Top turf sprinter returns to Keeneland

Photo: NYRA / Adam Coglianese / Coglianese Photo

In this bi-weekly series, racing analyst J. Keeler Johnson highlights promising horses from his handicapped watch list, reviews runners who have recently caught his eye, and previews horses slated to return to racing in the near future.

Results

Saturday

Belmont at Big A, Race 7: After further consideration, I’m adding the Frizette winner (G1). Scottish Lassie to my watchlist. I’m confident she’s a serious threat to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies next month.

Scottish Lassie debuted with a third-place finish in a seven-eighths-mile maiden special at Saratoga. Winner Quickick returned to take second place in the Alcibiades (G1), while runner-up Snowyte came back to take second place in the Frizette.

The Frizette marked the Scottish Lassie’s second start and no one had the slightest chance of beating her. She managed fractions of 22.81 and 46.20 seconds for third place before taking command and dominating by nine lengths in the brisk time of 1:36.73 seconds for a mile, just slightly slower than the time of 1:36.51 seconds achieved by the winner of Hopeful (G1) Chancer McPatrick in Champagne (G1) one race later.

Scottish Lassie received a 90 Beyer Speed ​​Figure from Daily racing formone of the highest numbers assigned to a two-year-old filly so far this year. Underestimate this improving youngster at your own risk.

Entries

Sunday

Keeneland, Race 8: Encountering older mares in the Franklin (G2) shouldn’t bother the 3-year-old filly Star of Mysterywho is one of the best turf sprinters in the United States regardless of age or gender.

The home-bred Godolphin competed confidently against older males in Dubai in the winter and spring, winning the Blue Point Sprint (G2) and coming second in the Al Quoz Sprint (G1) and Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint (G3). She has been just as effective since arriving in the United States, finishing third to Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint favorite Cogburn in the Jaipur (G1) before defeating three-year-old males in the Quick Call (G3). Quick Call’s form was flattered when third-place Fandom returned to win the Mahony at Saratoga.

Star of Mystery missed a scheduled Aug. 10 start in Galway at Saratoga after rain fell on the turf during the race, so she starts the Franklin after an unintentionally long break. But she has been training diligently on the Keeneland turf field, most notably completing a half-mile around the dogs in 49.20 seconds, so a victorious return will be no surprise.

Various updates

During this quiet week, I’m cleaning up my watch list a bit and removing three horses that have retired from racing.

The first is Adare Manorthe talented 5-year-old mare who won eight graded stakes (including three Class 1 races) over the course of her successful career. She missed a scheduled start in the Pacific Classic (G1) after breaking down after a canter, and after a timeout it became clear she would not be ready for the Breeders’ Cup. Instead, Adare Manor will be sold at the Fasig-Tipton November auction.

Another new retiree is Heartland, a half-brother of Classic Empire’s champion. In July 2023, the son of Justify debuted at Del Mar in a 5 1/2 furlong maiden special and ran well before recovering to win by two lengths over future winner Slider. Unfortunately, Heartland never ran again, but he will stand at WinStar Farm in 2025 for a fee of $10,000 and will hopefully pass on his high-class genetics as a successful stallion.

The latest to leave my watch list is R Calli Kim, the talented endurance grass mare who won the Long Island (G3) and The Very One (G3) last fall and winter. She was sold for $220,000 at the April 2024 Fasig-Tipton digital sale as a broodmare prospect (rather than a broodmare or racing prospect) and appears to have been retired.