Vino Rossos ones to watch in maiden race

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Quality of pedigree and quality of competition will be key in evaluating three 2-year-old races that are some of the main events on Thursday’s 10-race card at Keeneland.

Taking these races in program order, the fourth race is a $70,000 maiden special weight for 2-year-old fillies going seven furlongs. There are two fillies in this race, Mixer and Vino From Ernies, from the first crop of Breeders’ Cup Classic winner and champion Vino Rosso. He is the sire of 13 individual winners and has proven that his offspring can perform at both sprints and over a route of ground. His two-time sprint stakes winner The Wine Steward was a hard-fought second in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity on Saturday at Keeneland, and the same day, Wine Me Up was second in the Grade 1 American Pharoah at Santa Anita and Dancing Groom third in the Grade 1 Champagne at Aqueduct. Seven furlongs should be well within the wheelhouse of these fillies.

Zverev makes his second start in Thursday’s fifth race, a $100,000 maiden special weight going a mile on turf. The colt, trained by Cherie DeVaux, who is in the midst of a breakout year, was beaten less than two lengths when finishing fifth on the disqualification of a foe at Saratoga. That maiden race was won by Agate Road, who subsequently took the Grade 2 Pilgrim Stakes.

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Zverev is by Oscar Performance, whose runners have generally preferred middle distances, and is out of Grade 1 winner Balance, a sister to Hall of Famer Zenyatta.

Several in the seventh race, another $100,000 turf maiden, also have faced stakes-quality competition. Frontline Warrior, by War Front and out of champion Shamrock Rose, was third on debut at Saratoga behind Carson’s Run and next-out winner Moonlight. Carson’s Run went on to finish third in the Grade 3 With Anticipation before winning the Grade 1 Summer at Woodbine.

Tireless, an $875,000 yearling purchase by St. Elias Stable, Repole Stable, and LNJ Foxwoods, has gotten a tough outside draw. The son of rising young sire Not This Time, who had a pair of graded turf winners on Saturday at Keeneland, was second on debut going a mile at Kentucky Downs. The winner, First World War, was a close fourth in the Grade 2 Bourbon as the post-time favorite on Sunday at Keeneland.

Thursday’s card also includes a $120,000 allowance/optional-claiming race for older horses, in which Moment to Shine and Wilma Mankiller both come off back-to-back wins for Larry Rivelli; and a $110,000 turf allowance with several coming off solid maiden wins.

Asmussen juvenile impresses

Trainer Steve Asmussen was already excited about the 2-year-old Booth. The colt is from the first crop of Mitole, who Asmussen trained to a Breeders’ Cup Sprint win and an Eclipse Award title. Booth was a $225,000 purchase by Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt, who also campaigned Mitole, at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s March sale of juveniles earlier this year, in partnership with Jackpot Farm and Whispering Oaks Farm.

Along with that sire power, the colt’s relatives on the other side of his page upped the anticipation for his debut. His half-brother Bright Future won the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup last month in New York.

“Obviously liked him when Mr. Heiligbrodt bought him, and then his pedigree exploded over the summer,” Asmussen said. “So we were very much looking forward to his debut.”

Booth didn’t disappoint. In a six-furlong maiden race on Saturday evening at Keeneland, the colt drew off as he pleased to win by 5 1/4 lengths, earning an eye-catching Beyer Speed Figure of 95.

“Extremely exciting,” Asmussen said. “Very talented colt.”

No next targets were immediately named for Booth.

Godolphin homebred Nash, sent away as the favorite in the Saturday maiden race, earned an 83 Beyer for his distant second to Booth while four lengths clear of the next runners. The Medaglia d’Oro colt is out of multiple graded stakes winner Sara Louise.

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