King Fury Among High-Priced Maidens to Win on Debut

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.

Churchill

Fern Circle Stables and Three Chimneys Farm's King Fury was the first of this week's notable 2-year-old maidens to make his mark, taking a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight in his Sept. 3 debut at Churchill Downs.

The Curlin  colt is the first foal out of the grade 1-winning Flatter  mare Taris, who won the 2016 Humana Distaff Stakes (G1) to close out her career and placed third in the TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) the year before.

Trained by Ken McPeek and ridden to victory by Brian Hernandez Jr., King Fury raced in fifth of a 12-horse field as Mahomes Money set fractions of :24.58 and :48.76 through a half-mile. Running four wide around the turn for home, Hernandez guided King Fury closer to the pace and when he hit the stretch he dueled for the lead but was able to draw clear and win by 2 3/4 lengths. He completed the distance in 1:45.55 on a fast track.

Bred by Heider Family Stables in Kentucky, King Fury was purchased by Paul Fireman of Fern Circle for $950,000 at The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's select yearling sale in New York, from the Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency.

The following day at Churchill, Salty as Can Be fought for a narrow victory in her debut in a six-furlong maiden test.

Also purchased at The Saratoga Sale, Salty as Can Be was an $850,000 buy from the Baccari Bloodstock consignment. She is trained by Mark Casse for Gary Barber and Baccari Racing Stable.

Racing 10 other 2-year-old fillies, Salty as Can Be was bumped at the start but quickly regained her stride beneath jockey Tyler Gaffalione and sat just behind the leaders as fractions went in :21.48 and :45.07 through a half-mile. In the stretch she got her head in front of Amusing Antics and held to the wire to win by the same margin in a final time of 1:10.79 on a fast track.

Among the fillies she defeated was third-placed Lady Traveler, a half sister to Canada's 2014 Sovereign Award winner and dual grade 1 winning-turf star Heart to Heart .

Salty as Can Be was bred in Kentucky by Seclusive Farm, Chester Prince, and Anne Prince. By Into Mischief , she is out of the Dixie Union mare Theycallmeladyluck, who also produced grade 1 winner Salty.

A few races later on the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) undercard, another $850,000 purchase from The Saratoga Sale, OXO Equine's Travel Column, also scored on debut.

The Frosted  filly, trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Florent Geroux, took over the six-furlong contest after a quarter-mile went in :21.27. Pressed by Off We Go, Travel Column raced through a half-mile in :44.42 before kicking away in the stretch and winning by 4 1/4 lengths. She completed the distance in 1:10.03.

Bred in Kentucky by Mr. and Mrs. Bayne Welker Jr. and Denali Stud, who consigned the filly, Travel Column is out of the Victory Gallop mare Swingit and is a half sister to Neolithic , who never won a grade 1 but was third in the inaugural Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1), the 2017 Dubai World Cup Sponsored by Emirates Airlines three months later, and the Woodward Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) later the same year.

Arlington

Also winning on debut Friday was Calumet Farm's homebred Notable Exception, who romped to a 5 1/4-length win on the all-weather track at Arlington International Racecourse.

Notable Exception is a Street Sense  half brother to Argentina group 1-placed, group 2 winner Carinosa and to stakes winner Tatters to Riches, who was a $1 million 2-year-old purchase. The siblings are out of the A.P. Indy mare Poco Mas.

Trained by Jack Sisterson and ridden by Christopher Emigh, Notable Exception set a pressured pace early on, was a head behind as a half-mile went in :45.94, and unleashed his run in the stretch to complete the seven furlongs in 1:25.09.

Saratoga

Olympiad, a $700,000 purchase from the Keeneland September Yearling Sale last year by Solis/Litt from the Gainesway consignment, scored a 2 3/4-length win in his second start Sept. 5 at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Bill Mott for Grandview Equine, Cheyenne Stables, and LNJ Foxwoods, Olympiad raced in third under Junior Alvarado before taking over in the stretch. The Speightstown  colt finished the seven furlongs in 1:22.78 on a fast track.

Bred by Emory Hamilton in Kentucky, Olympiad is out of the Medaglia d'Oro  mare Tokyo Time, a half sister to graded stakes winners Hungry Island and Soaring Empire as well as to the dam of Preservationist , last year's Woodward Stakes winner. Olympiad's third dam is the 1987 Ashland Stakes (G1) winner Chic Shirine, a full sister to champion Queena. Other grade 1 winners in his female family include Keen Ice , Serra Lake, Somali Lemonade, and Verrazano.

Del Mar

Last, but certainly not least, another half sibling to champion Monomoy Girl made his way to the winner's circle Sunday evening. Peter Miller trainee Superman Shaq won his second start at Del Mar by 3 3/4 lengths while sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs.

The Shackleford colt was a $550,000 purchase by Justin Casse for Barber during the Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training where he was consigned by Wavertree Stables. Out of Drumette, the colt is not only a half brother to his champion older sister but also to this year's Risen Star Presented by Lamarque Ford (G2) winner Mr. Monomoy and Cowboy Diplomacy who raced in an allowance Saturday at Churchill Downs.

Ridden by Flavien Prat, Superman Shaq went straight for the lead and set a pressured pace, clicking off fractions of :22.08 and :45.77 for a half-mile. He was able to shake off any competition at the three-sixteenths pole and pulled clear to stop the clock in 1:04.25.