I have always been fascinated with pedigrees. It’s interesting to me to look at the bloodlines of a horse and try to figure out what makes a champion. It’s like solving a mystery, in a way. I would love to be involved in thoroughbred bloodstock one day, and I am planning on investing in my own prospect to pinhook in the near future. But until then I like to practice. I look through the online catalogs of thoroughbred sales (like Fasig-Tipton or Keeneland) and select horses that I expect to do well once their careers start, based off of their pedigrees alone. Then I follow their careers to see if my opinion on their pedigrees was right. I thought it would be a good thing to do before pursuing a career in bloodstock or buying a horse to pinhook, so I could see how my judgement is when it comes to bloodlines. To my surprise, I’m actually quite good at it. Some of the best horses that I have picked out as yearlings or as two year olds in training are champion filly Songbird, Unique Bella, Order of St George, Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming, Union Strike, Connect, Not This Time, and Gun Runner, who has a very real shot at ending up as the 2017 Horse of the Year.
I have a handful of some very promising two year old horses on my radar this year, and I thought I would share them since they may end up being future stars of the sport. The first horse I will profile is Jody’s Song. This dark bay filly is by Scat Daddy and out of the Speightstown mare, Speightful Lady. Jody’s Song sold for $250,000 in the Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga Sale in 2016. Jody’s Song has already had her first race, and it was an impressive win to say the least. When I first came across her pedigree I had high expectations for her right away, so watching her win the way she did was very validating. Going a mile on the turf at Belmont Park, Jody’s Song galloped home with startling ease. She won geared down, clear of the field, in a sharp time of 1:34.82. The filly couldn’t have looked any better. I doubt she even broke a sweat. She looked more like a seasoned professional out there than a two year old first time starter.
Due to Jody’s Song’s impressive maiden win, she will be making her next start in a stakes race. That stakes race is the Chelsey Flower Stakes at Belmont Park. It will be a step up in class for sure, but I don’t think it will be an issue. Since she is only a maiden winner, her morning line odds are 12-1, so she will be a bit of an underdog going in. But Jody’s Song doesn’t know the odds are against her. She just wants to run her race. We haven’t even seen the best that this promising filly has to offer, so I am very excited to see what she can do.
The next horse I want to discuss is Retro. This bay filly sold for $170,000 in the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. She is by Giant’s Causeway and out of the Aldebaran mare, Grace Anatomy. Retro broke her maiden on her first try, going one mile on the turf at Del Mar. She then took on stakes competition in her next start, the Surfer Girl Stakes. Retro finished a very game third, and is now aiming for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. There is a chance that she might not draw into the field, but I am really hoping that she makes it. She is a quality filly who has potential to make some noise in this race at big odds. Since the Surfer Girl Stakes, Retro has been training exceptionally well and looks like she is sitting on a big effort. The Juvenile Fillies Turf is a highly competitive race and Retro will most likely get overlooked, but I firmly believe that if Retro draws into the field, she will be a reliable longshot to play. However, even if she does not make the race, I do expect this filly to have a very bright future beyond the Breeders’ Cup.
When I looked through the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, a Scat Daddy colt caught my eye. The strapping chestnut is out of the Smart Strike mare, Intelyhente. He sold for $260,000 and was named Count Alexander. A year later he made his debut at Woodbine in a six furlong turf race. After stalking the pace, Count Alexander took command and exploded down the stretch. His jockey never had to put him to work. Count Alexander easily crushed his competition, pulling away and winning in a very fast time of 1:09.06. Count Alexander’s next start came in the Summer Stakes, where he ran a solid fourth against a tough group. About a month later, Count Alexander took on stakes competition once again in the Zuma Beach Stakes. The gritty colt closed very fast to grab second, losing by only a neck. His connections are hoping that he will make it into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, but whether he makes it in or not, they have a very nice animal on their hands. In his short career, Count Alexander has already showed grit, brilliant speed, and determination. This stouthearted horse always puts up a valorous effort, and you can’t ask for more than that.
One of the most promising prospects on my list is Engage. Like many of the horses I started following, I first noticed him in the Keeneland September Yearling sale in 2016, when he sold for $200,000. I was in love with his pedigree the moment I saw it. He is by Into Mischief and out of the Speightstown mare, Nefertiti. His pedigree suggests blazing speed, and that is exactly what this colt has. He did not win his debut, but he still put on a show. Going six furlongs on the dirt at Saratoga, Engage and National Flag went all out on each other. The pair hooked up in a dogfight, bumping into each other without relent in their haste to bulldoze down the stretch. Neither one would let up on the other as they bolted for the wire. It was quite a sight to see a first time starter put up a fight like that. At the end of the race, National Flag got the better of Engage, who was still well ahead of the rest of the contention. After seeing that, I knew Engage would win in his next try, and I was right. He broke his maiden despite running wide down the stretch in his second start at Saratoga, and then went on to win the Futurity Stakes at Belmont Park.
In my opinion, Engage has an incredibly bright future. He has always been one of my favorites, so I am thrilled to see him doing this well. His breeding suggests that he will be a brilliant one- turn horse, as he has a lot of speed on both sides of his pedigree. I pity anyone who tries to keep up with him while sprinting. However, he will be turning three soon and everyone with a good colt dreams of making the Kentucky Derby. Not surprisingly, his connections are considering gradually stretching him out to see if he can go the distance. I don’t blame them at all for wanting to test what this horse can do, and despite the fact that his pedigree has more speed than stamina, I would not be surprised at all if Engage ends up being a good two-turn horse. The colt has class, and that class will carry him far.
Those are just some of my prospects that I expect to have big futures in this sport. Some other names to look out for are Biblical, Enticed, Trust, Mia d’Oro, Gidu, Freedom Factor, Bridaled Temper, Aquila, Mississippi, Believe in Royalty, New York Central, Almond Roca, Rule the Nile, Snuck Out, Clear the Clouds, Song of Mine, and Concur just to name a few. It will be fun to follow these young horses and see what they become.