Laurie Ross
Iron Maidens Thoroughbreds

The Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity for two-year-olds is a seven-furlong race so it’s still not a good gauge of horses to see if they want to route. That said, it still offers some interesting options.

Jaycito (Victory Gallop – Night Edition, by Ascot Knight) takes on winners in his second outing after being caught in the stretch by Indian Winter. He shows a swift six furlong work back. Jaycito’s sire is a poor producer of Polytrack runners (1 winner, 22 starters at DelMar). Jaycito has a stamina oriented pedigree and should improve with time and distance, just over a different track.

Although he’s still a maiden, Riveting Reason (Fusaichi Pegasus – Love and Marry – Known Fact) showed nice progression in his last two races and recorded a last out bullet. His sire gets 53 percent in the money over the main track at Del Mar. Riveting Reason is a half to a stakes placed runner and his second dam was a multiple G3 winner. His trainer doesn’t run many horses, but he has a very respectable 33 percent win and 83 percent ITM.  We could be looking at a live longshot.

From the distaff family who brought you Point Given, McKenzies Way (Wildcat Heir – Lose the Blues, by Pulpit) led every step to win in his second start. He shows improvement speed figure-wise (80-92) in his races and worked a last out bullet. Last year’s leading freshman sire Wildcat Heir has 53 percent winners over the Del Mar Poly this meet. Robert Troger is another trainer who doesn’t run many horses, but of the seven he’s sent out for main track sprints, four have been in the money.

Unbeaten in three starts including a stakes record win, J P’s Gusto (Successful Appeal – Call her Magic, by Caller I.D.) was all out to hold off a closing Western Mood last time out. J P’s Gusto has a classy but sprint oriented pedigree. He is a full brother to two stakes placed runners and his stakes winning is a half sister to the dam of the Champion Proud Spell. J P’s Gusto hasn’t lost a step in the morning and all systems look go.

Just Imagine (Unbridled’s Song – Fantasy Line, by Salt Lake) found some traffic in the stretch of his last race but had every chance to go on. He shows one work which was over the turf. Just Imagine is a half to two stakes winners and his dam is multiple stakes winner. Unbridled’s Song has 37 percent winners at Del Mar this meet. O’Neil has 37 percent winners over main track sprints, but that turf work makes us think this horse is in here as an afterthought.

Making his first start in the U.S, Major Art (Compton Place – Rosewood Belle, by Woodman) tries sprinting over the Polytrack.  He weakened to sixth after setting the pace in his last race going seven furlongs over a good turf course and shows no works in the US.  His sire is an Eng-G1 turf sprinter.  His offspring are poor over Polytrack, with only 8 percent winners over the last year. Major Art is descended from the family of turf star Golden Pheasant.

Only a neck behind J P’s Gusto in the Hollywood Juvenile Championship, Western Mood (West Acre – True Mood, by Deputy Minister) regressed in the Best Pal and crossed the wire four lengths behind that rival.  His sire has the strength of the famous Claiborne breeding in his bloodlines and he’s had 80 percent runners finish in the money at Del Mar. Although Western Mood’s morning works are average, his speed figures have been steadily dropping (95-91-88).

Coming from off the pace in his debut, Indian Winter (Indian Charlie – Backroom Blues, by Dixieland Band) overtook Jaycito to win by half a length. He’s a half to two precocious stakes horses, Five Star Holding, 2nd Three Chimneys Juvenile and the California filly Sindy With An S, winner of the G3 Safely Kept. The stablemate of J P’s Gusto is wheeling back on short notice. His trainer wins just 18 percent of main track sprints, but the crafty trainer shouldn’t be discounted.    

Comma to the Top (Bwana Charlie – Maggie’s Storm, by Stormy Atlantic) dipped his hoof into graded stakes company last time out and found it rough going, fading to six lengths behind J P’s Gusto. He’s back for another try and brings in faster breezes than he’s shown previously. Comma to the Top’s dam is a half sister to stakes winner Yes He’s a Pistol.

Road Ready (More Than Ready – Eishin Bridle, by Unbridled) won the Lost in the Fog Stakes at Golden Gate two months ago in his debut. Since that time, the pretty gray colt has logged several stamina works. His sire has four winners from 38 starters this meet, but 12 others have finished in the money. Road Ready’s dam is a full sister to stakes winner Wild Hoots and a three-quarter sister to Wood Memorial winner Buddha. His trainer has just 16 percent winners, but gets 44 percent ITM in main track sprints.

Gahnzo Bob (Dehere – Tampico, by Sitzmark) is running over the wrong track. None of his sire’s six starters this meet have finished in the money and Gahnzo Bob didn’t show a whole lot in his maiden attempt.   Stick this one on the dirt and let him try two turns.

Selections:

How the track is playing:  Currently, the front runners have a slight edge with 40 percent wins, while stalkers grab 30 percent of all the money.

J P’s Gusto will be the main favorite and has beaten many in here already. The big question is if he can outlast the others at this distance.  He certainly has the heart and an aggressive, experienced jock.  Western Mood is the other big horse in the race, but his expected rally fell flat last time and there are others in here that show better form. One of those is Riveting Reason. He has the breeding and the works to put it all together here.  McKenzies Way is another that shouldn’t be overlooked. Indian Winter is coming back in just over two weeks. His half sibling Sindy With An S did well at Del Mar and this colt should be ready to go.  Road Ready could be one to play underneath in the exotics.

J P’s Gusto
McKenzies Way
Indian Winter
Riveting Reason – longshot