Good things expected from Midcourt in his debut

CYPRESS, Calif. – Midcourt comes from a Grade 1 family.

The colt is by Midnight Lute, the champion sprinter of 2007, and is out of Mayo On the Side, who won the Grade 1 Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs in 2004. Midcourt was purchased for $450,000 at the 2016 Keeneland September yearling sale and is owned by Lee and Susan Searing.

Expectations for Midcourt when he makes his debut Sunday at Los Alamitos match his pedigree and purchase price.

Midcourt is part of a field of six in Sunday’s fourth race, a maiden race for 2-year-olds. Trainer Peter Eurton said Friday that the colt may run from off the pace in the six-furlong race.

“He’s acted like a promising colt,” Eurton said. “I don’t have him overly cranked up.

“Unless he pops the gate, he’s not a great gate horse. I don’t want him to rush him. I want him to break and let him settle and place himself.”

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Evin Roman will ride Midcourt.

Earlier on the program, High Drama will be favored to win a six-furlong maiden race for 2-year-old fillies. Trained by Bob Baffert, High Drama was second in her debut Aug. 26 at Del Mar.

High Drama is part of a field of six that includes two runners trained by Eric Kruljac – the first-time starter Sunriser and Sea My Moves, who was sixth in her debut Sept. 8 at Los Alamitos after a troubled start.

Sea My Moves has a better chance Sunday, Kruljac said.

“She’s had her out,” Kruljac said. “She stood in there and stood in there and then broke really slow. She made a nice move at the end. We’re expecting more out of her than Sunriser, but sometimes they surprise you.

Sunriser was bought for $200,000 at Keeneland last September.

“My horses typically need an out,” Kruljac said. “I like to educate them. We’ll be a little more serious about the other horse in there.”