Litfin's preview: First-timers head up pick six

Fast-working firsters

The racing office did pick six players a favor by carding a maiden special-weight sprint for New York-breds (race 4) as the opening leg, as any among a large handful of fast-working first-time starters may or may not prove to be live on the tote board.

Gran the Man is the 5-2 morning-line choice after a runner-up finish in his debut three weeks ago for Christophe Clement, but the Grand Slam gelding breaks from post 5 and is surrounded by six new faces that all have turned in at least one bullet workout recently.

They have some pedigree power as well: Keen’s Cupla is a half-brother to six winners; Ten Large is a half to six-figure earners Make the Moment and Lumineuse; Send One In’s dam has produced the $136,000 earner My Man Sumo; Cuantos is kin to the versatile sprinter Bounding Bi, who banked $364,000 winning multiple races on dirt and turf; Sea Raven is a Mineshaft colt who sold for $130,000 as a 2-year-old last year; and Invasion Point has two siblings that were three-time winners.

Speed-packed Victory Ride

Blink and you’ll miss the opening fractions of today’s Victory Ride Stakes, where a battle royale for the lead is shaping up among several speedy 3-year-old fillies.

Isabelle (Bouwerie), Miss Behaviour (Ms. Preakness), and Red Velvet (Jersey Girl) are coming off front-running wins in stakes. West Coast Chick has not been behind another rival at any point while winning both of her starts this year and makes her stakes debut. Fat Kat has led through the opening quarter-mile in each of her last four starts, winning three in a row by better than 22 lengths prior to a pace-setting placing in the Jostle.

Red Velvet could be the proverbial “speed of the speed,” and her stock rose when Jersey Girl runner-up Size won the Iowa Oaks on Saturday.

The pace situation seems favorable for a stalker like Milam, who clearly was second best in the Eight Belles after rallying very wide and tuned up for this assignment with a bullet work at Churchill Downs that was fastest of 90 at the distance.

Street Story, who overcame a slow start to post a 14-1 upset in the Instant Racing at Oaklawn Park, could also benefit if a meltdown occurs.

Third time the charm for Frankel’s half-brother?

“Breed the best to the best and hope for the best” is a familiar saying, which certainly worked nicely to produce the marvelous Frankel, who won all 14 of his starts as one of the all-time greats in Europe.

It’s been tougher sledding for Frankel’s half-brother, Morpheus, who has been off the board in two starts since coming to the U.S. and takes blinkers off after setting the pace and giving way as the 9-5 choice here May 16.

Morpheus, now trained by Bill Mott, seemingly is up against it from a pace perspective given the presence of Marriedtothemusic, who tries turf after running a fast half-mile in the True North and setting the table for his winning entry-mate, Palace, and Spring to the Sky, who was up close to the stretch of the Jaipur despite stumbling at the start.

Perhaps a change of tactics is in order for Morpheus, whose two wins in England were recorded from off the pace.

Horse to watch

INDIAN STARLIGHT
Trainer: Rick Violette Jr.
Last race: June 28, 6th
Finish: 4th by 3 1/4
Beyer: 78

Returned for her first start since late April off two bullet workouts for new trainer and raced up close throughout a first-level allowance while three wide; paid $27 winning at Saratoga last year.