Midnight Bourbon Among Notable Maiden Winners at Ellis

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.

Ellis

Ellis Park had two juvenile winners of note this week. Winchell Thoroughbreds' Midnight Bourbon coasted to a 5 1/2-length score in his second start Aug. 22 at the Kentucky track.

Trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Gerardo Corrales, Midnight Bourbon sat off the pace set by Wayakin in second early in the one-mile test. The son of Tiznow  took over shortly after a half-mile went in :47.15 to post a six-furlong time of 1:11.86, leading by a half-length. From there, he opened his lead and cruised to the wire under a hand ride in a final time of 1:37.32 on a fast track.

Winchell Thoroughbreds paid $525,000 for the colt when he was consigned by Warrendale Sales to the Keeneland September Yearling Sale last year.

Bred by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings in Kentucky, Midnight Bourbon is the fourth foal out of the unraced Malibu Moon  mare Catch the Moon. Her other three foals have all made their mark at the graded level. She is the dam of grade 1 winner Girvin , grade 3 winner Cocked and Loaded, and grade 3-placed Pirate's Punch, who finished third in the Mineshaft Stakes (G3) earlier this year and placed second in Saturday's Philip H. Iselin Stakes (G3) at Monmouth Park the same day his younger brother won.

G. Watts Humphrey Jr.'s homebred Navratilova was the other 2-year-old of note at Ellis Park, winning a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint on debut the day prior.

The Kentucky-bred Medaglia d'Oro  filly is the third foal out of the grade 1-winning turf mare Centre Court, by Smart Strike. She is trained by Rusty Arnold.

Navratilova started a bit slow and raced in seventh of the 10-horse field as Double Whopper set splits of :22.14, :47.25, and 1:00.33 through five furlongs. Jockey Julien Leparoux guided Navratilova into fourth heading down the stretch after moving up on the turn, and she unleashed a rally to overtake the leaders late, winning by 2 1/4 lengths. She completed the distance in 1:06.71 on firm turf.

Del Mar

On the West Coast, trainer Bob Baffert added yet another 2-year-old to his list of promising starters, this time with the $1.35 million filly Princess Noor.

The Not This Time  filly races for Zedan Racing Stables and was purchased by agent Gary Young from the Top Line Sales consignment to the Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, which she topped.

Baffert had lamented ahead of her debut—he also entered runner-up Flash Magic, a half sister to champion Good Magic —that he regretted having to run both fillies in the same race.

Princess Noor proved the better of the two in the debut, leading wire to wire and coasting to a 2 1/2-length victory while in hand. She completed the 5 1/2 furlongs on a fast track in 1:04.03. Flash Magic finished 4 3/4 lengths in front of third-place finisher Avisse.

Bred by International Equities Holding in Kentucky, Princess Noor is the second winner from two foals to race out of the grade 3 winning Wilko mare Sheza Smoke Show.

Gulfstream

Stud Recoveco's homebred Peruvian Dancer broke through the maiden ranks in his third start. The 2-year-old Girolamo colt is out of the Argentinian group 2 winner Solarana, by Mutakddim. Solarana also produced grade 3-placed Peruvian Appeal.

Trained by Antonio Sano, Peruvian Dancer actually lost his first two starts against lesser class in maiden claiming tests in July and August at the South Florida track, but earned a neck victory against maiden special weight company while racing seven furlongs.

After racing off the pace in Saturday's test, he was guided wide by Edgar Prado and drove home to score in a final time of 1:26.11.

Woodbine

Lady Speightspeare won her debut Saturday at Woodbine, taking a seven-furlong maiden test for 2-year-old fillies on the grass.

Owned and bred by Charles Fipke, the Speightstown  filly is out of multiple graded stakes winner Lady Shakespeare, by Theatrical. She is trained by Roger Attfield and was ridden to a  3 3/4-length victory by Emma-Jayne Wilson.

She bumped another horse at the start but edged to the lead down the backstretch to post splits of :22.65 and :45.88 through a half-mile. She then opened her lead to finish in a final time of 1:20.93 on firm turf.