrini Green) is the lukewarm morning line favorite after finishing third last out. She bled in that race, and gets Lasix here, with Rene Douglas up. Also getting Lasix for the first time is Sting In The Tail (Ide-Shiva, by Halo) who has posted two strong workouts since her first try on May 18. Steve Asmussen sends out first-time starter Seriously Gorgeous (Stephen Got Even-Gold Parody, by Java Gold), but except for her last workout, she has not demonstrated a lot of speed. She has also been working steadily since March, with 12 posted workouts! Figure if she were that good, he would have run her earlier. A lot will depend on how they look going to post, but I’m leaning heavily towards Trust N Luck’s Our Lucky Gray (out of Midnight Goer, by Two Punch) who may improve with blinkers added; Montbrook progeny (and hopefully, by default, their progeny) are some of the best on all-weather tracks. I also really like Palanka City (Carson City-Indian Sunset, by Storm Bird). Carson City progeny do well in first-time starts, and her dam Indian Sunset has produced 2 winners from 4 starters, including this filly’s full-brother Quick Action who won his first start as a two-year-old and then went to place in the G3 Lafayette Stakes and finish third in the Whirlaway Stakes as a third year old. Finally, I like The Mizzus (Mizzen Mast-Pete N’ Pete, by A.P. Indy) for inexplicable reasons.