Maiden Watch: Feb. 27-March 5, Bloodhorse.com, By Molly Rollins
From Southern California to New Orleans to Miami, the Maiden Watch radar was abuzz with activity this last week. However, in a week of impressive performances, a son of Kentucky Oaks (G1) victress Believe You Can blazed to a track-record-setting tally in the opener at Santa Anita Park March 4.
While his name is Conclude, his career is certainly just beginning.
The 3-year-old son of second crop sire Collected was a narrowly beaten second on debut Jan. 21 for trainer Phil D’Amato. In that effort, he struck the front at the top of the lane before being collared at the wire by $675,000 purchase Hawker traveling 6 1/2-furlongs on the grass against maiden special weight company.
Cutting back to 5 1/2 on Saturday facing similar conditions, Conclude rocketed to the front under Flavien Prat, despite facing steady pressure on his outside from 14-1 shot Fleet Feet. Rattling off an opening quarter in :22.19, the flashy chestnut showed no signs of stopping on the turn for home, shaking loose from his foe and blitzing to the wire with powerful, reaching strides. In the end, he was 4 1/4 lengths the best in 1:01.57 on a turf course labeled good.
Although eyes tend to fall on potential Kentucky Derby contenders this time of year, the blaze-faced Conclude has the makings of a special athlete, turf or not. It’s not too often one sees a maiden winner lower any track standard, especially at a prestigious circuit like Santa Anita.
Conclude is the product of famed Airdrie Stud breeding. Bred in Kentucky by Airdrie kingpin Brereton Jones, whose silks were carried by Believe You Can to victory in the 2012 Run for the Lillies, his sire Collected also stands at stud at the Lexington farm, where he retired in 2018 after annexing such prizes as the 2017 Pacific Classic (G1) for owners Speedway Stables. Offered as a yearling by the Airdrie consignment during the 2021 Keeneland September Sale, Conclude failed to meet his reserve at $140,000 and was kept by Jones to race. Madaket Stables and Little Red Feather Racing later became partners on the colt.
The colt is Believe You Can’s best runner to date since her first foal to race, 2018 Ellis Park Derby winner and Oklahoma Derby (G3) runner-up Believe in Royalty by Tapit.
While Believe You Can never raced on the turf, her dam El Fasto , is a daughter of Irish group 1 winner and influential grass stallion El Prado. Her half sister And You Can is also the dam of multiple staked placed sprinter Baytown Bear, a black-type performer on both the turf and dirt. Interestingly, Collected broke his maiden over the downhill turf course at Santa Anita as a juvenile and was runner-up in the Cecil B. DeMille Stakes (G3T) that same year before Derby dreams took his path onto the dirt.
Maiden Watch: Feb. 27-March 5
By Molly Rollins Today, 5:22 PM
Santa Anita Park
From Southern California to New Orleans to Miami, the Maiden Watch radar was abuzz with activity this last week. However, in a week of impressive performances, a son of Kentucky Oaks (G1) victress Believe You Can blazed to a track-record-setting tally in the opener at Santa Anita Park March 4.
While his name is Conclude, his career is certainly just beginning.
The 3-year-old son of second crop sire Collected was a narrowly beaten second on debut Jan. 21 for trainer Phil D’Amato. In that effort, he struck the front at the top of the lane before being collared at the wire by $675,000 purchase Hawker traveling 6 1/2-furlongs on the grass against maiden special weight company.
Cutting back to 5 1/2 on Saturday facing similar conditions, Conclude rocketed to the front under Flavien Prat, despite facing steady pressure on his outside from 14-1 shot Fleet Feet. Rattling off an opening quarter in :22.19, the flashy chestnut showed no signs of stopping on the turn for home, shaking loose from his foe and blitzing to the wire with powerful, reaching strides. In the end, he was 4 1/4 lengths the best in 1:01.57 on a turf course labeled good.
Although eyes tend to fall on potential Kentucky Derby contenders this time of year, the blaze-faced Conclude has the makings of a special athlete, turf or not. It’s not too often one sees a maiden winner lower any track standard, especially at a prestigious circuit like Santa Anita.
Conclude is the product of famed Airdrie Stud breeding. Bred in Kentucky by Airdrie kingpin Brereton Jones, whose silks were carried by Believe You Can to victory in the 2012 Run for the Lillies, his sire Collected also stands at stud at the Lexington farm, where he retired in 2018 after annexing such prizes as the 2017 Pacific Classic (G1) for owners Speedway Stables. Offered as a yearling by the Airdrie consignment during the 2021 Keeneland September Sale, Conclude failed to meet his reserve at $140,000 and was kept by Jones to race. Madaket Stables and Little Red Feather Racing later became partners on the colt.
The colt is Believe You Can’s best runner to date since her first foal to race, 2018 Ellis Park Derby winner and Oklahoma Derby (G3) runner-up Believe in Royalty by Tapit.
While Believe You Can never raced on the turf, her dam El Fasto , is a daughter of Irish group 1 winner and influential grass stallion El Prado. Her half sister And You Can is also the dam of multiple staked placed sprinter Baytown Bear, a black-type performer on both the turf and dirt. Interestingly, Collected broke his maiden over the downhill turf course at Santa Anita as a juvenile and was runner-up in the Cecil B. DeMille Stakes (G3T) that same year before Derby dreams took his path onto the dirt.
