Ten juveniles to follow on 2022-23 Road to Kentucky Derby

We’ll concentrate on the two-year-olds who raced during the marquee Saratoga and Del Mar meets, while mentioning a couple of noteworthy winners at Churchill and Monmouth Park. 

A smashing, 12 1/2-length debut romper beneath the Twin Spires on July 2, Damon’s Mound backed up that performance by capturing the Aug. 13 Saratoga Special (G2) over hitherto unbeaten favorite Gulfport. Each win garnered a 93 Brisnet Speed rating, but the visual impression was much more striking. The Michelle Lovell trainee has the scope to progress with time and distance, making him an exciting colt to follow.

Damon’s Mound is from the first crop of Girvin, a leading player on the 2017 Derby trail with victories in the Risen Star (G2) and Louisiana Derby (G2). Girvin went on to land his biggest win in the Haskell (G1).

Although only fourth as the favorite in the July 16 Sanford (G3) at Saratoga, Forte ran a promising race to close from further off the pace than in his Belmont maiden score. That effort suggested improvement next time. Forte indeed stepped up in the Hopeful (G1) to win handily by three lengths from Gulfport, who gives him a solid form tie-in with Damon’s Mound. The sloppy track likely magnified Forte’s 101 Speed rating and his margin, as Sanford winner Mo Strike was far back in fourth, but he’s not dependent on those conditions.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Forte is a son of Violence, who has another high-profile juvenile in the same barn. Stablemate Lost Ark, likewise a smart first-out winner at Belmont, dominated the Aug. 27 Sapling S. over a mile at Monmouth.

If Gulfport’s stock has taken a hit with his two losses at the Spa, it’s likely that we didn’t see the best of him there. The Steve Asmussen colt was favored in the Saratoga Special and Hopeful because of his blowout wins at Churchill, including the July 4 Bashford Manor by more than 12 lengths (98 Speed rating). Gulfport had a spot of trouble in the Saratoga Special, although Damon’s Mound was still comfortably best. Nor was Gulfport unlucky in the Hopeful, but he didn’t corner effectively as he was on the wrong lead drifting wide in the slop.

Considering that Gulfport is by Uncle Mo and out of a full sister to 2013 Whitney H. (G1) hero Cross Traffic, he’s bred to go further. It wouldn’t be a shock if Gulfport rebounds at a different venue. 

Arguably the most captivating of Asmussen’s Saratoga winners is Echo Again, who earned a 99 Speed rating in his Aug. 20 debut. Named in allusion to champion Echo Zulu, a fellow Winchell Thoroughbreds colorbearer, Echo Again is by the same hot sire in Gun Runner. And in another parallel, he too drew away with authority at the Spa. The gray ran his rivals off their feet through fast fractions, all the while making it look easy in a 6 1/2-furlong time of 1:15.89. 

Out of the Tapit mare Teardrop, who is a three-quarter sister to Grade 1-winning millionaire Pyro, Echo Again is expected to make his stakes debut in the Iroquois. Plans are less clear for a couple of other good-looking Asmussen winners from the Spa, Disarm (who hasn’t worked back since his Aug. 6 romp) and Powerful (who just got up on Sept. 3).

Also on the list of Iroquois probables is Confidence Game, by Candy Ride and out of Zenyatta’s half-sister Eblouissante. Despite that pedigree, he was a bargain $25,000 purchase by trainer Keith Desormeaux.

Confidence Game was a slow-starting third behind Damon’s Mound, in a typically educational debut for the barn. But he learned plenty to romp in an Aug. 13 maiden over the same six-furlong trip at Churchill, now on the pace before kicking clear. While the 80 Speed rating is forgettable, he has the profile to keep improving. 

From the first crop of Triple Crown sweeper Justify, and a half-brother to champion Midnight Bisou, Verifying was a fine debut winner on Travers Day – an angle that has been worth watching. 

The Brad Cox pupil showed both speed and determination to prevail as the odds-on favorite. Verifying was challenged by a race-fit Track Mate, who had the benefit of a 1 1/16-mile turf maiden under his belt. But Verifying repelled that stern bid and edged away by a convincing 1 3/4 lengths. He completed six furlongs in 1:10.26 to earn a 97 Speed rating.

Purchased for $775,000 as a Keeneland September yearling, Verifying races for a partnership including Coolmore.

Cox sent out another stylish first-out winner, Instant Coffee, a week later on Sept. 3. Overlooked at odds of nearly 15-1, the son of freshman sire Bolt d’Oro rolled from off the pace in a professional display. He coped with the rail post, advanced on the inside, and stayed focused when Arthur’s Ride was lugging in on him. 

Instant Coffee’s time of 1:22.77 was the fastest of a trio of seven-furlong maidens that day, although worth only a 90 Brisnet Speed rating. The form, however, stacks up well. The respective second and third, Arthur’s Ride and favored Crupi, filled those same placings behind Asmussen’s Disarm. 

Champions Dream was a bit slower than Instant Coffee on the same day, but the context makes him worth upgrading. Trainer Danny Gargan rarely wins with first-timers, and Champions Dream wasn’t fully primed to run as fast as possible. Still, the word was out on him, and he was bet down to 1.30-1 favoritism. 

The son of Justify and Grade 2 heroine Dancinginherdreams appeared to be on cruise control taking the early lead, and needed just to be kept to task in a straightforward 2 1/4-length decision. Thus his time of 1:23.68 (84 Speed rating) is more of a pointer for the future than a literal sign of his capabilities. Note that both Instant Coffee and the other seven-furlong winner, aforementioned Powerful (1:23.58), had competition to push them. 

By the late champion Arrogate, Cave Rock remained perfect from two starts when establishing a new stakes record in the Del Mar Futurity (G1). The 2-5 favorite zipped straight to the front through torrid fractions and finished seven furlongs in 1:20.99. That was good for a 105 Speed rating, following up on the 104 from his debut, and he’s won his races by a combined margin of more than 11 lengths.

Cave Rock is trained by Bob Baffert, who is suspended by Churchill Downs Inc. His runners are therefore ineligible to accrue points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Yet they figure to loom large in the series of prep races in Southern California.

Baffert has no shortage of sharp maiden winners, including Speed Boat Beach who just eclipsed Del Mar’s 5 1/2-furlong track record in 1:01.86 on Saturday, and National Treasure, who turned back all comers on Sept. 3. But Carmel Road has the upper hand on his stablemates, with a win going two turns.

A $650,000 Keeneland September yearling, Carmel Road is closely related to National Treasure. Both are by Quality Road, and their dams are half-sisters. Both were bred by Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds, also the breeder of 2020 Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) hero Authentic. 

Carmel Road was third as the 4-5 favorite in his Aug. 6 sprint debut, where he was out of position after a slow start. He made no mistake back at Del Mar Aug. 26, taking control early in a one-mile maiden and winning for fun by 8 3/4 lengths in 1:37.53 (92 Speed rating).