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.
Del Mar
Life Is Good , a 2-year-old colt that China Horse Club and Maverick Racing bought for $525,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale last year, won his Nov. 22 debut by 9 1/2 lengths at Del Mar. The 6 1/2-furlong race earned the son of Into Mischief an impressive Equibase Speed Figure of 107.
Trained by Bob Baffert, Life Is Good went to post at odds of 1-5 under jockey Mike Smith. The colt was first away from the gate and raced through quick fractions of :21.80, :44.84, and 1:09.08 through six furlongs. In the stretch he was ahead by seven lengths and he was ridden out to cross the wire in a final time of 1:15.50 on a fast track.
Bred by Gary and Mary West Stable in Kentucky, Life Is Good is the second foal, and winner, out of the Distorted Humor mare Beach Walk. His second dam is grade 1-placed Bonnie Blue Flag, a half sister to dual grade 1 winner Diamondrella.
Aqueduct
Several 2-year-olds with notable pedigrees made their way to the winner's circle at Aqueduct Racetrack this week.
The first came Nov. 19 when Jim and Susan Hill's Western Advantage defeated a field of eight others in a 1 1/16-mile test. Trained by George Weaver and ridden to a three-quarter-length victory by Dylan Davis, the Competitive Edge colt was last in the early going as fractions went in :22.92 and :48.40 for a half-mile.
Western Advantage was still seventh as six furlongs went in 1:14.49 and heading into the stretch Davis guided the colt up to fourth while three wide. The colt then dug and rallied in the final yards to prevail in a final time of 1:48 on the firm outer turf track.
Bred by The New Hill Farm, Western Advantage is out of the Red Ransom mare Western Ransom, who won the 2004 Martha Washington Breeders' Cup Stakes (G3T) in her final start.
On Nov. 21, Waterville Lake Stable's homebred Straw Into Gold won on debut for Christophe Clement, who has been highly successful at the Aqueduct meet so far with 10 wins since Nov. 6. The juvenile Hard Spun colt is out of the grade 3 winner Strike It Rich, by Unbridled's Song. His stakes-winning half brother Sea Foam has earned nearly $600,000 and placed third in the Oct. 24 Empire Classic Handicap.
Taking on a field of 11 others going 1 1/16 miles on the turf, Straw Into Gold was seventh early under Joel Rosario, passed only one horse to be sixth as six furlongs went in 1:13.90, and then rallied in the stretch to get a neck in front at the wire in a final time of 1:44.43 on a firm course.
Clement and Rosario paired up again the following day with Brattle House, a $775,000 yearling who made a successful debut at the New York track, taking a one-mile test by 5 1/4 lengths.
The Malibu Moon filly went gate to wire under Rosario, who never used the whip. She completed the mile in 1:40.42 on a fast track.
Brattle House was bred by Oak Bluff Stables and Clement and is the second foal out of the Street Sense mare Savvy Sassy, whose first foal is the stakes-placed Bourbon Bay. Consigned by Winter Quarter Farm to Fasig-Tipton's Select New York-Bred Yearling Sale, OXO Equine made the winning bid.
Churchill
Anita Cauley Racing's Three Tipsy Chix won her third start Saturday, taking a 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight at Churchill Downs. The Ian Wilkes trainee finished off the board in her debut at the Louisville track in early September, but returned to place second in an Oct. 17 maiden race at Keeneland.
On Saturday, the Medaglia d'Oro filly raced in fourth under Julien Leparoux as early fractions went in :23.27 for the quarter and :47.14 for the half-mile. Leparoux guided Three Tipsy Chix off the rail, tracking three wide around the turn in third. She then rallied through the stretch to win by two lengths in a final time of 1:18.33 on the fast track.
The homebred is out of On Fire Baby, a daughter of Smoke Glacken that earned top-level wins in the 2013 Apple Blossom Stakes (G1) and the following year's newly upgraded La Troienne Stakes (G1) for Anita Cauley.
| BloodHorse Maiden Watch | ||||||
| Notable 2yo maiden winners for week of Nov. 16-22 | ||||||
| Date | Track | Race | Horse | Sire | Dam | Notes |
| 11/19 | Aqu | 5 | Western Advantage | Competitive Edge | Western Ransom | Dam is a G3 winner |
| 11/21 | Aqu | 2 | Straw Into Gold | Hard Spun | Strike It Rich | Dam is a G3 winner; half brother to stakes winner Sea Foam |
| 11/21 | CD | 8 | Three Tipsy Chix | Medaglia d’Oro | On Fire Baby | Dam is a dual G1 winner |
| 11/22 | Aqu | 5 | Brattle House | Malibu Moon | Savvy Sassy | $775K Saratoga New York-bred yearling |
| 11/22 | Dmr | 2 | Life is Good | Into Mischief | Beach Walk | $525K Keeneland September yearling |
