Half Brother to Rachel Alexandra Graduates at Turfway

This column highlights the performances of maidens who have made no more than five starts and who either sold for more than $500,000 at public auction, have siblings that are grade/group winners, or have dams that are grade/group winners. BloodHorse research shows maiden winners in particular who meet these criteria are more likely to go on to be graded stakes winners.

Turfway Park

Promising 2-year-olds abounded as the year dwindled down to its final four days in 2022. Eight 2-year-olds, led by a half brother to the Hall of Fame race mare Rachel Alexandra, earned their spots on MaidenWatch. Three juveniles, including the aforementioned colt, named Itzos , broke their maidens over the all-weather Tapeta surface at Turfway Park.

Itzos, a strapping blood bay son of first crop sire Bolt d’Oro    commanded a $1.4 million price tag as a yearling at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton New York Saratoga Select Yearling Sale. Larry Best of OXO Equine picked up the colt for his growing empire, and Itzos took the first step towards earning back his purchase price —and catching up to his illustrious sibling — with a decisive 1 1/2-length victory Dec. 29 in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight contest.

Trained by current Turfway leading trainer Paulo Lobo, Itzos was making his second career start after finishing ninth in his debut at Churchill Downs on the dirt one month prior. Sent off as the third choice in Thursday’s race under jockey Joseph Ramos, Itzos pressed the frontrunning Brazen Boy  through early fractions of :22.75 and :45.67 before besting his rival midway down the stretch, surging to the wire in a final time of 1:17.61.

Lobo was pleased with the colts effort and has indicated that he will definitely try two turns in the future in a Derby-point stakes race at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots or at Gulfstream Park.

Rachel Alexandra also broke her maiden at second asking in a career that saw the mare win 13 of 19 starts, including five grade 1s, as well as defeating males in the Preakness Stakes (G1), Woodward Stakes (G1), and Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1).

Photo: Coady Photography

Wadsworth romps home in a maiden special weight

Two Brad Cox trainees were also among the auspicious juveniles this past week at the Florence, Ky oval. The Godolphin homebred Wadsworth , a son of top sire Quality Road    and the grade 1-winning mare Dickinson , annihilated his foes by 10 widening lengths in a Dec. 31 maiden special weight. In what was his fourth time out, the gelding appeared to relish the Tapeta, flashing to the lead and never looking back as he stopped the timer in 1:37.44 for the mile.

Wadsworth is the second foal out of Dickinson, who defeated champion Lady Eli  and Sovereign Horse of the Year Catch a Glimpse  in the 2017 running of the Coolmore Jenny Wiley Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland. The Medaglia d’Oro    mare herself is a daughter of the grade 1 winner Little Belle. Both mares were bred and campaigned under the Godolphin colors.

Photo: Coady Photography

Capella takes her debut

Two days earlier in a one-mile maiden special weight for 2-year-old fillies, Capella , the other Cox runner, dazzled in her debut. Battling for the lead early, the daughter of Quality Road clicked into a new gear rounding the far turn, and steadily drew away from her competition, hitting the wire in a time of 1:38.69 for the mile. She finished 3 1/4-lengths clear of another filly to watch, the Michael Stidham-trained Mo Bills , a daughter of Uncle Mo    out of grade 1 winner Star Billing .

A third-generation homebred for Juddmonte, Capella shares the same connections as her half sister, the grade-2 winning millionaire Bonny South . Although winless during her 2022 campaign, Bonny South has regularly competed against the best of her generation for most of her career, placing four times in grade 1 company in addition to her wins in the 2020 Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) and 2021 Doubledogdare Stakes (G3).

BloodHorse Maiden Watch Notable 2-year-old maiden winners for week of Dec. 26 – Jan. 1 Date Track Race Horse Sire Dam Starts Notes 12/28 TAM 8 Froshado Frosted Ashado 1 Dam is a G1 winner 12/29 TP 5 Itzos Bolt d’Oro Lotta Kim 2 Half sister to G1 winner Rachel Alexandra; $1.4M Yearling 12/29 TP 7 Capella Quality Road Touch the Star 1 Half sister to G2 winner Bonny South 12/30 HAW 7 Sivako More Than Ready Ruby Lips 5 Half brother to G2 winners Lone Rock, Gerrymander 12/30 SA 1 Ancient Peace War Front Deceptive Vision 2 Dam is a G2 winner 12/31 GP 2 Shesterkin Violence Freedom Star 1 Dam is a G3 winner 12/31 OP 10 Eyeing Clover Lookin At Lucky Floral Park 1 Half brother to G3 winner Heavenhasmynikki 12/31 TP 8 Wadsworth Quality Road Dickinson 4 Dam is a G1 winner