Horses to Watch: Brown, Walsh debut flashy 2-year-olds (2024)

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.

Results

Friday

Saratoga, race 1.Senza Parole is new to my watch list after delivering an impressive debut victory. The Chad Brown trainee started as the second choice in a six-furlong maiden special weight but ran like an odds-on favorite. She settled in third through an opening quarter-mile in 22.52 seconds, advanced to lead through half a mile in 45.80 seconds and then rocketed her final quarter-mile in 24.04 seconds to dominate by 7 3/4 lengths in 1:09.84. The 2-year-old daughter of Gun Runner received a 94 Beyer Speed Figure from Daily Racing Form and looks like a stakes star in the making.

Saratoga, race 10.Idiomatic ran a giant race in defense of her Personal Ensign (G1) title. After dueling with multiple Grade 1 winner Randomized through fractions of 23.28, 46.66 and 1:10.53, Idiomatic opened up a four-length lead only to get caught in the final strides by stretch-running Raging Sea. Idiomatic finished second by a head while pulling 10 1/4 lengths clear of the rest and is worth watching again.

Woodbine, race 9.It looked as though My Boy Prince would win the King’s Plate when he opened up a 2 1/2-length lead with a quarter-mile remaining. But the pace-tracking favorite grew weary in the final furlong and faltered to finish second by three-quarters of a length against the filly Caitlinhergrtness. My Boy Prince is worth watching again.

Charles Town, race 9.Bentornato ran well to finish second by 1 1/2 lengths against ground-saving winner Valentine Candy in the $500,000 Robert Hilton Memorial. But after three straight defeats, Bentornato is off my watch list.

Prairie Meadows, race 9.Long Neck Paula was an impressive watch list winner in the six-furlong Prairie Meadows Debutante, tracking an opening quarter-mile in 21.84 seconds before taking over to dominate by 7 1/2 lengths in 1:09.56. Dropping in class out of the Schuylerville at Saratoga made all the difference.

Saturday

Ellis Park, race 5.Could Brendan Walsh have another Maxfield in his barn? East Avenue is new to my watch list after delivering a terrific debut in a six-furlong maiden special weight. A 2-year-old Godolphin homebred son of Medaglia d’Oro, East Avenue dashed to the lead through splits of 23.21 and 46.44 seconds before running his final quarter in 24.12 seconds to crush his competition by eight lengths in 1:10.56. Don’t be surprised if we see this promising colt on the road to the Kentucky Derby in the near future.

Monmouth Park, race 7: Change of Command faded from a pace-pressing position to finish last in a $40,000 allowance optional claimer, which marked his second straight defeat. He’s off my watch list.

Saratoga, race 9.Measured Time seemed a bit uncomfortable racing inside and behind a slow pace in the Sword Dancer (G1). He launched a nice rally once clear in the homestretch, but by then the pace was accelerating and he failed by one length to reel in front-running Far Bridge. Since he didn’t get a good setup, Measured Time is worth watching again.

The same goes for Silver Knott, who saw his three-race win streak snapped while weakening to finish third in the Sword Dancer. Perhaps the Grade 1 ranks are too stiff for Silver Knott. He starred at the Grade 2 level this year and is worth watching again.

Saratoga, race 10.I feel like racing inside on the main track may have been a disadvantage at Saratoga on Saturday, so I’ll forgive Vahva for finishing third as the favorite in the seven-furlong Ballerina Handicap (G1). She raced inside rivals throughout and shifted even closer to the rail down the homestretch, where she flattened out to finish 4 1/4 lengths behind the winner. If I’m correct about the dead rail, then this performance is better than it first appears. Hence, Vahva is new to my watch list.

Saratoga, race 12.I had a quartet of watch-list members in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1). Prince of Monaco is worth watching again after finishing second. He made an early move into a hot pace and failed by only a neck to withstand Domestic Product, who closed from farther behind.

Timberlake, who finished fourth, Jefferson Street in seventh and Speak Easy in ninth all are off my watch list after running below my expectations.

Saratoga, race 13. For the first time in his career, Fierceness put together back-to-back wins, following up his Jim Dandy (G2) triumph with a tenacious score in the Travers (G1). Facing a deep field, Fierceness was never more than two lengths behind fractions of 23.53, 48.10 and 1:11.63 before taking command and opening a two-length lead in the homestretch. From there, he was game as could be to hold off star filly Thorpedo Anna by a head, completing 1 1/4 miles in 2:01.79 to become a watch list winner.

Thorpedo Anna had to wait in traffic around the far turn, which arguably cost her victory. She rallied boldly once in the clear and fell just short at the finish line, so she’s worth watching again. Curlin winner Unmatched Wisdom is likewise worth watching again even though he finished seventh. The previously undefeated sophom*ore got bumped around at the start and wound up farther off the pace than usual.In contrast, Sierra Leone is off my watch list after finishing third in the Travers. The stretch-running colt ran his typical fine race to finish only 1 3/4 lengths behind Fierceness, but after four straight defeats he appears to rank just a cut below the division elite.

Del Mar, race 9.Improving 3-year-old Raging Torrent became a watch-list winner even while facing a deep field of older rivals in the Pat O’Brien (G2). After setting fractions of 22.56 and 44.96 seconds, Raging Torrent was passed in the homestretch by favored The Chosen Vron but battled back to win the seven-furlong sprint by a neck in 1:21.17. He’s 3-for-3 in seven-furlong dirt sprints this year and could be an intriguing candidate for either the Breeders’ Cup Sprint or the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.

Sunday

Del Mar, race 8. Sweet Azteca was a powerful watch-list winner in the Rancho Bernardo Handicap (G3), setting fractions of 22.08 and 45.06 seconds before drawing off to win the 6 1/2-furlong sprint under a light ride by seven lengths in 1:15.60. She’s shaping up as the favorite to win the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint at Del Mar this fall.

EntriesWednesday

Saratoga, race 8. Fresh off a stretch-running debut victory racing 1 1/16 miles on grass at Saratoga, Virgin Colada is the 2-1 morning-line favorite to win right back over the same course and distance in the P. G. Johnson. Another victory will establish this 2-year-old Chad Brown trainee as a serious Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf contender.

Thursday

Saratoga, race 10. Uncaged, a rallying debut winner sprinting six furlongs on dirt at Saratoga, is a main-track-only entrant in the With Anticipation, a 1 1/16-mile grass contest for juveniles. If the race is rained off the turf, this stoutly bred son of Curlin will be a logical win threat.

Here is my complete, updated list of Horses to Watch.