Weekend Eye Catchers - August 1-4, 2024
By Will Humphrey
We are excited to bring Will Humphrey’s successful “Weekend Eye Catchers” to the newsletter side. Every Monday, Will provides a handful of horses who ran over the past weekend that he thinks deserve to be tracked going forward. Additionally, Will’s “Horses to Follow” segment for Saturdays will move to the newsletter from here on out. For his Friday and Sunday “Horses to Follow”, be sure to keep following along at inthemoneypodcast.com, where you can find all of our stellar daily blog coverage of your favorite tracks.
Summer is in full swing, and the top-quality action continues to come thick and fast. Over the past weekend, we witnessed some incredible performances in both victory and defeat, providing plenty of clues to help us cash future tickets. Here are four horses who will be worth putting in your preferred tracker and following for the future…
Thursday, Del Mar, Race 1: SUPA SPEED (1st)
Maiden 2yo fillies sprinted 5f on the turf in the opening race at Del Mar this week, where we witnessed a very impressive debut performance from the John Saddler trained, SUPA SPEED.
Sent to post as the 3/1 second choice under Hector Berrios, SUPA SPEED broke alertly from gate six to comfortably stalk the pace setter and eventual runner-up as they sped through an opening 1/4 mile in 22.46. As they rounded the bend and straightened for the drive, Edwin Maldonado briefly looked as if he had stolen the race from the front on SOPHISTRY, who not only had everything her own way on the lead, but also had prior racing experience and fitness on her side. However, looming in behind him was SUPA SPEED, who rounded the home bend in the two path and gradually went through the gears to draw up and alongside the leader as they passed the shoot. From there, Berrios needed to do no more than confidently hand ride SUPA SPEED past the long-time leader, allow her to draw away from the field, and score by a very comfortable 1 1/2 lengths. SUPA SPEED stopped the clock in 57.90 for 5f, earned a 75 Beyer, and galloped out nicely, too.
With a field consisting of mainly un-raced two-year-olds, it’s hard to put a value on the form of this race but visually, SUPA SPEED looked the real deal. She has a very ‘turfy’ action, as she doesn’t lift her front knees up overly high but generates plenty of power from her rear end, which creates a very efficient stride over firm turf. She broke well, traveled sweetly in behind the speed, had the gears to move herself upsides the leader (while that rival appeared to still be full of running), and she ran straight and hard through the wire. For a first out two-year-old, this was a classy performance.
Purchased for $460,000 as a yearling, SUPA SPEED is sired by Triple Crown winner JUSTIFY, and out of a former Aidan O’Brien trained, AMERICAN PHAROAH mare, named ELFIN QUEEN. ELFIN QUEEN herself, is a half-sister to four individual black type performers, including the former Bob Baffert trained stake winner INDIANAPOLIS, two-time G3 winner HEART ASHLEY, G3 winner ASHLEY’S KITTY, and multiple GSW CUPID, who took the 2017 Santa Anita Gold Cup (G1). Her pedigree suggests that she could be above average, and with a wealth of talent, speed and stamina, coupled a nice mixture of both dirt and turf in the family, the options for SUPA SPEED are aplenty.
Based on the way that she shaped on Thursday, with a low action and a string finish, I think that turf routes will ultimately be her best game. But for now, this was a really nice debut effort from Saddler’s trainee, and she certainly looks a talented filly to follow.
Friday, Saratoga, Race 9: ZVEREV (6th)
$500,000 was up for grabs in the one-mile National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (G2) at Saratoga on Friday, where Rob Atras’ #4 NEAT, made it back-to-back graded stake scores following his win in the Manila Stakes (G3) last time. NEAT headed the morning line at odds of 5/2 for the race, but it was the Cherie DeVaux trained ZVEREV who usurped him at the top of the betting come post time.
On the face of it, ZVEREV’s non-threatening 6th place finish isn’t overly inspiring, however, I think that this horse definitely deserves another chance.
Sent to the gate at odds of 2/1 under Jose Ortiz, ZVEREV took an awkward step leaving the gate, almost like a mini stumble, resulting in him bumping with BUTTERCREAM BABE to his inside and then, as NEAT came over from gate four, he too gave a firm bump to the favorite. All of this happened within the first eight strides of the race, which immediately put ZVEREV on the back foot and the horse who typically races best when in a forward/stalking position, found himself trailing in last down the back stretch, six lengths off of only moderate 24.42, 49.38 fractions set by BARKSDALE. Rather than rushing ZVEREV back up into a closer position, Ortiz slotted his strong traveling mount over to the rail and bided his time down the back stretch. As the field started to round the home bend, Ortiz still had a ton of horse underneath him and was perched motionless on his back, however, he just had nowhere to go when he really needed to be gathering some strong forward momentum. That meant that when the field were rounding into the stretch and the race was really on up front, Ortiz was taking a pull on ZVEREV, in an attempt to create enough room for them to angle smoothly off of the rail and get clear in the centre of the track. The pair did eventually find racing room in the lane; however, the leaders weren’t stopping and although he was able to make up more ground than any other runner in the stretch, the field had already gotten the jump on ZVEREV.
No doubt, this was a disappointing result from DeVaux’s trainee but in my opinion, it was simply a case of a bad break resulting in him sitting a trip that was impossible to overcome.
Despite the result, I still have no reservations about his ability to compete at this level for a number of reasons. Firstly, we have to remember that he was sent to post as the favorite on Friday because of how impressively he destroyed a salty group of allowance foes at Churchill Downs last time, looking every part a stakes horse in the making. Secondly, as a $330,000 son of OSCAR PERFORMANCE, out of three-time G1 winner BALANCE, who herself is a half-sister to none other than ZENYATTA, he is bred to be a stakes caliber horse. Also, I was taken with the way that he was still traveling so powerfully rounding the home bend when others were under the pump and he did close somewhat into a pace that did not in any way collapse. That indicates to me that he fits in this division and at the end of the day, despite suffering a trip that was far from ideal on Friday, he still finished only 3 1/4 lengths behind the winner.
I don’t think that Friday’s result truly reflects the ability or potential that ZVEREV has, and I am convinced that he will be winning graded stakes very soon. I guess that this is essentially my long-winded way of telling you to put a line through this race, take advantage of a larger price on ZVEREV next time and whatever you do, don’t underestimate him.
Saturday, Ellis Park, Race 3: CYCLONE MISCHIEF (1st)
Prior to the stakes action getting underway at Ellis Park on Saturday, there was a high-class OC 50k allowance over 6f, where all eyes were on last year’s Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) winner, RHYME SCHEMES, as he made his 2024 debut following a 357-day break. Norm Casse’s trainee ran a strong race to hold on for the place spot after setting legitimate fractions of 22.52 and 45.52 on the lead, and with a run now under his belt, he could have a productive 2024 (put him in the tracker too!). Try as RHYME SCHEMES might though, he couldn’t hold off former Kentucky Derby (G1) contender, CYCLONE MISCHIEF, who seems to have found a new lease of life.
Out of a half sister to 2016 Southwest Stakes (G3) winner and KY Derby 5th place finisher, SUDDENBREAKINGNEWS, the Dale Romans’ trained son of INTO MISCHIEF developed into a high-class dirt router as a 3yo, highlighted by 3rd place finishes behind FORTE in both the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) and Florida Derby (G1). Having then suffered a strain when finishing a tailed off 18th in the KY Derby, CYCLONE MISCHIEF had struggled to recapture his form of old around two turns, finishing no better than 3rd, beaten a combined 57 1/2 lengths in four subsequent route starts.
So, in an attempt to get CYCLONE MISCHIEF back into the winner’s circle, Romans decided to cut his trainee back to sprint trips, despite having no speed influence in his pedigree, nor a running style to suggest that it would work.
In his first ever career sprint at Churchill Downs on June 30, CYCLONE MISCHIEF massively outran his odds over 6 1/2f, finishing only 2 lengths behind GULFPORT after having broken slowly and met plenty of trouble in running.
Saturday proved to be much more straight forward.
Drawn in gate four of five under Corrie Lanerie, CYCLONE MISCHIEF broke with such speed that he earned the first call by announcer Tony Calo, before settling two to three lengths behind honest fractions being set by RHYME SCHEMES. With the leaders in his sights, Lanerie started to advance his mount in on the front pair as they rounded into the stretch. Then, with an efficient change of leads and sharp maneuver into the two path, CYCLONE MISCHIEF inhaled the leaders and powered away to score by a comfortable half length, stopping the clock for six furlongs in an impressive 1:08.87, while earning a career best Beyer of 95.
I have no idea where this speed has come from, but boy does CYCLONE MISCHIEF look fast and, in my opinion, he has all the ingredients required to be a legitimate stakes contender in this new discipline.
His gate speed was excellent on Saturday, allowing Lanierie to position him close enough to the lead that he didn’t have too much ground to make up, but he was then classy enough to settle beautifully too, unlike a lot of sprinters who try to over race. That meant that when Lanerie moved him up through the gears, which he had plenty of, there was a great deal left in the tank for him to hit the line hard when his rivals’ stamina reserves started to empty. CYCLONE MISCHIEF looked like a jockey’s dream, and he actually strides like a sprinter too, turning his legs over very quickly and efficiently, which is surprising when you consider his pedigree and past form.
There really wasn’t anything to dislike about this performance and the stake quality numbers that he produced only back up the strength of his effort. Off the back of this, connections are fully entitled to try this former G1 placed performer back in stakes races and based on the fact that he beat two graded stakes winners in this race, you would have to take him seriously wherever he shows up next.
Going back out to six and a half or seven furlongs could actually bring about more improvement CYCLONE MISCHIEF, but he also looks to have enough speed to try 5 1/2f, if a suitable race emerges over that trip. The options are aplenty for him, and it will be interesting to see where Romans points him next but for now, this was a huge effort and certainly no fluke. If you had thought CYCLONE MISCHIEF was a spent force, don’t!
Saturday, Saratoga, Race 5: SEA VISTA (2nd)
Bettors had a tough time separating the seven 2yo’s MSW runners who lined up for the 6f event at Saratoga on Saturday, sending six of them to post at odds of between 3/1 and 8/1. Todd Pletcher and Irad Ortiz eventually got the money with the very impressive first-time starter UNCAGED, who certainly looks a classy type with a bright future. SEA VISTA chased UNCAGED home in 2nd, and going forward, I think that the same comments can be made about him as well.
Trained by Brad Cox for owner/breeder Godolphin, SEA VISTA is by 2007 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner STREET SENSE, out of three-time graded stake winner SARA LOUISE. That makes him a full brother to graded stake placed performer SPA CITY, and a half-brother to listed stake winner NASH, who recently chased home SIEZE THE GREY in the Pat Day Mile (G2).
Having broken slowly from gate five under Florent Geroux, SEA VISTA looked lost at sea (pardon the pun) and lacked speed in the early stages of the race, falling back to be over eight lengths off the pressured pace being set by C K WONDER. With Geroux hard at work rounding the bend, the penny appeared to drop, and SEA VISTA started to make up significant ground on the leaders before tipping way out into the seven path upon straightening. Tyler Gaffalione wasn’t going to let Geroux get clear easily though, and tried his best to keep SEA VISTA penned in, resulting in the pair engaging in a long barging match down the centre of the stretch. However, despite being an inexperienced debutant, SEA VISTA was unfazed by the contact, pushed on by that rival and proceeded close stoutly on the eventual winner, crossing the line 1 3/4 lengths behind UNCAGED in 2nd.
The slow start and early greenness cost SEA VISTA the win here, but regardless of the fact that he was beaten, there was lots to like about this debut.
Physically, he looked a very classy individual. I loved the way that he efficiently changed leads in the stretch, rebalanced himself after making contact with his rival, picked his knee up to stride out with athleticism, and didn’t flinch once at the kickback. I’m often forgiving of first time starters who break slowly and lack speed on debut, as some of them are just awestruck by the occasion and unsure about the kickback, but SEA VISTA seemed to really figure the game out as the race went on and by earning a Beyer of 80, despite an imperfect performance, he clearly has ability.
This well-bred individual is in the best hands to help him fulfill his potential and its interesting to note that before the turn of the year, Cox had started only thirty-five 2yo’s at Saratoga, eighteen of which finished in the money. Of those eighteen, nine went onto win stake races and five of them became graded stake winners. That’s good company for SEA VISTA to be keeping and possibly an indication of the regard he’s held in.
With this experience under his belt, I would expect him to take a natural step forward in all regards next time and based on both his pedigree and the way he shaped on Saturday, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him stretch out in trip before long. For now, though, I thought that was a very promising start to SEA VISTA’s career, and I suspect that he will develop into a very classy individual. He looks one to follow.
I hope that you all had an enjoyable and successful weekend of wagering and remember to subscribe to ITM Plus for more!