Missy P., Triple Tap Score on Debut at Santa Anita

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.

Santa Anita

Several maidens with ties to high-profile siblings made themselves known this week. Among them was Missy P., a full sister to grade 1 winner Mia Mischief. The 3-year-old Into Mischief  filly trained by Richard Mandella, romped to a 9 1/2-length victory in her March 12 debut at Santa Anita Park.

Racing against a field of six other fillies and mares aged 3 and up, Missy P. was positioned in second by Flavien Prat as Reem set fractions of :22.16 and :45.70 for the first half-mile. Prat moved Missy P. up on the outside to challenge the leader and was ridden confidently through the stretch, where the filly drew away to finish the 5 1/2-furlong test in a final time of 1:03.71 on a track labeled good.

A Spendthrift Farm homebred, Missy P. is out of the Speightstown  mare Greer Lynn, whose millionaire daughter Mia Mischief won the 2019 Humana Distaff (G1) at Churchill Downs and completed her career with a runner-up finish in the 2020 Madison Stakes (G1) at Keeneland.

Another of note won on debut at Santa Anita a day later. Summer Wind Equine's homebred Triple Tap, a half brother to Triple Crown winner American Pharoah , scored a 4 1/4-length victory.

Trained by Bob Baffert, Triple Tap outran a field of three other 3- and 4-year-olds going seven furlongs at Santa Anita.

With a similar ride as Missy P., Prat guided the 3-year-old son of Tapit  into second to stalk the leader and then the pair pressed the pace in a :46.63 half mile. Triple Tap then dueled with Barraza briefly, took over to post a six-furlong time of 1:10.97, and galloped out under a hand ride in 1:23.12 on a fast track.

Triple Tap drew the attention of Santa Anita clockers with several bullet works in the past three months. He is out of the Yankee Gentleman mare Littleprincessemma, who, aside from her famous son, has also produced grade 1 winner Chasing Yesterday (a full sister to Triple Tap), grade 1-placed American Cleopatra, and group 3-placed St Patrick's Day  who raced in Ireland and the U.S.

Gulfstream

Bears Watching, a half brother to grade 1 winner Code of Honor, also found his way to the winner's circle, taking a seven-furlong maiden test for 3-year-olds by 7 3/4 lengths Saturday at Gulfstream Park in his second start.

The Shug McGaughey trainee bumped with Golden Spoke leaving the gate and then settled behind the leaders in third and then fourth as the first quarter-mile went in :22.69 and a half in :45.74. Jose Ortiz guided Bears Watching to the outside after saving ground along the rail, and made a four wide move near the five-sixteenths pole. Ortiz let the Karakontie  colt out a notch and swept past the leaders and opened up in the stretch under a hand ride to complete the distance in 1:22.95 on a fast track.

Bred and raced by William Farish, Bears Watching is out of the Dixie Union mare Reunited. Aside from Code of Honor, who was runner-up in the 2019 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and most recently finished fifth in this year's Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1), Reunited has produced 2016 Best Pal (G2) runner-up Big League.

Bears Watching finished third on a sloppy track in his Feb. 6 debut at Gulfstream after losing momentum during a late rally when he was forced to adjust his path.

On Sunday, Repole Stable's Iced Latte won her second start for trainer Todd Pletcher at Gulfstream. The daughter of Pioneerof the Nile, bred by Three Chimneys Farm, is out of the grade 1-winning Malibu Moon  mare Malibu Prayer.

Ridden to a 3 1/2-length win by Luis Saez in the one-mile maiden test for 3-year-old fillies, Iced Latte rated in second prior to engaging Surrealist. She held near even terms with the leader until they reached the upper stretch in which Iced Latte gained a length advantage and continued on to finish in a final time of 1:36.06 on a fast track.

Tampa Bay

Peter Brant's $645,273 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale purchase, Sifting Sands, earned his first winning paycheck when he took a one-mile turf event for 3-year-old maidens Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs.

The Chad Brown trainee, ridden by Samy Camacho, raced along the rail and stalked the pace from fourth early, saved ground throughout, and found room on the inside to get by the leaders in the stretch to win by three-quarters of a length. He completed the mile in 1:35.03 on a firm course.

The Dubawi colt finished off the board in his September debut at Saratoga Race Course and had not raced since.

Bred by Newsells Park Stud in Great Britain, Sifting Sands is out of the Montjeu mare Yummy Mummy, the dam of 2015 QIPCO One Thousand Guineas (G1) winner Legatissimo, who also won that year's Qatar Nassau Stakes (G1) and Coolmore Fastnet Rock Matron Stakes (G1) before placing second in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T).